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Best 5 Online Shops to Buy Your Next Shoes
From Journeys to Zappos, we've rounded up the five best online shoe retailers — so your next pair finds you first.
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Shopping for shoes online used to feel like a gamble — you clicked, you hoped, you returned three boxes. Those days are mostly behind us. The best online shoe retailers now offer instant size advice, free returns, loyalty perks, and a selection that leaves any high street in the dust. We've done the legwork (literally), so here are the five shops worth bookmarking before your next purchase.
1. Journeys
If your shoe vocabulary includes words like "drop," "collab," and "sold out in minutes," Journeys is your shop. This US-based retailer built its reputation on being the first to stock the most-wanted styles from Vans, Converse, New Balance, Dr. Martens, and Timberland — often in colourways you won't find at the brand's own site. Their online store mirrors the in-store experience: easy filtering by brand, size, colour, and width, plus a generous 365-day return window on unworn pairs.
What sets Journeys apart from other sneaker-first shops is the sheer breadth of youth-culture footwear under one roof. A single scroll through their New Arrivals can net you everything from a chunky platform loafer to a canvas slip-on in a print that should not work but absolutely does. Free standard shipping kicks in at $50, and their Journeys Rewards programme lets you earn points on every dollar spent — redeemable against future purchases. If you're shopping for a teenager or simply have a teenager's taste in shoes (no judgment), this is the place to start.
2. Zappos
Zappos is the gold standard of online shoe retail, and it has earned that title through one simple promise: make returns so painless that buying is a pleasure rather than a risk. Every single order ships free. Every single return ships free. You get a full 365 days to decide. That policy transformed the way we all think about ordering shoes online, and two decades on it remains unmatched in the industry.
The catalogue runs deep — more than 1,500 brands spanning athletic, casual, dress, outdoor, and everything in between. Wide and narrow widths are prominently listed (a rarity). Customer reviews are unusually thorough, with detailed notes on whether a shoe runs small, whether the toe box is narrow, and how the sole performs after six months. Zappos is also part of the Amazon family, which means your Prime account can be linked for an even smoother checkout. If you have ever spent forty minutes comparing running shoes and still felt uncertain, Zappos's review depth will be the tiebreaker you needed.
3. DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse)
DSW occupies a sweet spot that few retailers manage to hold: designer names at prices that don't require a moment of silent reflection before clicking "buy." The online shop carries Steve Madden, Sam Edelman, Calvin Klein, Nike, and UGG alongside occasion-wear names like Stuart Weitzman and Kate Spade, all in one place. Seasonal sales are aggressive — it is not uncommon to find genuinely excellent boots at forty to sixty percent off in late winter clearance events.
The DSW Rewards programme is one of the better loyalty schemes in footwear: points accumulate per dollar, Gold and Elite tiers unlock free shipping thresholds and early access to sales, and birthday rewards actually amount to something meaningful. The site's "Complete the Look" feature pairs shoes with outfit inspiration, which is useful if you're shopping for something specific like a wedding guest heel but open to being redirected by something unexpected. Free in-store pickup is available if you live near a DSW location, which can save the shipping wait entirely.
"The right shoe retailer doesn't just sell you footwear — it removes every reason not to try the pair you've been eyeing for three weeks."
— Cellie King, Style Editor, Lacellieseking
4. Nordstrom
Nordstrom is where you shop when you are ready to spend properly. The online shoe department carries the full luxury tier — Loeffler Randall, Aquazzura, Vince Camuto, Tory Burch, and Madewell, alongside heritage names like Birkenstock, Dansko, and Sorel for when the season turns. What makes the department-store model translate well online is the curation: every product page is styled, photographed from multiple angles, and accompanied by detailed size notes written by the buying team.
Nordstrom's Nordy Club rewards programme is genuinely valuable at higher spend levels, and their free two-day shipping and free returns policy makes it easy to order a shoe in two sizes and return whichever one fits less well. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, held each July, is the one sale serious shoe shoppers plan their calendar around: new-season pieces — not last season's leftovers — are marked down by up to forty percent for a limited window. If you're building a wardrobe of shoes you intend to keep for years, Nordstrom is where the investment-grade options live.
5. ASOS
ASOS earns its place on this list not through luxury or legacy but through sheer trend velocity and size inclusivity. The site restocks multiple times a week, carries its own in-house shoe label alongside hundreds of third-party brands, and covers sizing from a UK 2 through to a UK 14 — a range almost no other mainstream retailer matches. If the silhouette you spotted on Instagram three days ago is already sold out elsewhere, there is a reasonable chance ASOS either has it or has a very good version of it for a fraction of the price.
The ASOS Premier delivery subscription offers unlimited free next-day delivery for a flat annual fee, which pays for itself quickly if you shop even semi-regularly. Returns are straightforward: print a label, drop at a collection point, done. Student discounts through ASOS Access knock an additional ten percent off an already competitive price point. The site's visual search tool lets you photograph a shoe on the street and find similar styles — a small feature that saves enormous amounts of searching. For trend shoppers who want their shoe rotation to turn over with the seasons, ASOS removes every practical obstacle to doing exactly that.
How They Compare: Shopping Experience
Before you commit your bookmarks bar, here's how these five retailers stack up on the basics you care about most — returns, shipping, and loyalty.
| Retailer | Free Shipping | Return Window | Free Returns | Loyalty Programme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeys | Orders $50+ | 365 days (unworn) | ✓ | ✓ Journeys Rewards |
| Zappos | All orders | 365 days | ✓ | Via Amazon Prime |
| DSW | Orders $35+ (Rewards) | 60 days | ✓ | ✓ DSW Rewards |
| Nordstrom | All orders | No time limit | ✓ | ✓ Nordy Club |
| ASOS | Orders $35+ (or Premier) | 28 days | Label provided | ASOS Premier subscription |
How They Compare: Selection & Value
Different shops dominate different categories. Here's where each one shines when it comes to style range, price point, and special offerings.
| Retailer | Best For | Price Range | Extended Sizing | Sale Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeys | Streetwear & collabs | $30 – $180 | Standard | BOGO promos |
| Zappos | Everything, widths | $20 – $400+ | ✓ Wide & narrow | Ongoing offers |
| DSW | Accessible designer | $30 – $250 | Some wide styles | Clearance + coupons |
| Nordstrom | Luxury & investment | $60 – $700+ | ✓ Wide available | Anniversary Sale (July) |
| ASOS | Trends & inclusivity | $15 – $120 | ✓ EU 35–47 | Student & seasonal |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which online shoe shop has the best return policy?
Nordstrom technically wins with no stated time limit on returns, though in practice most returns happen within 30–60 days. Zappos and Journeys are close seconds with their 365-day windows — both are especially useful if you're buying shoes for an event months in advance and aren't sure about the fit yet.
Where should I shop for wide-width or narrow shoes online?
Zappos is the clear leader for width variety — their filters include narrow (B), standard (D), wide (2E), and extra-wide (4E) for women and men alike, with detailed listings per style. ASOS also offers extended size runs, particularly for those needing a smaller-than-standard EU size.
Is it safe to buy shoes from ASOS if I've never used the site?
Yes — ASOS is a publicly listed global retailer with robust buyer protection. Check the size guide carefully (their conversion chart is thorough) and read the customer review photos rather than just the brand shots. ASOS's own-label shoes vary in quality, but third-party brands like Converse and Dr. Martens on their platform are identical to what you'd buy elsewhere.
When is the best time to buy shoes online for maximum discounts?
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in July is the standout event for quality footwear at a genuine discount. DSW runs deep clearance in late January and late August. ASOS discounts are near-constant but deepest during Black Friday week and their end-of-season clearances. Zappos tends to be more consistent in pricing but does participate in major sale events.
Which shop is best for sneaker releases and streetwear collabs?
Journeys is the specialist here. They maintain close relationships with Vans, Converse, New Balance, and Dr. Martens and often receive exclusive colourways or collaboration styles that don't appear on the brand websites themselves. Sign up for their email list or follow on social media to catch drops as they happen.
Can I trust the size guides on these websites?
Generally yes, but always cross-reference with customer reviews. The most reliable indicator of fit is what buyers with your same size say about whether a shoe runs true, small, or large. Zappos is particularly strong here — their reviews are detailed enough that you often know the fit before the box arrives.
Our Verdict
Each of these five retailers serves a genuinely different shopper. Start at Journeys if your heart belongs to sneakers and street-style collaborations. Default to Zappos when you need the widest selection, the most honest reviews, and an unbeatable returns policy. Turn to DSW when you want a recognisable designer name without the designer price tag. Invest through Nordstrom when you're building a capsule wardrobe of shoes built to last a decade. And browse ASOS when you want to be first in the season's new silhouette without committing your entire shoe budget to it.
Bookmark all five. Use them for different reasons. And remember: the best shoe you'll ever buy is the one that ships free and comes back free if it doesn't work out.
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