Retail Review: Shoebuy.com & Dr. Martens Marcie Wedge Boots

One of my favorite things? Credit card rewards! I know the hardcore-prudent thing to do would be to take cash back -- but seriously, I have an addiction sickness hobby to fund. :)

I noticed that a round of credit card rewards were set to expire soon, so I decided to use them to acquire these Dr. Martens Marcie boots. A twist on an old favorite, the Marcie combines a classic combat boot upper with a platform wedge heel that makes my stubby legs and flat-sole-averse arches sit up and take notice. Yes, please!

The Shoebuy Experience

• Order Placement Process: Excellent. They offer a bajillion payment options, and there were no freakish hoops or fetish props to jump through to place my order.
• Product Details: Average. The heel height listed ended up being a half inch shorter than the actual height... I suppose they might have arrived at their measurement by subtracting the platform, but it would have been nice to know that (if it were indeed the case); Some of us like to know whether we will end up taller than our boyfriends or sporting highwater jeans if we wear those shoes. Also, no calf/ankle circumference information was included.
• Pricing: Excellent. Whatever sale shoebuy was having at the time priced my boots at a full $30 cheaper than I saw them anywhere else. And they don't charge sales tax. And they offer a 100% price guarantee. I believe the term I'm looking for is booya.
• Shipping/Packaging: Excellent. Free, fast, accurately-tracked shipping in a discreet box covered in tape that reminds you to check for defects and damage before accepting the product.
• Return/Exchange Process: Excellent. Free returns, free return shipping, easy return tracking, and a convenient pre-paid label included in my box. They use an online form for return explanations instead of making you interpret weird "exchange codes" on the back of your packing slip. I took the site's advice for a speedy exchange and simply returned the larger size while placing an new order for the smaller, which did result in a speedily-recieved replacement - the only downside is that the boots were not the exact same price as before. I thought about calling customer service to inquire about a match, but it was small enough a difference that the CC rewards still totally covered the price (difference was about $5).
• Overall: TOTALLY EXCELLENT. I'm very impressed with the price, speed, and service. Very much like I remember ordering from Zappos, but I remember Zappos as always having higher prices - and Zappos didn't carry these particular boots. Shoebuy has officially replaced Amazon as my #1 shoe site due to their price matching and free shipping. :)

The Marcie Wedge Boot Experience

• Fit: based on what the Dr. Martens size chart says, these felt a 1/2 size too big... and they only come in whole sizes, so if you're on the border of two sizes like me, go for the smaller option. I initally ordered the 9 instead of my usual 8.5 and ended up swimming in them.
• Quality: Just what you'd expect from Dr. Martens: sturdy & well-made, so you feel like you can really kick some butt in these boots. :)
• Comfort: WOW. Possibly the most comfortable boots I've had. I've walked for miles in these and had none of the dreaded arch pain or muscle cramps that have plagued me in my GI combat boots. Lovelovelovelovelove!

All in all, this has been one of the best online shopping experiences I've ever had. No hemming and hawing over whether or not to try another size. No agonizing over the price until my desired item has sold out. Nothing but pure shoe bliss. :)

Plus, the cat seems to like 'em. >^..^<