tryed to return a pair of dress shoes

If you knew you paid that much you wouldn't have bought them in the
first place? How did you not know how much they were when you bought
them? If the shoes show any signs of wear, they do not have to take
them back. What if you had a receipt for something from 5 years ago?
Return policies are in place for a reason.

But a seller should let you know the policy before you purchase. You
can them choose to accept the terms, or buy elsewhere.
In the case of T.J. Maxx, they DO accept returns within 30 days. Per
their return policy: "Merchandise that is used or worn will not be
accepted for refund or exchange."
Were the shoes scuffed or showing other signs of wear? Was the return
outside the 30 day window (in which case you'd get a store credit)?
I'm always amazed at all the raving lunatics who work in retail. You
know, the people who start screaming at customers for absolutely no
reason, or tear tags off valid returns. Reagan cut funding for mental
health programs in the 80s, but it seems all of the unwell people just
got jobs in stores.