Are Shoe Clubs Really Worth It?

By: Reign Boxley-Martin

Sole Society, ShoeDazzle, JustFab…how many shoe clubs are you a member of?  What prompted you to join?  I must confess, I am a member of all three, but I only order from one.  I initially joined to keep track of fashion footwear trends, but found myself placing an order because there was a sale that I just couldn’t refuse.  Of course, I always charge it to the Fashion Blogger game, which keeps me from feeling guilty when shopping for new pieces to add to my closet.

Shoe clubs really came on the scene back in 2011, and were originally designed as a means for Shoe-aholics to get their hands on unique styles at affordable prices.  It’s probably safe to say that no one had any idea that this new shopping concept would blow up in a matter of one year.

Exactly one year ago, shoe clubs were regarded as a secret haven for shoe fanatics to go and feed their inner shoe demon.  Maybe my descriptions are a bit drastic, but just think about it.  There were no JustFab commercials featuring Kimora Lee Simmons, and ShoeDazzle’s latest and greatest were not constantly being plastered all over our Facebook timelines.  Exclusive shoe club shoppers rarely had to worry about being in the same room with someone wearing the exact same shoe.

      

Fast forward to 2012, when the shoe club phenom literally exploded.  There were commercials, and almost every fashion blogger was mentioning a shoe club in their outfit posts.  Next thing I know, my Facebook timeline is being flooded with photos and mentions of ShoeDazzle, JustFab and Sole Society to name a few.  I can only imagine how disgusted the originally shoe club members where.

Shoe clubs can no longer be used as a way to get our hands on exclusive styles.  The top three clubs are constantly running sales and promotions and there have been numerous times where I’ve seen two girls scoff at the fact that they are wearing the exact same shoe. 

So, this brings me back to my originally question.  Are shoe clubs really worth it?

If you love shoes, really big on fashion and don’t really care whether or not the next lady is rocking the same pair, then the answer is yes.  The deals are amazing, and the designers do a great job of keeping up with trends and creating new styles.  In most cases, shipping is free and there is some sort of rewards program that provides some sort of savings.  While everyone, their mom and their grandma knows about these clubs, they aren’t all buying from them.  The chances of running into someone wearing the same shoe are still pretty slim, but don’t expect this trend to last!

If you love shoes, wear more classic outfits (not very trendy) and like to wear things that can’t be found easily by others, then the answer is no.  If you tend to rely on your shoes as a focal point of your outfits, and don’t want to see someone else wearing the same shoe…then again, the answer is no.  However, if you’re addicted to shoe clubs, then your only hope will be to purchase new styles as soon as they are available.  This will give you a couple of weeks to rock your new shoes before anyone else has a chance to do so.  The caveat to this is that you will most likely miss out on the sales because you are purchasing in advance.

As a fashion blogger with a limited budget and a ton of creativity, I will continue to purchase for shoe clubs but only when I see something that I can’t live without.  Fortunately, I am not partial to any particular store/club; I love a good sale and am a complete sucker for pretty things.

What are your thoughts on the shoe club phenom, and will you continue to shop them?

Been there, done that…lived the life, and just saying.