Searching for where to buy trendy women’s trainers online runs straight into a permanent confusion between brands and retailers. Results point to Nike, adidas or New Balance, in other words manufacturers, when the real question is which retailer to order from to get the right choice, the right price and a decent returns policy.
This comparison picks between websites, not between brands. Here are the six addresses that matter, and what each does best.
The comparison at a glance
| Website | Type | Segment | Typical budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lulli sur la Toile | Multi-designer concept store | Designer trainers | €90 to €630 |
| Sarenza | Footwear specialist | Generalist, sport to city | €40 to €250 |
| Zalando | Marketplace | Sportswear and accessible brands | €30 to €200 |
| Courir | Sneaker specialist | Sportswear, limited editions | €60 to €220 |
| Farfetch | Luxury marketplace | Designers and luxury houses | €250 to €900 |
| Brand websites | Direct sales | Single brand, full catalogue | Varies |
1. Lulli sur la Toile, the reference for designer trainers
In the designer segment, this is the most complete address. The concept store, founded in Marseille in 2003 and now a network of around fifteen shops, carries roughly 1,200 women’s trainer items, split between low-tops, high-tops and runners.
You will find the segment’s most sought-after signatures, Golden Goose and its distressed soles, Autry and its retro American aesthetic, Isabel Marant on the chunky-soled high-top, plus Ami Paris, UGG and Vanessa Bruno. Prices run from €90 to €630, with most of the catalogue between €150 and €350.
The advantage over brand websites is immediate. Hesitating between a Golden Goose and an Autry does not require two orders on two sites, with two deliveries and two returns policies.
The services that matter on footwear.
- Free click and collect within 24 to 48 hours in the store network. On trainers this is the decisive argument, you try the size on site before confirming.
- Free delivery in mainland France from €150, a threshold quickly reached in this category.
- Free returns within 14 days in France, limited to one return per order.
- Payment in 4 interest-free instalments via PayPal, no minimum.
- 4.7 out of 5 across more than 29,000 customer reviews.
The limits. No mainstream sportswear, you will find neither Nike nor adidas. And the one-return-per-order cap means choosing your size carefully if you were planning to order two sizes to compare, which most footwear specialists allow.
2. Sarenza, the generalist specialist
The broadest women’s footwear catalogue across all segments, with well-oiled logistics and effective filters by size, width and sole height. You find sportswear, city shoes and accessible designer models.
The default choice when you do not yet know which brand you want and need to scan widely.
3. Zalando, volume and frictionless returns
Same logic as on ready-to-wear, an enormous catalogue, fast delivery and particularly simple free returns. On footwear that flexibility counts, it lets you order two sizes at no risk.
No curation, though. You mostly find sportswear and accessible brands, very little creation.
4. Courir, sneaker culture
Positioned on sneakers in the strict sense, with releases, limited editions and collaborations. The store network allows fitting and collection.
Relevant for identified sportswear and for following releases. Off-topic for designer trainers.
5. Farfetch, the luxury segment
A luxury marketplace listing boutiques worldwide, with a very deep catalogue on designers and houses. Prices start higher and delivery times vary depending on the dispatching boutique, since each order ships from a different retailer’s stock.
Best kept for models you cannot find anywhere else.
6. Brand websites, direct
Ordering directly from Veja, New Balance or Golden Goose guarantees access to the full catalogue and to exclusives. The downside is mechanical, one order per brand, and no way to compare two designers side by side before deciding.
The three criteria that really matter on trainers
- Being able to try them on. Size is the leading reason for returns on footwear, and it varies significantly from one brand to another. A retailer backed by stores, with in-store collection, removes that risk. It is the real edge a physical concept store holds over a pure player.
- The returns policy, read in detail. Free returns or not, actual deadline, and above all the number of returns allowed per order. That point determines whether you can order two sizes to compare.
- Depth of range in your target segment. A generalist with 10,000 shoe items may only carry three designer models. A narrower catalogue that is genuinely deep on what you want beats a wide one that is not.
To complete the outfit, see our comparisons of the best women’s jeans brands and the best women’s trousers brands, plus our guide on how to wear loafers for women.
Photo par Richard Elzey via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)