Temperatures are rising, Spring is in the air, new styles are being introduced, and folks are hungry to buy some shoes!
Here are some money saving tips on how to save money on shoes.
How to Save Money On Shoes – When Buying New
- Don’t buy “one use” shoes – This one should go without saying. The more types of “niche” shoes that you buy, the more money you will end up spending over the long run.
- Buy shoes that will fit multiple styles and options – This really goes along with tip #1 above, try not to buy shoes that will just be the style of the year, otherwise you won’t really get more then one year out of them.
- Buy at the end of the season or into the next – Similar to new car sales, shoes sell on clearance at the end of the season. The best time to buy sandals? At the beginning of fall. The best time to find a great deal on those winter boots? Check out those Spring sales!
- Buy shoes on Wednesday – It’s true according to research. For some crazy reason, shoes seem to be on sale on Wednesdays more than any other day of the week. Who would have thought?!?
- Outlet malls – Most of us live within a couple hours drive to an outlet mall. While it will cost a bit to actually get your butt there, if you can plan in advance to make one or two trips a year to buy your shoes you will save a bunch of money over shopping malls.
- Don’t buy kids shoes new – Because kid’s feet are constantly growing and they are so rough-and-tough with their shoes, it doesn’t make much financial sense to buy brand new shoes for kids. See some of the used ideas below before you break the bank on kids shoes.
- Zappos – Try Zappos for your online shoe purchases. They have a huge selection, great prices, and awesome customer service. I have used them multiple times, and I’m a happy customer. If the shoes don’t fit or you’re unhappy with them, you can return them free of charge! It’s no wonder it’s such a good company to deal with – they’re owned by Amazon.
How to Save Money On Shoes – When Buying Used
- Hand-Me-Downs – Why buy new shoes at all in the first place?!? If you are getting kids shoes, try hand-me-downs from brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. You’ll save a ton of money and ensure the shoes get used until they fall apart.
- Goodwill / thrift stores – Not much to say here other than you can find some awesome deals on gently used shoes for 20% of the new price.
- Ebay – I haven’t bought shoes from Ebay before, but I sure do sell a lot of them on Ebay. You can generally get good condition used shoes for 50% – 90% off. Hard to beat that!
- Yard Sales – This is my personal favorite. You can usually find 7/10 through 10/10 condition shoes for pennies on the dollar. Don’t believe me? Check out these awesome Sketcher shoes I just found last Saturday for only $0.25!!!!!!
How to Save Money On Shoes – Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are tons of ways that you can save money on shoes today! I’m sure that there’s at least one idea from the “how to save money on shoes” article that you can put in use this year to save yourself a bundle on shoes. Anyone think they can one-up me and find better shoes for $0.25 or less? Have I mentioned lately that I love yard sales???
Clarisse @ Savvy Scot says
I only have some pair of shoes and sandals. I was so dumbed that I bought my daughter an expensive school shoes, I forgot that I should buy a cheaper shoes.
Clarisse @ Savvy Scot recently posted…Are you a life saver?
Derek Chamberlain says
Yeah, I almost had a heart attack when I found that my wife had bought our son new $50 for this school year. They were basically destroyed in about one week! Oh well 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Clarisse.
Jon @ Money Smart Guides says
Who would guess that shoes go on sale on Wednesdays??? Whenever I am in need for new sneakers, I just find “last seasons” model that is usually reduced to like $4 from $100 or more. They might not be the exact color scheme I want, but I’d rather save the cash than pay full price.
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Derek Chamberlain says
Jon,
I’m the exact same way! No reason to pay full price at all 🙂
Money Infographics says
Ebay is another great source to find cheap shoes!! I’ve bought a few in my time there!! Great article!!
Money Infographics recently posted…Big Expenses That Might Require a Personal Loan
Derek Chamberlain says
I sell a bunch on Ebay, so I think you’re spot on that it’s a great place for cheap shoes. I haven’t purchased any from there yet though 🙂