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Schuh Imperfects, Ex-display and Offcuts Explained

25 Aug 2023, by Georgia Petrie, 7 min. read

Savvy savings with Schuh Imperfects.

Save yourself the heartbreak of scuffing your new shoes with Schuh Imperfects — because nothing is ever 100% perfect.

In this article:

What is Schuh Imperfects?
How does Schuh Imperfects work?
Schuh Imperfects listing example
Common ex-display shoe defects
How much you can save
Our verdict
Schuh Imperfects returns
Where else can I get cheap shoes?
How to find Schuh’s Imperfects section
Official student discount codes for Vans, Nike, Ugg, New Balance & more

What is Schuh Imperfects?

Schuh Imperfects is another name for Schuh’s ex-display or outlet section. You’ll find heavily discounted shoes across a wide range of brands, sizes and styles – including children’s shoes – but the condition of these trainers, sandals, boots etc will vary.

All the shoes have flaws, but some damage will be almost unnoticeable, while other pairs of shoes may be more obviously imperfect. The price of the shoes, and the scale of your discount, will depend on the condition.

In reference to its Imperfects, Schuh says, “shoes that have suffered from a little too much interest come here to find forever homes. We reckon it’s all character building stuff – some products here will have scuffs, discolouration and other individual quirks.”

Schuh Imperfects is the same concept as Office Offcuts, with shoe retailer Office also selling heavily discounted end-of-line, ex-display men’s and women’s shoes. Generally, the flaws will amount to minor wear-and-tear – often only small scuffs and marks from people who’ve tried the display pair on in-store.

Schuh discount code

How does Schuh Imperfects work?

Schuh Imperfects is a chance for the brand’s stores to flog (mostly unscathed) last of the line shoes to make more space for new stock.

This means that that there isn’t a wide range of pairs to choose from, for example, multiple sizes and colours/designs on offer.

Instead, Schuh Imperfects operates on a first-come, first-served basis online, with the shoes you see on offer being real images of the pair available.

Consider it the same as adverts for items you see on eBay, Depop, Vinted or the like – except the shoes are considered new with minor damage rather than secondhand. There will be a clear photo of the exact pair you’ll receive, rather than a more generic photo, and any defects will be listed in the description.

Common Schuh Imperfects defects we’ve seen

Ex-display shoes commonly have the following issues:

Discolouration on one shoe (probably from sitting at an angle in a window display)
Damage to the uppers (the upper is the entire part of the shoe that covers the foot)
Pen marks on some part of the fabric

How much you can save on Schuh Imperfect ex-display shoes

Prices vary depending on the size and notability of the flaw, but typically you can save up to 50% on the full price. What’s more, students can also save with our Schuh student discount!

Below, you can see four listings (four pairs) of UK size 5 and size 7 Timerland boots. Each pair is £99.99, reduced by 45% off the original asking price of £180. Once you open the listing, you can see the damage on the actual shoe – but most flaws are minor, affecting the aesthetic of the shoe rather than gaping holes in the sole or the like.

We’ve also seen multiple other smart buys, with big discounts and savings to be made. For example, a pair of white TOMS espadrilles are £24.99 down from £70. Being white, the espadrilles have a small but irremovable dirty mark on them – meaning they’ve come to the Imperfects section to find a new home.

But, it isn’t just boots and sandals on offer – if you’re looking for trainers, running shoes or other sports shoes, you’ll find big deals in that style too.

Nike, New Balance, PUMA and more brands are available at Schuh with prices slashed. For example, a pair of White & Red New Balance 550 trainers are £77.99 (down from £120), with the damage described as “the right shoe is suffering from some discolouration.”

There’s also a pair of Birkenstock boots – UK size 3 – selling for £67.99, down from £160. As is fairly common with Schuh’s ex-display options, the item is discounted due to discolouration (colour fading).

cheap birkenstocks listing on schuh imperfects

Our verdict on Schuh Imperfects

If you’re someone who’s shopping on eBay or the likes of Vinted and Depop, you’ll already be familiar with the type of buying and selling model that’s offered by Schuh’s Imperfects range.

If you’re after something specific, like a particular colour of cheap Birkenstocks or design of Doc Martens, you might find the ex-display sales a little lacking, especially as all sizes aren’t always catered to, and stock is fairly low.

With that said, we think it’s certainly worth the effort to try and find a pair that you like in your size as the savings you can make are significant – especially on styles that are particularly expensive or popular. There’s really no harm at trying your luck and seeing what you end up with.

We also think it’ll be a godsend for parents with little ones with growing feet who need to buy school shoes and sports shoes for PE throughout the school year. Schuh Imperfects includes shoes from the men’s, women’s and children’s range – meaning it’s ideal if you can find cheaper kids shoes than you’d get at a shop.

Returning Schuh’s ex-display shoes

You can return your ex-display shoes from Schuh if you aren’t happy with them, but you can’t return them into a store, instead they have to be sent back. Schuh offers a refund or exchange on unused items within 1 year (365 days). All online returns are FREE for ‘myschuh’ account holders.

Returns to Schuh are £2.50 if you don’t have an account and will be deducted from your refund. Exchanges are totally free.

Where else can I get cheap shoes?

Most shoe brands offer a sale section for their sale items, while Office sells it’s ex-display models on a site called Office Offcuts – which is very similar to Schuh Imperfects. Other shoe outlets for cheap trainers, sandals etc include ASOS Outlet, Adidas Outlet, Sole Trader Outlet and Clarks Outlet.

There are a number of websites that sell cheaper shoes, like Everything5Pounds and Shoeaholics (which mostly sells discounted Kurt Geiger). You can also find more affordable, used shoes at secindhand sellings sites and apps like Vinted, Depop, eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

Student Beans’ Shoes Student Discounts.

M and M Direct

M and M Direct is a shoes retailer that aims to sell big brand shoes at the lowest prices. M and M Direct buys directly from brands and suppliers in limited sizing or designs sourced from the previous season to keep costs low for you, the buyer! There aren’t any physical stores, but you can shop a range or trainers, football boots etc at the brand’s website, and the items are then sent from the UK distribution centre.

How to find Schuh’s Imperfects section

The Imperfects section of Schuh can be found on the website. In the header navigation, you’ll find the Sale section, and below Offers you’ll find a link to Schuh’s ex-display offerings.

In the Schuh Imperfects section online, you can sort and filter results by size, colour, brand, price, department (men’s, women’s, kids’ etc) and more.