This is the final article in the Girl’s Guide to High Heels series.
The last two articles focused on walking in high heels, and the process of buying high heels. In case you missed them, see How To Walk In High Heels and How To Buy High Heels.
For this article, I want to focus on where to buy those fabulous heels – there are so many stores, so how do you choose?
There are two main places you can buy high heels – walking in to a shoe store or department store and purchasing them there, or the ever convenient and popular online shopping. I’ve broken down the pro’s and con’s of each, plus a list of my favorite online and offline stores to find the best high heels.
Should you buy heels online or offline?
Offline shopping is probably the most popular way to buy shoes. When you buy high heels in a store, you have the opportunity to try them on, examine the shoes up close, and talk to the salesperson to find your perfect size. You can also walk around in the shoes before you buy, compare pairs up close and personal, and even get your feet measured if you aren’t sure what size you are! It takes more time than shopping online, but shopping in a store means you’ll know immediately if you’ve found the right shoes or not.
Shopping online, however, may also be a good option for you if you live far away from a store that sells nice shoes, or if you don’t have a lot of time to go shopping. It’s certainly more convenient to have your shoes delivered to your door rather than going to a store and trying them on. Similarly, online shops may have a bigger selection than offline, and if you’re looking for a specific brand or pair of shoes, online is the best bet.
That said, if you shop online, you might not like your new high heels when they arrive, and the fit might not be right. Also, you could end up the victim of a “no returns” policy, and stuck with a pair of heels you don’t like so much.
Offline shopping has its drawbacks too – if you don’t have any good stores in your area, you might need to take extra time to drive to a good shoe store, and if you don’t find anything there, you’re back where you started. Similarly, there may not be as good a selection in-store as there would be online.
At the end of the day, it comes down to your personal situation and preferences. If you’re a savvy shopper and choose the right stores, you can make either method work for you!
The best offline stores to buy high heels
In my opinion, you can’t do much better than shopping in a shoe store or department store for your first nice pair of high heels. They have great selections, and you can try everything on before you buy!
Here are some of my favorite offline stores for high heel shopping:
- Saks Fifth Avenue – The ultimate place to shop for (or just salivate over) all the incredible designer heels you could ever hope to own. If you are ever in New York City, you need to visit their Fifth Avenue store – the 8th floor is an enormous shoe showroom with over 10,000 pairs of heels. Even better, there are tons of great salespeople on hand to help you find the perfect pair of designer shoes.
- DSW – On the other end of the price spectrum, DSW stands for Designer Shoe Warehouse, and it’s the best place to find great quality high heels at low, low prices. If you have one in your local mall, this should be your go-to place first. Try lots of stuff on and see what you like. The only downside is there aren’t salespeople to help you out with sizing, so if you need that, look elsewhere.
- Payless – If you’re going for deep discounts and quality isn’t your number one priority, you won’t find better deals than those at discount shoe retailer Payless. With designer collaborations like Alice + Olivia for Payless and Abaete for Payless, you can find designer pieces for low, low prices.
- A local shoe boutique – I am a big fan of shopping at local stores if you can, so if there are any great leather stores or small shoe stores that sell heels, give one of them a visit! You’ll get personalized service and advice, plus you’ll be helping support a local business.
- Vintage stores – I do recommend vintage stores for high heel purchases, but you need to shop carefully if you’re going this route. Remember my tips from the last article on finding quality high heels – test the soles, examine every inch of the shoes, and if anything looks off about them, don’t buy. Remember that people usually donate their shoes for a reason – it might be that they’re falling apart and would be difficult to have repaired.
The best online stores to buy high heels
When choosing an online store to buy a nice pair of heels, it’s important to look at three things: price, quality, and their return policy. Buying shoes online, especially when they’re an investment, can be risky. If you don’t like the shoes and can’t send them back or have to pay a serious penalty to do so, it will be a waste of your money. Shop carefully!
Here are some online shoe stores I recommend both for their selection and their great return policies.
- Zappos.com – The shoe store that specializes in customer service. When you shop at Zappos, you not only know exactly what you’re getting, but if there’s any problem, returns are free. Even better, you can return your shoes for 365 days after the date of purchase – how awesome is that? Another great thing about Zappos – they have lots of customer representatives that know about shoes, and will always be willing to help you out if there’s a problem. It’s really the perfect online shoe store.
- Shoes.com – Lots of discounts and good value for your money. While they may not have the customer service reputation of Zappos, shoes.com is also a great resource for thousands of amazing high heels. And they also offer free returns for up to 365 days from the date you bought them!
- Piperlime – One of the newest and most popular online shoe stores, Piperlime is affiliated with GAP, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, companies with good reputations for reliability and quality. They offer free returns for 60 days after purchase, but be careful! Shoes that were on sale are not eligible for return.
Something to remember when you’re shopping online for high heels: comparison shop!
If you find a pair of shoes that you love on one website, check around to make sure those shoes actually look like they do in the picture & that you can’t get them for cheaper elsewhere. And examine the return policies on every store you’re considering – return costs can eat up your money!
Also, know your size! If you aren’t sure what shoe size you are, or are trying a new brand that you’ve never worn before, realize that you might have to send them back and get another size because they may run smaller or larger than normal. There is so much variation between shoe brands that you need to be prepared!
Where not to shop for high heels
There are many stores that I do recommend, but I thought I’d add a few that you should stay away from when you’re shopping for high heels.
- eBay – This is one case in which I don’t think you should check eBay for a good deal. While prices may be low, it’s just too risky when you’re making a big purchase like an investment pair of heels. You don’t always know what you’re getting on this site, and you usually can’t return anything you buy. Not worth it!
- Discount Stores – You might walk in to a cheap and trendy clothing store in the mall and see heels for $10 – what a deal, right? Not so fast. While the shoes there may be inexpensive, they are also probably bad quality and might break within a few wears. Saving a few bucks is nice, but it’s not worth spraining an ankle while your shoe breaks while you’re wearing it. Quality counts here!
Your thoughts?
Since you now know where to shop for the best high heels, I want to know what you think. Where are your favorite places to buy heels? Would you rather shop online or do you have to try shoes on before you buy?
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment!
I second that. I would love an article about what type of heel goes best with certain dress styles.
you forgot some online stores to buy cheap shoes… they will not be the best quality, but since you’ll wear them for just a few months or to match a dress the best bet is going cheap…
stores like gojane.com , cutesygirl.com , urbanog.com or makemechic.com have a huge selection of cheap really stylish shoes, usually under $30
quality in those stores is relative, but i got at least 3 pairs of heels that i’ve been wearing for more than 1 year and they’re still in pretty good condition!
You can buy heels at Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe for cheap.
I shop at Ross and Payless for my shoes because I am unbelievably broke. I get really good deals on pretty good shoes at Ross. I am in love with my Steve Maddens and my Joey Os.
I learned to walk in heels when I was about 6. Starting with plastic heels and now, at 16, I wear 5 inch heels and they are more comfortable than flats. In fact, I don’t own any flats.
I’m still wondering… how much should you pay for a good pair of heels so that they don’t hurt?
I have had REALLY good luck with Kohl’s actually, some of their shoes are ugly but often I find a cute pair that is pretty comfy. Good prices especially with the deals they always have going on.
I’ve had great luck with Kohl’s too, be sure to sign up for their flyer for additional savings. At the bottom of the kohls website you can also sign up for sale alerts which I haven’t found to be spamy yet.
I think any shoes (high end to inexpensive), plus anything could leave dents in a wooden floor.
I think it’d be great to have an article on “what to wear with heels” — and I mean, more specifically, what types of heels go best with what kinds of outfits/dresses or even for particular situations, what kinds of shoes would be most appropriate. 🙂
For Ebay purchases, you have to know how to shop there. I’ve bought some of my best lasting and favorite shoes off Ebay but thats only cuz I know how to shop there. You can’t just buy the first pair of shoes from anyone. Its a process & takes practice but if you get it right, it can be seriously worth it. You could end up having a cheap discount store experience where your shoes fall apart just by looking at them or you could have a “i hit the jackpot and these shoes are awesome” moment.
hey collegefashion chick lets see some pix of you u are hot.
You left off the absolute best place to buy shoes online: Endless.com!! The return policy is top-notch, plus there is everyday *free* overnight shipping; seriously, buy today, wear tomorrow! I have bought several pairs from this site; they have a huge selection of shoes at all price points, and a great clearance section. This is my go-to place to shop for heels, or any other type of shoes. Thanks for the interesting articles, keep up the great work!
Emma – Really? I thought Zappos did ship to Canada. Sorry about that if they don’t!
Celeste – For real. Those discount store heels might be cute, but they just aren’t going to be wearable for long.
Lisa – True, if you’re going for shoes you’ll probably be sick of in a month, discount stores all the way!
Connie – Unfortunately, price isn’t always an indicator of quality. In general, you want to go with leather shoes, but that’s just the start. You have to look at the shoe, walk around in it, and wear it for a while to see how you like it. You can find nice shoes at $40, but there are also crappy ones at that price point. Use the tips from the guide part 2 – how to buy heels to examine the shoes and see if they’re good quality or not. One price doesn’t fit all!
Lindsey – My boyfriend actually bought me Louboutins for my birthday and let me just say.. I danced in them for 6 hours, and at the end of the night they hurt like all my other cheap shoes. But they are way more comfortable than the others for the first 5 😉
Morgan – Ah, I don’t really shop at endless.com, probably because Zappos carries everything. But maybe I’ll check it out! Thanks for the tip.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Zappos.com ships to Canada. I wish there was something like it for us Canadians!
I’m still wondering… how much should you pay for a good pair of heels so that they don’t hurt? I know sometimes even high designer shoes can hurt… so where do you draw the line? Like if you buy a $40 pair, can you expect them not to hurt?
Oh and whoever mentioned ENDLESS. COM , you’re being ripped off.
HUGE FYI!
They’re owned by Amazon.com.
They same shoes Amazon has in stock, are the same shoes ENDLESS has in stock.
ENDLESS charges almost full retail for shoes that are marked down on Amazon already. They’e making up for free shipping on Amazon!
This post was really informative! I agree about not buying heels at the discount stores. I’d rather spend a bit more and not end up with blisters by the end of the day.
heels wise, id go look for quality ones that have some soft cushion and made from leather haha…
Quality is important cheap heels can be harmful to not only the person wearing them but can cause damage to wood floors. People must take their shoes off before coming into my apartment a friend came over wearing cheap heals and it left dents in my wood floors. I was so mad!
I’ve found a way to get around the no return policies of online stores and eBay. When I find a heel I love in a store but is priced higher than I like, I stalk eBay and online stores waiting for it to pop up. Usually it does and since I’ve already tried it on I know what size I want it makes online shopping a breeze. Of course this only works if you can find what you want in an offline store.
yo – How do you know I’m hot if you’re asking me for pics?
Lee – That’s a really good idea. Shop offline first, buy online later. Of course, you have to make sure you know what you’re getting with eBay.
Wait a minute….
http://canada.zappos.com/.
ZAPPOS for CANADA!
Deeper discount=6pm.com!
6pm.com is owned by Zappos.
When a new collection of shoes comes in, an old collection is sent to 6pm.
The only downside is the return policy, its ordinary—nothing like Zappos’.
Heels.com: 90days to return items and prepaid shipping labels. Free shipping!
Onlineshoes.com ” ” ” ”
http://www.solestruck.com/ :Free standard shipping, low express shipping fees–$5 returns?
designerathletic.com: SUPER UNPROFESSIONAL
I like shopping for shoes on Amazon too!
I like that a majority of shoes and other purchases have free shipping.
Although the final sale prices can be good or bad depending how the price is adjusted to makeup for the free shipping.
I agree, you get what you pay for. I’ve had really good luck with Payless! They have my favorite pair of flip-flops ever! And occasionally they have extremley cute shoes that are well made.
Great series of posts about heels!
While I would agree that you should have a few pairs of really nice, high-quality heels, (black, brown, maybe another color) I also think that if you’re into trendy shoes, discount stores can totally be the way to go. If I’ll only like them for a year or two, it doesn’t matter if they only last that long.
I like these series too.They are essential if you have a style blog:)
I’m agree with Linsdey about trendy shoes i mean if you wanna follow budget and have limited budget like me discount stores are musts.
I haven’t buy online shoes yet but when i see those beautiful shoes on net i always want to.
I think whether or not your shoes hurt totally depends on how your feet are shaped. I know that I can wear 4inch heels of just about any brand and be totally fine, but my friend has serious foot issues and can’t wear nearly as many styles. You could buy a $770 pair of Louboutins and they might kill your feet (althought I’ve heard they are really comfy) and a pair of $10 Payless shoes and they will fit amazingly. Totally depends on the shoe, and the foot.
I’ve had really good experience with Steve Madden heels from online.
Love the article, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with shopping on ebay. I do it quite often and I’ve snagged many pairs of (AUTHENTIC) designer shoes for much cheaper than I would have in a department store.
There are a lot of fakes floating around, so it’s best to have the listing authenticated BEFORE you bid. I normally ask the ladies at the Purse Forum to help me. If the seller doesn’t give you any pictures or they’re not clear, simply do not bid.
If you buy something and you can prove it’s not authentic (take it to a designer boutique or store), but the seller claims it is, you can also get your money back if you used paypal to buy it (99% of sellers use paypal). Sellers of more expensive designers often offer returns, but within a certain time limit. Try to buy shoes from top-rated sellers.
thank you all for the info, i buy all my heels at payless shoe stores, they have a good selection and colors.
For the longest time I have refused to buy shoes online after a few bad experiences. I just bought a wonderful pair of boots from Victoria Secret and a great pair of heels (that actually don’t hurt my feet!) from Steve Madden. I’m still not sure if I would purchase from a store like zappos.com where I haven’t already seen their merchandise and like them. Oh and girls- if you’re going out for a long night in heels get some of those gel pads- one word: lifesavers, or rather feetsavers.