Recently, I asked the Faithful Provisions Facebook community to share their best tips on saving money on shoes. Shoes can be a huge expense when it comes to growing kids. You want a good fit, but you know that no matter what shoes you purchase, they’re likely to be outgrown very quickly. Here are a few tips to help you get the best deals on shoes.
Ask about discounts. Military families are often eligible for discounts, as well as teachers. Check out My Teacher Discount to see what stores offer teachers discounts (including all educational faculty staff members). You’ll be surprised!
We stack the BIGI sales with places that also give a military or teacher discount and also shop 6pm.com good deals and free shipping! I have 4 kids that all wear adult sizes now so I have to plan ahead and shop mostly online when I can! ~Sarah
Look for sales. Many shoe stores offer Buy One, Get One Half Off sales–that’s when you want to do your shopping. Be sure to look through all the shoe store inserts in the Sunday paper, as well. These often have store coupons included for big savings.
I try to buy ours during the buy one get one half off sales. ~Robin
Goodwill, Consignment, and Thrift Stores. When you find a slightly used, practically new pair of shoes at a Goodwill or a consignment sale, you can be sure that you are getting a great deal. Take time to thoroughly examine the shoes inside and out to double check that they are sturdy and in good shape, then have your child try them on for size.
50% off day at Goodwill. it’s once a month here, so Ii hit a few different Goodwill’s for a few months in a row and stock up on shoes and clothes. ~Nicole
Shop the Clearance Racks. It’s actually pretty fun to head back to the clearance racks and find those shoes that have been marked down 2 or 3 times, that are just the right size, and just right for your budget. This is where we have always found the best deals on kids’ athletic shoes. Because the styles change so often, the stores are overstocked. So when the new styles come in, you’ll find tons of great sales on the older styles.
When my children were all in school, there were years where we maxed out on spending and I didn’t buy their shoes right when school started, but watched the deals for a month or so. I usually got a great deal, simply because stores over-buy for back to school sales and they have to mark them down sometime. ~Sheila
Shop Online. Online deals will be plentiful during the next several weeks leading up to the new school year. You’re likely to find a better assortment of styles, colors, and sizes online once selection begins to wane in stores. Lots of parents are afraid to shop online because of the chance of getting the wrong size and then having to deal with returning items. However, most online retailers recognize that and make it very easy to do returns, so don’t let that hold you back.
See all my readers’ tips for how to save money on kids shoes on Facebook. What’s your best tip for saving money on shoes?
This is a great list of ideas on how to save money on shoes. I put together a list with even more ideas on how to save money when buying shoes.