How to Get Great Men's Dress Shoes on Sale
Because fashions for men's dress shoes do not change as quickly or as drastically as fashions for women's shoes, it is a little harder to find a really great pair on sale for a reasonable price. It is not impossible to find men's dress shoes on sale, though. You just need to know when, where and how to look.
If you are like most men, you probably do not have an extensive collection of dress shoes. This is in part due to the limited options men have for footwear. Whereas women can buy shoes in any color or shape you can imagine, men are basically restricted to black or brown, lace up or slip on. Maybe you own a pair of boots if you are particularly fashion conscious. Just because men's dress shoes do not come in every color of the rainbow does not mean that you do not care about how you look! If you have an eye for detail, one pair of black lace up dress shoes can look slick and elegant while another seemingly very similar pair can look cheap and tacky.
When to Shop
Find out when your favorite upscale department stores, like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Barney's are having their seasonal clearance sales. Their are a few ways to get this information. Some stores have mailing lists, so if you are willing to put up with year round spam you can find out early when big sales are coming. If you are a regular shopper, ask the employee who is ringing up your next purchase when the next big sale is anticipated. Some stores discourage employees from sharing this information, but if you have already made a purchase the employee might be more wiling to blab. When you find out about a clearance sale, always go the first day to get dibs on the best stuff before it sells out.
Where to Shop
Look for great dress shoes at clearance outlets like Nordstrom Rack or Zappos online. These stores sell merchandise that did not sell at deep discounts. Though you may get lucky and find something you like, be wary of outlets like DSW or Gilt Group. Both of these places advertise designer goods at deep discounts, but most of their merchandise was actually made specifically to be sold at the outlet and was never actually priced at the advertised "retail" price. This high price is just a marketing trick. Most people are more willing to buy $200 pairs of shoes when under the impression that they are actually saving money on $600 pairs of shoes.
How to Shop
Do not be tempted to buy shoes that do not fit you properly. When shopping sales, you are likely to see lots of shoes in weird sizes. You are not getting a good deal if you buy a pair of shoes that is two sizes too big for you, no matter how discounted the pair is. You are not going to make them fit by stuffing tissue in the toes.
On the other hand, if you find the perfect pair of shoes in the right size and the right price, you might want to buy two pairs. This way, when the first pair falls apart you won't have to start your bargain hunt all over again.
