by Bridget Webber

Created on: December 22, 2008   Last Updated: April 05, 2012

If you want to buy shoes but have a shoestring budget, there are several different avenues you can follow to bag a decent pair at the fraction of their original cost.

Factory stores

Locate a shoe factory with a store attached that sell directly to the public. As they miss out the intermediary, they can price shoes far lower than you would expect to pay in a regular shoe shop.

Discontinued stock

Sometimes manufacturers produce new designs of shoes and then disregard old ones. These shoes are then sold as clearance items at a low price. You can often find them in ordinary shoe shops, or in large stores that sell a variety of items.

Seconds

By seconds, I do not mean second hand. Seconds are shoes that, although being very wearable, do not meet the manufacturer’s highest stands. Often the only thing wrong with them is that they have extra stitching which does not show, or a tiny scuffmark that is not noticeable.

Discount shops

Discount shoe shops buy shoes in bulk at a reduced cost. Sometimes they have clearance lines, or shoes that have not been snapped up by popular brands. Many are a bargain, and can save the buyer a lot of money while providing decent footwear.

Sales

Shoe sales used to occur only once or twice a year. Now they can be found throughout the year if you shop around. Very often shoes are sold at dramatically reduced prices, meaning that you can find genuine bargains among trendy shoes that are still highly fashionable.

EBay

People shy away from purchasing shoes online because of the disadvantage of not seeing them first hand or being able to try them on. However, it is possible to find shoes that were usually extremely expensive for virtual peanuts that will fit you comfortably.

You need to be aware, not just of your shoe size, but also of what snugly fits your feet before bidding. Do you have a narrow instep for example, or wide toes?

Browse for shoes people have purchased and never worn because they do not fit. This information in itself gives you a clue to the knowledge that it is possible that the shoes are not really the average size stamped on the bottom of them.

Leave time to email sellers to find out what the problem was with the shoes for them personally. Did they discover they were more of a size six than a five as stated? Alternatively, did they feel they were far tighter than the average shoe in the stated size? This information can help you find shoes that fit, and are worth more than you need to pay.

Barter

Naturally, all shoes are priced far higher than their production cost. The price is often bumped up, and it is at the discretion of a store manager as to whether they are sold at a lower cost.

Never attempt to barter with a sales assistant, as they do not have the power to approve such transactions and you will be wasting your time. Instead, ask to speak to the manager and let the bargaining commence. You never know, you may find that you can afford shoes you could never aspire to own under normal circumstances.

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