This weekend my girls needed some church shoes. This happens often with 5 girls and I try and get multi – use and purpose shoes. I rarely get something that is a weird color or is 1 outfit specific. Honestly, I do dream of having shoes that match each outfit my kids have, but that dream also includes their clothing hung up in the closet by color. That’s how we know it is just a dream.
The 8 and 10 year old came with me shopping and we went into Marshall’s first. I found a pair for the 6 year old but they were $16.99 ( originally $40) and I was really having a hard time wanting to pay that much for her shoes. I went back and forth for a while and finally decided to buy them. We were right by a Target and I just knew I was going to find some regular old church shoes much cheaper.
We didn’t see anything for the other 3 girls under $18, most were around $20, and so we headed over to Target.
Once at Target I was really shocked to see that every pair of shoes I was picking up was $15 – $20 even for the little girls! The quality was also really bad. They were cheap and looked like they were not going to last more then a few months.
I took out the pair I had gotten at Marshalls, and looked at them again. They were a nice brand that for whatever reason ended up at a discount store and marked down. I thought $16.99 had been way to much, but was realizing that I had really gotten a deal seeing the same price and lower quality at Target.
I was really kicking myself that there had been a Laura Ashley sale at Zulily with darling shoes earlier in the week priced at $11 – $19 marked down from $30 – $40. I didn’t want to pay the $6.99 shipping and so I passed. That was a big mistake.
Target has always been my favorite “big box” store. They have really cute stuff, but the quality has gone down hill, while the prices have gotten higher. I was expecting to find church shoes for my little ones at about $8-$11. NOT EVEN CLOSE!
I am going to rethink my “I won’t pay shipping” stance when it comes to quality items discounted at this point. I can buy a quality pair of shoes that will last longer and through more then 1 child, or spend more money in the long run buying cheap shoes multiple times.
Your thoughts?
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I could not agree with you more the shoes are going up in price and the quality is going down
Try Payless – we got some adorable plain Jane shoes in black and white (they also had brown and navy) for $12.99. Plus they often run BOGO and they do a military discount for military readers 🙂 With 3 girls and 2 boys, someone in our house always needs shoes!
Katie – I’m with you! I have had quality issues with some of Payless’ items in the past but found sneakers for my girls there before school that were higher quality than the big box stores and not any more expensive.
Zulily has me hooked. I love their brands and their prices. The only thing I don’t like is their shipping time. So slow!
The one (and only!!) time I ordered from them, the shipping took so long that the baby had outgrown the shoes by the time they arrived.
I was just in target a few weeks ago and got my daughter 4 who needed church shoes. They were 12.99.. I went back to get another pair and they were 16.99!!! I hear ya! Walmart here is worse and closest target involves a 25$ ferry ride!! I normally buy from target but my purchases have been less and less since my daughter had a pair of pants worn once got a hole!!!
You are preaching to the choir here. I’m hard to fit so I’ve never been able to wear Target shoes, but used to buy them for my daughter. No longer. They are totally over priced unless you get them on a really good sale and not the best quality anymore. Marshall’s is my “go-t0” now. My little one is 3 1/2 and I bought her a pair of Oshkosh sandal type sneaker this spring. Originally $40 for $16. She has worn them almost every day since including in the water at the beach and water parks…they are still in perfect condition. I get compliments all the time on them. Quality is quality and Target has definitely lost theirs.
I noticed this at Target regarding the shoes too! My daughter who just turned 4 last month usually has more shoes than me and almost all from Target because their prices were great but…about 2 weeks ago I bought her some of the bright pink patent slip on style dress shoes and I think they were $15 and she wore them just 1 day and the toe was scuffed showing the material underneath in not 1 but 3 spots! I took them back the next day!!!
So funny …. I had the exact same experience yesterday! Couldn’t even find shoes that I liked for myself and thought they were way overpriced for how “stiff” they seemed. Come on, Target! Pull it together!!!!!!
Totally!! I have a 12 y/o I got the super sequin/stud flats they had for school shopping season and they look like 4 dogs fought to the death for them and then digested them. She has just wore them, that is it. Just horrible quality. She is so embarrassed by them and she knows I spent over $2o on them, so she keeps wearing them. I feel so bad. I am going to Khol’s for her now. I can not stand buying this garbage anymore, either.
Target shoes and I aren’t BFFs anymore either. 🙁 I used to find them to be a good value for being comfy, stylish, versatile (can wear for work, home, or date night), and good quality. Now, I’m finding that I don’t like any of the ballet flats because they are not even close to comfy, even after “breaking them in.” I am still having luck when I need a fancy, dressier heel. *knock on wood* (I go dancing two or three times a month and if you looked at them or wore them, you’d have no idea the amount of abuse they’ve taken).
I’ve noticed the selection and quality of their accessories, especially handbags, have also decreased within the last year. It’s so frustrating.
The Target ballet flats &/or “Toms” have no support whatsoever.
They feel like you are walking without any cushion and hurt to wear more than 10-15 minutes.
Really disappointed in Target!
I’ve started buying shoes at Sears at the end of each season – they’re usually marked down 50% off their clearance price, which translates to about $5 a pair. Since I’m not sure of the size, I pick up a couple of pair in various sizes – someone will eventually fit in them 🙂 and classic styles can be worn forever.
We just did the exact same thing yesterday at Target for our 18 month old and they were 12.99!!! (for a year old child???) The quality was super poor. At least at Walmart they tend to be under $10 and no worse quality. This is why we buy almost everything used (in advance as we see it) so that we can afford the more expensive brands with better quality. The consignment stores/sales are great for this!
I used to work for Target and can tell you that their shoes are awful! We used to get returns of people saying they had worn the shoes once or twice and they fell apart. And be warned that you cannot return the shoes once they’ve been worn, even if they legitimately fell apart way too early. I would just stay away from their shoes all together.
Agreed! I love shop Zulily for shoes. What I have found about the shipping is . . . you only pay once and can shop from multiple stores until midnight! I made a purchase on Friday and they extended this offer through Sunday. Thanks for the referral 🙂
I totally agree with Target and the quality going downhill. I used to live in their clothing. Loved the Cherokee label. They got rid of that and I do not like Mossimo or Merona at all. Shoes are terrible also. I will pay for S/H to get good quality merchandise anyday.
ross or marshalls or tj maxx, depending where you live
my husbands Filas. 25.00 my reeboks 20.00
my daughters shoes, always under 20 bucks , even steve maddens for my 12 yo.
Ross tends to be cheaper than Marshall’s, but my new favorite is Burke’s outlet. They have high quality like Dr. Marten’s and Stride Rite all the way down to Walmart quality. It is one of those stores that is hit and miss, but every Friday (or Monday, depending on your age) they give 15% off your total purchase. They also have a clearance system where a certain color dot on the tag gives an additional percentage off, up to 95%!
As much as I love catching sales at Target on their clothing, I have to agree with the poor shoe quality and prices. I have twin 4 year olds, so Ross or Marshall’s is always a luck of the draw to find two of anything, I have bought them plain smartfit Mary Janes at Payless for fall for $9.99 every day value that hold up through the season with a little touch up with shoe polish on occasion. The every day value prices don’t apply to BOGO sales, but I can’t complain for the price, and they come in a few colors.
Target lost me a long time ago on shoes! Not only has the quality been going downhill but the prices are going up. Not to mention I’ve always found their sizes inaccurate. We’re very lucky to have Ptomotac Mills Outlet Mall as our mall. There is a Nordstrom Rack but most importantly, a Stride Rite Outlet. I make a point of EVERY time I set foot in the mall (hair cut, birthday present, etc) to check the clearance wall at Stride Rite. Sneakers are always needed and I will buy 1 or 2 sizes up from what they are wearing and put them in the closet.
I once hesitated at spending $30 on big name Sandals for my older son at Nordstrom Rack. There was just nothing to choose from and I gave in. Oddly, 3 years use! They were amazing. 2 years with the older son and then 1 with the younger. And my boys are HARD on their shoes. I so wish I could remember the brand.
the only “shoes” I will buy from Target are flip flops, slippers and rain boots and even those have to be on mega clearance (70% off) sadly I can agree the quality has declined over the past few years……
I bought some women’s heels from there on clearance around Mother’s day. Gray suede wedges… and wore them for the first time the other day and a accidentally kicked a chair with the toe *ouch* ….they’re ruined.
I shop Target clearance a lot. I needed shoes for my 7 year old daughter and my 2 year old son. They had the shoes I had been looking at for them both now on clearance. So i ended up getting my daughter super cute and she says they are very cozy running shoes for $7.50 and my son got shoes for $5. Very happy with both pair! Target clearance is awesome, especially when you can also pair it with coupons.
Ross, Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx for quality made kids shoes. Only draw back is limited quantites; but I find what I need lots of these stores in the DFW area. Also, if you have pets check out there dog beds $11.99-$14.99 you would pay double that elsewhere, toys and supplies too. Ross prices are usually a little cheaper.