Luxury shoes boost your status, your sex appeal, and make you feel great.
But for that price, they'd better – am I right?
Wrong – there's a popular misconception among men: high-end shoes come with an equally high-end price tag.
This doesn't have to be the case.
In today's article, I give you 7 cunning ways to score yourself luxury shoes for less.
(Tip 4 is a little ‘out there', but bear with me…)
Tip 1. Look For Free Shipping & Returns
Too obvious? No – most guys completely miss this.
When you find a pair of shoes you really like, it's easy to become emotionally attached to them.
We've all done it.
It's easy to ignore that extra shipping cost and this drives up the price. Always take shipping into account when you're making a purchasing decision.
Failing to check for free returns is another common mistake men make.
You get your shoes, you realize they don't fit and you try to ship them back. Then you're hit with a returns charge and maybe even a restocking fee!
That's one expensive mistake you just made.
Until you're sure you want to keep the shoes – only wear them on carpet. If you've got scratch marks all over the soles, the company won't take them back because they can't resell them.
If you're buying online, find a company which has free shipping and returns.
Tip 2. Buy Classic Styles (Avoid The Latest Trends)
This is really easy if you've got an understanding of the classic men's shoes that do not go out of style.
Oxfords, Derbies, Brogues, Loafers, Chukkas… these are all classics. (If you're unfamiliar, you need to read my article – 5 First Dress Shoes Every Man Should Buy).
Shoes such as the Oxford, with its cap toe and closed lacing system (a formal lacing style where the quarters at the back of the shoe go under the vamp at the front) are classics which aren't going out of style any time soon.
It doesn't matter if it's last year's shoe or even the season before that – the colors and the design are timeless.
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Tip 3. Buy Direct From The Manufacturer (Made To Order)
You will see dramatic savings when you buy luxury shoes which are made to order, for two reasons.
- Made to order manufacturers don't have to store thousands of shoes in an expensive warehouse.
- There's less risk to the manufacturer because they carry less stock.
A good shoe manufacturer passes these savings on to you – meaning you can get amazing artisan quality for a very low price.
By planning ahead, you’ll score quality shoes at an otherwise unreachable price point. You can also expect great customer service and integrity when you work directly with the manufacturer – there's no middleman.
Finally, you'll have the pleasure of knowing the shoes were made just for you.
Expect at least several weeks of anticipation before your made-to-order shoes arrive.
But it's a smarter decision to wait a little bit for a product that's affordable and well made, rather than getting something immediately that won't last.
Tip 4. Travel Abroad To Buy Luxury Shoes
I told you this one was a little ‘out there' – but think of it this way:
You don't have to fly abroad specifically to buy luxury shoes – but you can use it as an excuse for a great vacation.
If you're traveling to Turkey, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia, Pakistan, Thailand, India, or China – the majority of the world's shoes are made in those countries.
Plus each of these countries has cities with clusters of skilled cobblers who will make you high-quality bespoke shoes for a fraction of what you'd normally pay at home.
However, if you're getting bespoke shoes made, you'll need a 2-week vacation (at least) before they're ready.
You'll also find local brands made in the same factories as the famous high-end brands – and often to the same standards.
If you know how to spot quality you can pick out amazing deals from these up-and-coming brands.
On the downside, larger sizes or wide fittings may be hard to find and you'll need to navigate unfamiliar sizing.
For example, a US 9 is a 7.5 in Mexico; Colombia has shoe sizes in cm, and most are under 44cm; Turkey uses European sizes, and India uses British sizes.
Tip 5. Search For The Best Discounts
This one's self-explanatory: famous brands, new, at cheaper prices.
You can predictably get discounts on holidays (Black Friday, Labor Day, President's Day, and the 4th of July in the US).
Also, you can get bigger discounts if you know the secret shopping hacks like abandoning your cart before buying online (the store will often try to woo you back by emailing you with a better offer).
However – there's one big caveat: Products in stores are discounted for a reason – they're leftover, unpopular, or imperfect.
You may also find they're not available in your size (if you have huge or tiny feet, you might have more luck).
You have to wait for discounts, and they may sell out quickly. Sales on holidays are very crowded, and other than holidays, you never know when a sale will be.
Tip 6. Buy From A Factory Store Or Outlet
Outlet stores and factory stores are two different things – and it's at factory stores you'll find the big advantages.
They're often near company headquarters – such as the Boot Company in Red Wing, Minnesota.
They'll offer huge deals on shoes with tiny defects – just noticeable enough to have failed a quality check.
Some of these factory stores have great websites and actually put the inventory up there – others don't, because they're not making much money.
Outlet stores were originally created to get rid of excess inventory.
I don't recommend outlets for the most part, because they tend to carry lower quality products specifically made to sell cheap at the outlet.
You get the brand label, but not the quality associated with it.
Tip 7. Buy Second-Hand
You have lots of options here, including thrift stores, eBay, and Facebook groups. All of them can offer huge bargains.
Thrift stores have advantages of their own – you can try on shoes in person, and if you bring in donations you may get a deeper discount or cash to apply.
You may be lucky enough to find unworn or barely-worn luxury shoes that are indistinguishable from new.
However, it can take a lot of time and effort to find anything good – with thrift stores you need to visit regularly, while with eBay and Facebook you need to search regularly or set up alerts.
You also run the risk of wasting money on fake brands, especially on eBay.
Finally, on an online marketplace, amateur photos may not give you a clear idea of what you’re buying.
BONUS – Make Your Existing Shoes Last Longer
A great way to save money on luxury shoes is not to buy them in the first place! Here are some money-saving tips to take care of your existing shoes and get as much wear out of them as possible. A carefully maintained pair of well made shoes can easily last over 10 years.
- Use cedar shoe trees to keep the shape of shoes and deodorize them.
- Don’t wear the same shoes every day – they won’t have time to dry and your sweat will warp the leather – and make them smell.
- Undo laces and use a shoe horn to put shoes on – don’t crush the backs.
- Get a shoe care kit and learn how to shine shoes using this quick method.
- Take extra care of your suede shoes. Brush them gently with a suede brush or suede eraser – in one direction so the nap (surface fuzz) lies neatly.
- Protect suede with a waterproof suede spray. Apply it every week or the night before you plan to wear them. Finish off with a quick brushing once dry.
In Conclusion…
There are plenty of different ways to save $100+ on luxury shoes:
- Look for free shipping and returns
- Buy timeless classics
- Buy made-to-order
- Travel abroad for the best discounts
- Shop around for discounts
- Visit an outlet or factory store
- Buy second-hand
The advantages and disadvantages are different for each.. if you're not sure which works best for your needs, why not try out several different methods?
Click below to watch the video – 7 Tricks To Save $100 (Or More!) When Buying Luxury Shoes
