a review of The RealReal

So, if you’ve been following me for awhile you may have noticed that I’ve purchased two pairs of preloved designer shoes, both off the TheRealReal. The first pair I bought for my upcoming wedding, and the second I bought for my bachelorette in Vegas (and then also wore them during the holidays).

Both times, I have loved shopping through TheRealReal, so I thought I would give them a full blog post review!

First off, in case you don’t know – TheRealReal is “an online and brick-and-mortar marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment”. Basically, it’s a huge online store that sells preowned designer pieces. I find it different than Vestiaire Collective (another preloved designer website) in that the seller sends the item to TheRealReal to be verified, and then they list it online. Vestiaire operates more like eBay in that individuals make a profile to list their items, and they only get sent to be authenticated once bought. I find the images more high res and better quality through TheRealReal, since the items are shot in house.

Both times I bought shoes, they arrived exactly as depicted. My wedding shoes are in pristine (like, really pristine) condition, and my new Dior shoes (pictured above) were listed as having signs of wear (which they do). Both times I found the images accurately depicted exactly what I was getting. I will mention, you also get what you pay for. You might see two pairs of identical shoes, but one has way more wear and tear, and therefore those ones will be listed for less. My Dior shoes were a very good deal in my mind, but that was because they were obviously preowned. My wedding shoes were way more expensive, but I doubt they were even worn once.

Both times, my shoes shipped out very quickly, and I received them very quickly. However, I also opted to send them to the US and bring them across the border myself. The first time, I had them shipped to a vacation destination and simply brought them back with me. The second, I had them sent to a “ship it shop”, that is, a shop you can ship packages to within the US and drive them across the border. I’m lucky to live near the border so this is a viable option for me. I know that TheRealReal does not cover any duties outside the US, and my friend had to pay high fees when she shipped them to Canada direct. To my fellow Canadians, I would highly recommend sending them to a US location if you can. On the other hand, Vestiaire Collective predetermines all duties and taxes upon checkout, so there are no surprises.

What I love most about these kinds of preloved designer sites is that it makes owning a luxury product actually affordable. Now I won’t say cheap, because you’re still paying for a premium product, but affordable in that I find their prices very reasonable for a designer product because they are preowned.

It’s also a greener alternative to buy something secondhand rather than something new, which I absolutely love. Giving a new life to something that was perhaps sitting in someone’s closet is a great feeling.

Now, my entire closet won’t become filled with designer goods, because like I mentioned previously, you’re still paying for a designer product. But I absolutely love shopping there for unique, upscale pieces that I can wear on special occasions. My next purchase will likely be black pumps, or a pair of strappy gold sandals to wear to weddings this Summer. Needless to say, I will be shopping there again!

Below you will find a few Dior pumps I found, and then some other favourites! I almost didn’t include the black Dior mules because they are AMAZING and I wanted to snag but sharing is caring, right?!

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