Best Overall
Zappos.com
Zappos.com is an online shoe store with a wide selection of all kinds of shoes. It has rare services like free shipping on all products and a year-long, hassle-free return policy. Zappos has an easy-to-navigate, helpful website with images of shoes from all angles that make buying shoes online a pleasant experience.
Best Specialty Shoes
Shoes.com
Shoes.com has a nice selection of specialty shoes, including eco-friendly, vegan, orthotic- and diabetic-friendly options. Whether you need shoes for health reasons, work or for your own interests and hobbies, this store has many selections available.
Best Athletic Footwear
Foot Locker
oot Locker is one of the best online shoe stores for athletic footwear. You can find shoes for specific sports and activities, such as basketball, golf, cheerleading and tennis. You can be very specific in the type of athletic shoe you want by narrowing the search results to item categories such as lightweight, maximum cushion, motion control and stability.
Best Overall
Zappos.com
Zappos.com has a wide assortment of popular name brands and a selection of shoes to fit any size and style. Zappos also offers one-year returns and free shipping. Unlike many other online shoe stores, no minimum purchase is required to qualify for free shipping.
The search feature is a helpful tool to find the exact shoe you want. You can search for shoes by category, brand, size, style and occasion. The category filter is extensive and includes running shoes, diabetic-approved, orthotic-friendly and eco-friendly shoes. There are multiple photos of each shoe so you can look at them from all angles. You’ll want to watch the pricing closely because different colors of the same brand and style of shoe can have significantly different prices. Some of the shoes have customer reviews so you can get an idea of the fit and quality before you decide on a shoe. Many shoes also have video reviews from Zappos.
It takes a standard five to seven days to receive your shoes after you order online. You can request and pay extra for expedited shipping if you need to receive it faster. Zappos.com allows you to return long after purchase without any hassle. If you shop on the site regularly you can become a VIP member. VIP member can qualify for free expedited shipping. Zappos offers 24-hour customer service to answer any questions.
Pros
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There is free shipping on all inventory and VIP members can qualify for free expedited shipping.
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You can return items up to a year after purchase.
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It has a wide selection of categories and hard-to-find sizes.
Cons
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You’ll want to pay attention to pricing because pricing for different colors of the same style shoe can vary greatly.
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Regular customers will have to pay for expedited shipping.
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The store does not offer a shopping rewards program.
Best Specialty Shoes
Shoes.com
Shoes.com has a large inventory of shoes, free exchanges and helpful customer service. In addition to a large selection of everyday footwear for women and men, there are many specialty footwear options.
The search browser is useful to find a specific shoe, or you can find a category type, like boots, oxfords or slip-ons if you want more browsing options. Shoes.com has many specialty shoes options, like shoes for work, hiking or running. You can also filter for such specialty features as orthotic-friendly, vegan, moisture wicking, insulated and diabetic-friendly. You can refine your search further under specifying categories like canvas, clogs, flats, size, color, price range and brand.
Shoes.com has a free shipping option, but you must reach the minimum purchase requirement to qualify. If you decide you don’t like the shoes, you can return them within 60 days for a complete refund and shipping on returns is free. Items that are labeled as final sales, however, don’t qualify for returns.
You can order online or over the phone. The website has a helpful FAQ page and customer service available via email or phone if you have questions. However, there isn’t a live chat option. You can also sign up for a newsletter for news and the latest deals on shoes.
Pros
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Its wide selection of specialty shoes include vegan, insulated, orthotic- and diabetic-friendly options.
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You can return most shoes within 60 days and the company pays for shipping.
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This company has free shipping options.
Cons
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There is a minimum purchase requirement to qualify for free shipping.
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Final sales items don’t qualify for refunds.
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There is no live chat option.
Best Athletic Footwear
Foot Locker
Foot Locker has an impressive selection of athletic shoes of all kinds, including field sports, track and field and general exercise. Since its focus is in one area, you obviously won’t be able to find fashion shoes or anything unrelated to sports.
Women's shoes are organized by brand, price and category and you’ll find shoes specifically designed for things like cheerleading and tennis that you won't find elsewhere. You can find a wide selection of running shoe types that can narrow down to your individual needs, such as motion control and stability.
There are several nice options for people on a tight budget. You can search by price to find hundreds of shoes available in each price range. The website has a discount section so you can search for a good deal on the type of shoe you’re looking for. The company newsletter also sends out discounts and promotional options to your inbox.
Categories for men’s shoes include running, wrestling, walking and every other type of activity. You can find shoes for children that have extra support or safety. Children’s shoes come in a wide selection of brands and colors – there are even name brand infant and toddler shoes available.
Shipping costs from this online shoe store vary depending on your purchases. You can receive free shipping on select items or if you meet a certain minimum purchase requirement. If you choose expedited shipping, Foot Locker guarantees delivery within the promised timeframe or they will reimburse you for shipping.
You have 90 days from the product's shipment date to get a full refund. You can either take your shoes to your local Foot Locker store to return or exchange them, or you can ship them back to Foot Locker's Wisconsin headquarters via ground service with the U.S. Postal Service insured or through Fed Ex.
The company offers telephone support and live chat. There are also ample online support resources to answer your questions regarding payment, shipping, returns, exchanges, etc.
Pros
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You can look for specific features in athletic shoes like lightweight and motion control.
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You can return shoes through the mail or to a store in your area.
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You can get reimbursed on expedited shipping if it doesn’t arrive on the promised date.
Cons
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This store is limited to athletic footwear, so you’ll have to look elsewhere for other types.
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Free shipping options are more limited compared to other stores we looked at.
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If you return shoes through the mail, you pay for shipping.