If you love shoes, you’ve probably heard of ShoeDazzle and its membership. It’s like having a subscription to shoes – a girl’s dream come true, right?
It can be, but ShoeDazzle may not be worth it for everyone. Here I break down the ins and outs of the membership to help you decide if it’s right for you.
What is ShoeDazzle?
ShoeDazzle is an online store for women’s shoes and accessories. It started as strictly a subscription-based service, but today you can shop as a ‘basic customer’ or a member. They push the membership hard by offering new VIP members up to 75% off their first order, so it’s hard to refuse, but is ShoeDazzle worth it?
Let’s find out how it works and what it costs to be a VIP member.
How Does it Work?
All shoppers (soon-to-be-members or not) create a style profile (more on that below). This is how ShoeDazzle provides you with a curated online showroom with styles that you’ll love. The ShoeDazzle stylists pick shoes and accessories that match your style based on your answers.
You then choose to shop in one of two ways.
Shop as a Basic Customer
To shop as a basic customer, you pay retail prices. You don’t have to do anything ‘extra’ except complete your profile. You can come back and shop whenever you want, but you won’t get the savings that members receive.
Shop as a VIP Member
If you join as a VIP member, technically it’s free, but there’s a catch. If you agree to be a member, you agree to shop at ShoeDazzle every month between the 1st and the 5th. If you buy something, you satisfy your membership agreement and it costs you nothing except the cost of your purchase, which you get at exclusive discounts, usually 30% off or more.
If you log into your account between the 1st and the 5th and don’t see anything you want, you can select ‘skip this month’ and be charged nothing. This is how the ShoeDazzle membership is free, but you must remember to skip the month.
Members that forget to skip the month by the 5th will be charged $39.95. But, you can use that credit toward a future purchase. It’s like prepaying for a purchase. In future months if you find something you want to buy, you use your credit to pay for it, plus any difference.
Creating your Style Profile
All customers must create a Style Profile – basic or VIP. It only takes a few seconds and quite honestly, it’s a bit basic compared to other subscription service questionnaires.
You’ll go through 8 types of shoes with 3 options in each. They ask questions about your boot style, pump style, what you’d wear for a night out, what you’d wear to a special occasion, your favorite sneaker type, and then more specific questions including:
- Your age range
- Shoe size
- Clothing size
- Favorite heel height
ShoeDazzle uses this information to give you the best options when you come back to shop between the 1st and the 5th of each month.
Can you Skip a Month?
You can skip any month or as many months as you want as long as you do it by the 5th of each month. This is the catch and something most people forget. If you don’t plan to buy shoes or accessories every month, set a reminder on your calendar to log in and click ‘skip.’ It takes only a few seconds and saves you $39.95 per month.
Why Sign up for a ShoeDazzle Membership?
If you love shoes and buy them often, you may find reasons to sign up for a ShoeDazzle membership. Here are the most common perks people enjoy:
- Get up to 30% off retail prices all the time
You don’t have to wait for special sales – you always get a discount on the curated selection offered to you. Since what you see is based on the answers you provided in your questionnaire, chances are they are styles you’ll enjoy.
- Free shipping on orders over $49
Every time you spend over $49, you get free shipping. This is a bit of a ‘catch’ if you will, since you get such steep discounts on their products you may find yourself either buying more than intended or paying shipping costs.
- Free exchanges
If you don’t like a style you received or it doesn’t fit, you get free exchanges until they get it right.
- Access to members-only benefits
Members get exclusive benefits like additional sales and deals, previews of newly released products, and special events.
How Hard is it to Cancel ShoeDazzle?
It’s not hard to cancel your ShoeDazzle membership, but it can take up to 10 minutes because they make you call to cancel.
In typical salesperson fashion, you’ll have to answer a lot of questions and dodge some targeted tactics to get you to stay. To cancel, call 1-888-508-1888 and click the option to cancel. You’ll then talk to a person who will try to get you to stay by offering specials or deals to change your mind.
The good news is you can cancel your membership before your first monthly bill comes up. Once you receive your first pair of shoes at your amazing 75% discount and you’re happy with them, you can call and cancel your membership. You’ll pay nothing except the cost of the shoes you just bought.
Pros and Cons
Like any membership site, ShoeDazzle has its pros and cons you should understand.
Pros:
- It can cost you nothing to be a member. You just have to remember to skip each month that you don’t want to buy. This way you still have access to the best deals but you don’t have to pay for the membership if there’s nothing you want to buy.
- You can cancel at any time. If you decide ShoeDazzle isn’t for you, it’s easy to cancel. Just make sure you cancel before the 1st of the month. If you don’t, make sure you skip that month to avoid getting charged.
- You can exchange items for free. If you return for store credit or exchange for another pair, you won’t pay anything.
- You can get your first pair of shoes for as little as $9.98. The discount on your first pair of shoes is steep – that’s how they hook you. But you can always cancel the membership right after receiving your first pair.
- The prices are low. The retail prices on ShoeDazzle shoes aren’t horrible and members get an additional 30% off (sometimes more), making your shoe habit much less expensive than if you shopped retail.
- You can shop as a ‘basic customer’ without a membership. A membership has its perks but if you’re anti-memberships, you can shop like you would at any other store.
Cons:
- You’ll be charged if you don’t skip the month. It’s easy to forget to click ‘skip’ by the 5th of each month. If you don’t, it costs you $39.95 per month which can add up if you forget several months in a row.
- Canceling can be a bit tedious. ShoeDazzle lets you cancel at any time, but that doesn’t mean the representatives make it easy on you.
- The quality of the shoes isn’t the best. Don’t think you’ll be getting Macy’s quality shoes for Target prices. You’ll get Target quality shoes at best, which discounts the benefits of the membership.
FAQs – Is ShoeDazzle Worth It?
Does Kim Kardashian still own ShoeDazzle?
Kim Kardashian started ShoeDazzle in 2009, but in 2013, TechStyle Fashion Group bought it, which is the same company that owns JustFab.
How do you contact ShoeDazzle?
It’s easy to contact ShoeDazzle in one of three ways:
– Live Chat – 6 AM – 6 PM PST 7 days a week
– Call 1-888-508-1888 24/7
– Facebook Messenger 24/7
Do you have to be a member to shop at ShoeDazzle?
You do not have to be a member to shop at ShoeDazzle, although it has its perks. Even if you just want one pair of shoes, you can sign up for a membership, get your shoes and cancel the membership before they bill you. Some people try the membership out, making sure they skip by the 5th and then cancel once they decide they don’t need it.
How do you get your money back from ShoeDazzle?
If you are unhappy with your products you can either exchange them for store credit or get a refund. If you choose the refund, though, they will charge a $5.95 restocking fee.
Final Thoughts – Is ShoeDazzle Worth It?
You don’t have anything to lose if you try the Shoe Dazzle membership. If you love shoes and buy them often, it could be worth it. But, if you love only designer shoes or want high quality shoes, you may be better off spending your money somewhere else.
ShoeDazzle is good for those women who buy shoes for specific occasions or only for occasional wear and don’t need the designer label on them.
