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DSW Review

Sunday, February 9th

2025 Women's Shoe Store Reviews

DSW Review 1 Star Rating

DSW

1 Star Rating
  • Priced from $14.98 to $699.99
  • Over 15,000 options for women's shoes
  • Consistent discounts offered
  • Free shipping with VIP program
  • Interest-free financing with Afterpay
  • 90-day returns

Boasting thousands of shoes for women and 500 retail stores in North America, DSW was built on the idea of finding the perfect shoe at the perfect price. DSW opened its first store in 1991 in Ohio, and in 2018, DSW acquired Camuto Group and became one of the largest footwear retailers in America. DSW curates a wide assortment of shoes and accessories available for purchase online.

Huge selection

DSW offers a huge selection of women's shoes. There are 15,288 options to pick from on their website. Their cheapest shoe is on clearance, and it is a winter slipper for $14.98. Their most expensive women's shoe is the Balenciaga Cagole Boot, regularly $2450 but on sale for only $699.99. DSW offers sizes 5 to 11.

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Website is easy to shop

When browsing DSW's website for women's shoes, they have a lot of in-depth information to assist you with your purchase. They have a product description with details about the shoe, including the UPC number and the item number. This is useful if you are trying to find the exact shoe that you had seen either at another store or in their physical store location. DSW includes product features such as shoe material and the height of the heel. They also include a link to a shoe measuring guide to assist in picking the correct size shoe. DSW includes a section of suggestions for what other customers have liked and bought to assist you in your purchase. Finally, they have non-curated customer reviews on their shoes.

Consistent coupons offered

DSW consistently offers savings codes and coupons as well as special sales. At the time of this review, DSW offered free shipping and 25% off if you signed up for their membership club, along with four other different coupon codes for savings.

DSW VIP

Have you ever wanted to be a VIP? DSW has you covered. Sign up for their free DSW VIP and get the VIP treatment. You will earn points on every purchase, leading to a free $5 reward for every $100 you spend. This could equal free or discounted shoes down the road. This VIP program also grants you free shipping on every purchase with no exceptions. When you spend enough to make it to VIP Elite status, you will earn free express shipping. The VIP program also gets you a $5 credit to spend for your birthday. Once you make your first purchase, you will get a code for 20% off your next purchase. As a VIP, you may make free in-store returns on your purchases as well.

VIP Gold and Elite

Once you spend $200, you are bumped to the next tier, which is VIP Gold. This will get you all of the VIP treatment plus 2x points days, which leads to quicker discounts. With this level, you also get free online returns. If you are a shoe fanatic and spend $500 annually, you will qualify to be a VIP Elite. This level gets you $5 for every $50 spent, so you earn more quickly. Your birthday gift will be $10, and you qualify for free express shipping. 365-day returns are another perk earned at this level. You will also earn 2x and 3x points days.

Best Women's Shoe Stores

Interest-free financing through Afterpay

DSW offers a great financing feature called Afterpay. It allows you to split your total into equal payments every 2 weeks, interest-free. This can be helpful if you need to purchase multiple pairs of women's shoes or if you are looking at more expensive pairs and don't want to have to pay the full total upfront. Having no interest makes it an excellent option.

You can get a refund or an exchange...

DSW will allow you to return most unworn, undamaged, or defective merchandise. You are able to choose between a refund or an exchange. However, their return policy is complex and can get confusing because your VIP status and return type affect what's possible.

...but returns get complicated

The returns are incredibly complicated here at DSW. Let's look into the different returns policies:

Many, many customer complaints, despite BBB "A” rating

DSW used to have an "F” rating on BBB for failing to respond to or resolve complaints. Apparently, they decided to improve and got busy answering complaints. This raised their grade to an "A,” but a careful examination of the response that DSW has given leaves us flummoxed as to how they got this "A” rating. Most of the time, customers are adamant that the situation is not resolved, and the response to their complaint from DSW was dismissive and not helpful.

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Repeated worrisome behaviors

Customers clearly are not happy with this company. One customer said they were sent the wrong-sized shoes. Instead of expediting a new pair, DSW refunded them and had them reorder again, which took time waiting for the return to process. Another shopper ordered a luxury, high-priced item, and when the delivery came, it was a pair of flip-flops. It took weeks to resolve the issue and secure a refund for her luxury item, and she was tasked with returning the flip-flops. Other customers have had a bait and switch happen, too - they order an expensive pair of shoes and then receive either a damaged or clearly worn shoe, or they receive something in a lower price point "by accident.” They are required to pay for a return, and then that gets taken out of their refund for the high-priced item. This is very suspicious behavior for a shoe company. People also have reported their personal information being leaked after shopping at DSW online.

Misses the mark

DSW is unfortunately not a store we can recommend for purchasing women's shoes. While we find their VIP program to be intriguing, especially since it's free to join, multiple customer reports of deceptive behavior and terrible shipping practices give this company the lowest rating we could give a company.

Which Women's Shoe Store is the Best?

As our modern society becomes increasingly busy and chaotic, it's more important than ever to find women's shoes that will not only look good but feel great. More and more women are opting for comfort and utility, but it's nice for that practicality to be made into something that evokes your vibe.

Shoes are really a part of your wardrobe that not only often can tell the story of what you do for a living but also what kind of person you are and what you stand for. There is something so satisfying about the right pair of sneakers that represent your style and still serve a function. When shopping for women's shoes online, make a plan before you browse. Try to stick to what you know you need because it's very easy to get lost in all the fabulous choices you'll find.

The Best Women's Shoe Stores Compare Women's Shoe Stores Compare Women's Shoe Store Reviews What are the best Women's Shoe Stores Best Women's Shoe Store Reviews

Women's Shoe Store FAQ

Luckily shoe sizes don't vary much from retailer to retailer. If you have a few pairs of shoes in a certain size that fit comfortably, don't hesitate to go off of that number for any shoes you're buying online. Some product descriptions will let you know if customers generally feel like the shoe runs big or small, so this could help you know if you should size up or down.
Yes! Almost all women's shoe retailers online have a return policy that allows you to return or exchange your items. Read the company policy before submitting an order so that you know how long you have to send your shoes back if needed. Usually return policies are anywhere from 30-90 days. Sometimes you are even able to buy your shoes online and return them in-person to one of their stores if you have one locally.
A better question would be what shoes are not available online? You can find platform heels, hiking boots, sandals, ankle boots, snow boots, slippers, and everything in-between from online shoe retailers. Most companies will have an inventory with thousands of different styles for you to choose from.
Since online women's shoe retailers carry such a big selection of shoes, they make it easy to narrow down their selection. Most websites have filter features that allow you to select the type of shoe you want, size, color, features, material, and other relevant details so that you can find what you want quickly. If you know the name of the shoe or brand, you could always type it into the retailer's search bar and find them that way.
It is not uncommon for shoes to come in regular sizes and also have the option for them to be wide. This is something you would select from the product page. When you're using the filtering features to find shoes you like, there is usually a way to select that you only want to browse the shoes that come in wide sizes as well.
Shopping online gives you access to browse thousands more pairs of women's shoes than you would find going into a store. In addition, you can compare prices between retailers and get a lot more details on the shoes than you would if you saw them in a store. Oftentimes, online shops run sales that end up making your purchase even cheaper than it would be otherwise.
If you're shopping from a reputable online women's shoe shop that has a good Better Business Bureau rating, you won't have an issue with shoe quality. Most product listings allow for customers to leave reviews about the shoes so that you can read what others have said about quality, price, comfort, and more. Buying online doesn't make the quality of shoes any less than you'd find in-store.
The cost for women's shoes depends entirely on the brand, style, and type of shoe you're buying. You can easily find a nice, cute pair of shoes for anywhere between $20 and $80. Know the price range you're hoping to stay in before shopping online and you can filter your shoe options to fit your budget.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

The not-so-enjoyable part of finding that perfect pair of shoes used to be going from store to store in an exhausting marathon shopping spree only to come up with nothing. Enter the online shopping experience: you can look over literally thousands and thousands of shoes without having to go anywhere. Not only does online shoe shopping give you a nearly endless variety of shoe styles to choose from, but you can compare prices and score great deals when buying shoes online. And if you score a great deal, why not buy two pairs instead of one?

Online shopping for women's shoes increases the likelihood of finding the exact shoe you desire, including the pattern, brand, type, size, and color. Some online retailers even have customer reviews for all their products that let you know if the shoe is good quality and if others have found them comfortable. They can even offer tips on sizing so the fit is right the first time.

Also, when choosing a retailer for your next pair of women's shoes, you need to determine what quality of shoe you're looking for. Are you shopping for a slightly hideous green flat you're going to wear only once as a bridesmaid? Is this a shoe you want to wear on your European vacation? Do you need it to function and be comfortable for work? Does price matter, or is craftsmanship your main focus? Are you looking for an exclusive designer brand over functionality?

As you consider where to purchase your next pair of women's shoes, here are a few key features to keep in mind as you shop:

  • Variety. Does the retailer have a large variety of shoes for you to choose from?
  • Price point. How much are you willing to spend on your new pair of shoes? Can you find what you're looking for at a budget store, or are you willing to spend a little more?
  • Brand. Do you need a name-brand designer, or will an off-brand work for your needs?
  • Return policy. Will it be easy for you to return or exchange your shoes if they don't fit the way you had hoped?
  • Comfort. Does the retailer offer comfortable shoes that will allow you to wear them all day?
  • Shipping. How much will it cost to get your shoes sent to you? Are there any promotions that would get you free shipping?
  • Customer reviews. What are other customers saying about the shoes and the retailer?

To help you find your next perfect pair of shoes, the fashionistas at Top Consumer Reviews have evaluated and ranked a variety of women's shoe stores to shop from today. Whether you're searching for some cute ballet flats, a killer pair of heels, or just need to replace your well-loved running shoes, we hope this information will make your shoe shopping a fun, easy-breezy experience!

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