DSW Repositioning Aims To Prove It’s More Than A Place To Buy Shoes

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. For DSW, the moderately priced shoe emporium that boasts close to 500 stores, that’s hyperbole and a platitude. For the brand whose initials DSW stand for Designer Shoe Warehouse, 2025 brings a fresh approach to its brand via a catchy tagline with a call to action that prompts customers to approach the store with a fresh perspective. “Let Us Surprise You”, which launches today, aims to give its shoppers a new perception of the 34-year-old shoe store.

Speaking from the brand’s Columbus, Ohio headquarters, DSW President Laura Davis explained the shift as the brand took stock post-pandemic. “We evaluated who we are and what the emotional identity was,” Davis said via Zoom, adding, “Our customers told us we lacked an emotional connection; it was very transactional, and the joy of shoes is so much.”

Thus, the goal was to establish the DSW emotional connection to attract new customers while retaining its core customers, especially its VIP Loyalty members. (As one of the first to have this type of program, DSW boasts customers enrolled for 10 to 15 years.)

“They love coming into DSW and exploring,” Davis noted. Working with Los Angeles-based creative agency Crispin, the brand took a deep dive into the brand, including in-depth surveys and, in some cases, visiting the shoe collections of top shoppers at their homes.

“We asked them, ‘How do you get dressed? ‘How do you think about self-expression? How do you get excited about shoes, bringing a differentiating factor to your wardrobe? Shoes let you explore this, especially with customers who view shopping as something fun and expressive? They take more risks with shoes.” Davis continued.

The solution was not only a catchy tagline but how that manifested itself in the store. Before the “Let Us Surprise You” slogan, the brand usually had different seasonal messaging, whereas this one will stick for the foreseeable future. “The lack of consistency didn’t gain trust with consumers.”

In the spirit of elevating and diversifying the product while making it a fun place to shop, part of the surprise will be a bevy of new brands, including Blundstone, Bombas, Frye & Co., and Goodr, which also attract younger customers.

“Over the past 18 months, we’ve proactively gone after new brands based on customer feedback to pursue brands they are requesting. With new leadership in place, we’re much more on trend and focused on fashion. Our customers want that, and are very responsive to trends,” Davis noted.

This fall, expect to find a range of styles, including kitten heels, Western boots, ballet flats, Mary Janes, and Chocolate brown boots, as well as a new collection from Sam Edelman. Plus, more shoe adjacency offerings such as hosiery, eyewear, cold weather accessories, and handbags, primarily focused on the beaded trend.

“There’s not really a sea of black boots. Our boot assortment just looks totally different this year. So really excited about the leopards, the burgundy, there’s even like a banana yellow Frye & Co. boot that’s exciting,” she noted, adding, “the goal is to have customers come in and say, ‘Wow, I can get those shoes at DSW?

It’s not just what you will find in the store, but also how you’ll find it. Starting with its Framingham, MA store, DSW, a division of Designers Brands Inc., will also feature several new in-store features. To begin the new campaign with punchy graphics—think models dressed in creative and funky wares placed in inventive ways on a white backdrop, with the tagline appearing throughout, covering its exterior and interior walls.

The Framingham store has undergone a complete renovation, featuring new lights, fresh floors, and updated signage. We have introduced a new customization area and a larger try-on area in response to customer demand for more benches and open space. We’ve added some technology with AI try-on; you can scan yourself and see different outfit options,” she explained. One is geared at kids, while the adult version is designated as a runway.

There is also Imbox, a shoe protection product and service that customers can enjoy. Additionally, Aetrex offers a foot measuring technology service with a customization station that allows for embroidery onto totes, T-shirts, and more, as well as laser-etching engraving on the ubiquitous water bottles. “Everyone is carrying them, and at the new store over the weekend, we saw people personalizing them for bridesmaids, for bachelorette parties, for soccer teams. So, it’s exciting to see how that could evolve for us,” Davis observed.

The overall store setup won’t change, as consumers generally prefer to see where everything is and access it themselves, according to the research conducted.

“They want to come in, try on shoes at their own leisure. Our associates are there to help as needed. Exploring is key, as sometimes they want shoes, sometimes they need them. They love that open concept and that freedom to help themselves to shoes,”

With hundreds of stores in its universe, change will happen in phases. “All stores will get the new surprise burst through in-store and front-of-store marketing with a new, more upbeat soundtrack in the stores, while we test the new features,” she continued. This fall, five new stores from Connecticut to California are planned to open. Ostensibly, depending on how the new spaces perform, more will follow in 2026.

Rounding out the new brand expression is a delightful CTV—streamed television content aired via internet-connected devices— spot starring dancer Sydney Moss of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, directed by Courtney Phillips, and created and produced by Crispin. With an almost modern-day Charlie Chaplin-esque physicality, Moss dances, contorts, and frolics amongst the shoes, their boxes, and fixtures in the store for a mesmerizing, can’t-look-away effect.

“The video is the emotional connection of the fun we want to infuse as we aim to connect with our consumer. Her energy is fantastic, and how she can bend and the things she does, like falling into the boxes, make it exciting. In the past, spots like this were straight-up product and brand messaging. The emotion of this draws you into exploring the aisles,” Davis said.

The merchant, whose career marks roles at Macy’s and Claire’s, positions DSW as a hybrid retailer somewhere between department stores and mass market, says its unique differentiator is that we have more shoes than anybody else in each store.” Given the variety of brands for women, men, and kids, not to mention additional categories such as bags, hosiery, and other accessories, she may be correct. It’s this feature she feels will also add to the overall new experience.

“Our goal is that we want customers to let go of assumptions that can ruin surprise. They have anything and everything, and never know what you will find.”