I Got The Full DSW VIP Treatment & By The End, I Had All The Hottest Summer Shoe Styles
The five things I love most in this world are my girlfriend, my family, Sia, the sound bubbles make when they pop against a surface, and shoes. I can't express just how many times I've gone out on a shoe shopping spree, only to come home and get yelled at by my family for having too many shoes. Is my obsession a problem? Yes, basically. Is it one I'm terribly worried about? LOL, nope. But thankfully, for shoe addicts like me who like to stay on top of spring, fall, winter, and summer shoe trends, DSW's VIP Rewards program makes my obsession seem a little less problematic and a little more... I don't know, worth the trouble.
In what felt like my own personal God dream, I flew out to Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, May 6, 2018, and for the next few days after that, DSW gave me the full VIP treatment to introduce their new and improved VIP Rewards Program, which the brand redesigned for the 25 million members of its previous loyalty program. And let me tell you, from the moment I set foot in Columbus, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to further feed into my already dangerous shoe obsession, DSW seriously hooked me up.
From strappy sandals to sleek sneakers to colors brighter than the sun, I had all of the hottest summer shoe trends curated and waiting for me in my hotel room. And believe it or not, this was only a small glimpse into how DSW treats its VIPs. In DSW's Polaris store, customers are first met with a series of shoe stations, curated by popular trends for that season. And just as I got first dibs on these trends while in Columbus, DSW VIP Rewards members also get first dibs on the latest and greatest shoe picks, courtesy of DSW's "First Dibs" section in the store. This section, exclusively available to DSW VIPs, houses the newest DSW shoe selections so VIP members can snag 'em first before they're available to the public.
The VIP perks didn't stop there for me, and they certainly don't stop there for the VIP Rewards members, either. With the varying levels of the program, VIP Club, VIP Gold, and VIP Elite, come different benefits that all sound pretty effing good to me. (But hey, I'm obsessed with shoes, so anything related to that typically does.) For all three tiers, however much you spend in one purchase translates to a certain number of points (VIP Club and Gold get one point for $1 spent, while VIP Elite earns two points for $1), and once you hit 100 points — a totally easy feat for my fellow shoe addicts — you get $5 off. Enough points, and you could probably score some of these trendy summer styles for free:
Florals For Spring (Well, Summer)? Groundbreaking
Strap In And Hold On Tight
Who Said Dad Sneaks Were Just For Dads?
Light So Bright, It's Blinding
Bootie, Bootie, Bootie, Bootie, Rockin' Everywhere
Now, even though I might buy more shoes than I can count, I have adopted a particular mindset for myself, courtesy of my parents yelling at me for having so many shoes growing up: Don't get more without giving back. Similar to this mantra I tell myself, DSW has introduced a way for its members to give back while getting more at the same time — through shoe donation. At all DSW locations, customers are invited to donate their unwanted shoes to Soles4Souls, a non-profit charity donating gently-used shoes to those in need, and recycling shoes that aren't suitable to be donated. When you donate, VIP members get 50 points. Literally you just need to donate two whole times to get $5 off. That's it. I can do that in my sleep.
The last stop on my own personal VIP journey was a trip to see Justin Timberlake perform live at the Nationwide Arena, along with a few other VIPs. Considering my usual concert experience is a cheap-ass nosebleed seat, if I go at all, seeing JT hop around like a little jumping bean in the VIP section was an experience I'll never forget. I'm not kidding, the individual beads of sweat I saw pour down Justin's face are forever etched into my brain.
As part of the VIP Rewards Program, VIP Gold and Elite members could also meet and perhaps even ~party~ (kind of) with other VIP members, as these two tiers have exclusive early access to offers and ~events~. And if that event includes shoes and/or a dancing Justin Timberlake... hey, sign me TF up. While my DSW VIP experience has come to a bittersweet end, yours could just be beginning. On May 9, 2018, the brand re-launched this new rewards program, meaning DSW is totally ready for you to join in on the fun.
Sometimes, it feels impossible for me to keep up with all the shoe trends changing day in and day out. But with its name-brand sandals, sneakers, boots, or any other style imaginable, DSW has you covered. (Now, I just need to make sure my bank account has me covered, too.)
