What do you think of DSW?

[Anonymous]

I feel like DSW is just another example of how average stores/brands have decreased significantly in quality over the last 5 years or so. I used to find great stuff there and now it’s all plastic garbage. Same as Gap, JCrew, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I miss Payless so much. DSW has very little in wide width and you basically have to wander all over the store checking every stack of boxes to find what your options are. At Payless, I could just go straight to my size and choose what I liked.

Does anyone remmeber the Christian Siriano shoes at Payless? They were surprisingly good comfort and amazing looking for the price. The 3 and 4 inch heels were comfortable than my way more expensive designer heels.

[Anonymous]

I live in a fashion desert and typically order everything online. I recently was in a bind and needed something within a day or two, so I searched dsw.com to see what I could pick up locally. Everything available was non-leather. No thank you!

[Anonymous]

I hated everything I’ve seen in there recently. Nordstrom has all the better versions, for higher prices of course but way more worth it

[Anonymous]

Sigh. Now I miss Payless.

[Anonymous]

I gave up on DSW several years ago, maybe 5 or 6.

[Anonymous]

I buy kids shoes and sneakers there. Their "fashion" shoes are all pretty crappy.

[Anonymous]

A lot of cheap plastic from China.

[Anonymous]

Questions like this make me wonder whether these stores have gotten objectively worse, or if I’ve just aged out of them.

15-20 years ago, I love going to dsw. I was early in my legal career, had some but not a lot of money, and I genuinely liked a bunch of the stuff in there.

I haven’t even paused walking up and down the aisles in probably ten years. Styles are junky, but more importantly like everyone notes, plastic glued together garbage.

But so are regular brands like Nine West and Steve Madden, even at their mall stores (non outlets). So maybe that’s just the price point of dsw? And it hasn’t actually gotten worse?

But I have suspected for years that they get stuff made specifically for them, much like tj maxx, and that even the name brand stuff is an extra bit garbage.

Just not sure…. But I am sure that I don’t like shopping there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Questions like this make me wonder whether these stores have gotten objectively worse, or if I’ve just aged out of them.

15-20 years ago, I love going to dsw. I was early in my legal career, had some but not a lot of money, and I genuinely liked a bunch of the stuff in there.

I haven’t even paused walking up and down the aisles in probably ten years. Styles are junky, but more importantly like everyone notes, plastic glued together garbage.

But so are regular brands like Nine West and Steve Madden, even at their mall stores (non outlets). So maybe that’s just the price point of dsw? And it hasn’t actually gotten worse?

But I have suspected for years that they get stuff made specifically for them, much like tj maxx, and that even the name brand stuff is an extra bit garbage.

Just not sure…. But I am sure that I don’t like shopping there.

I agree that part of it is aging out but also the quality overall in all brands has gone down. My old stuff is so much better than new but those aren't going to last forever. It's depressing.

[Anonymous]

Yes!! I thought I was going crazy. A friend gave me a gift card there a few years ago and I have been having trouble spending it. I do agree that the one in North Bethesda is the best of the bunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like DSW is just another example of how average stores/brands have decreased significantly in quality over the last 5 years or so. I used to find great stuff there and now it’s all plastic garbage. Same as Gap, JCrew, etc.

This is the answer for me. I was browsing Nordstrom Rack yesterday, and I was like this is all trash. It used to have real designer left overs. Now it’s stuff especially made as discounted crap. Same for TJmaxx and Marshall’s.

[Anonymous]

I only buy there in a pinch, like for a special event and for shoes I don’t expect to wear more than once every very great while.

[Anonymous]

In the absence of Payless, my go-to is the shoe section of Nordstrom Rack in downtown DC—usually have great luck there.

[Anonymous]

I feel like their New Balance sneakers are off. They don't fit like normal ones.