There is an actual, physical hole in the sole of my shoe. Meaning, when I put my foot down, my actual foot (enstockinged, but still) touches the actual ground. Which is very cold.
My shoes cost $24 and I bought them about three months ago. Perhaps next time I should pay more than $24.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
On Paying for Quality: An Example of How Cheap is Not the Same as Frugal
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17 comments:
Duct tape
Duct tape for the win! That is an awesome idea. I may still have to retire the shoes from office duty, though.
Haha, I had a similar realization a few months ago that went "hm, maybe I shouldn't buy ALL of my shoes at Payless." Nothing against Payless, but for the most part, I've decided that I should be a Big Girl and purchase shoes that won't break and/or give me blisters--no matter how cute and cheap they are.
If you love them enough to pay $15 to extend their life, take them to a cobbler who can re-sole them. They feel like new--I've had a $20 pair that has been re-soled twice--although I've now put more into them than they cost, I love them so it's worth it to me!
On the other hand, I went a big higher-end and bought $50 shoes for work. Yeah, the heel broke on the first day. So I went back to the store and traded them in for delicious flats and I've been wearing ever since.
Hi EM:
I find that shoes are an area of spending where I do not do well to cheap out. I always end up spending more $ than I would have in the first place. Don't know if that's my feet, my walking habits, my luck, or what.
Congrats on the job improvements!
Meadow
I've done this. I wore out a pair of converse trainers a couple of months ago. Next time I'm going to stick to the Doc Martens - they take years to go.
I don't go hog-wild on shoes, but do consider shoes to be an investment in my health. I have foot and knee problems and, with the amount I walk, cheap shoes cause me nothing but pain and doctor bills. Besides, buying one higher quality pair that can be repaired (not all of the cheap ones can be) is more environmentally sound.
*chuckle* you wore the sh*t outta that shoe huh? *chuckle* Yeah cheap shoes are only meant to be worn ONCE because you forgot your good shoes at home.
Ugh, I wish it only cost me $15 to resole mine... I just had to get a pair of shoes and a pair of boots redone, and the two cost me $58.
More than I paid for them originally, but less than it would cost to replace them. Damnit.
Yeah and possibly put off the travel and shit for necessities?
Ugh--they weren't Esprit shoes, were they? I had the exact same experience with a pair from them--paid about $25, got a hole. Never again. (Plus, they weren't comfortable at all!)
Well, anonymous, no. If the choice is "take awesome trip or wear shoes that are not prone to sprouting holes," I choose the awesome trip. You may choose differently. However, I don't believe that's the choice. The point of the title of this post was to point out that you're actually spending less money (and thus saving more for the awesome trip) if you buy one pair of shoes that last a year for $60 than if you have to buy a new pair of $24 shoes every three months.
english major, just remember it's not the price, it's the quality. you can find great shoes cheap if you look hard enough. but sometimes it's easier and quicker to just pay more. and with shoes, it also depends on the purpose for the shoes - if they'll get a lot of wear, you need more quality. if they're for schlepping over to the laundromat or post office, maybe not so much...
I bought a shoe for $10 in 2006 March. I wear it to office daily(except on fridays). Its still in a very good shape...Guess money isn't the only criteria here...
Have you considered buying flats that are made in Italy? Shoes that fall apart or in your case a physical hole comes down to quality and the materials used.
Coach has some nice flats though they are more expensive in the $100 range like this one: http://www.coach.com/content/product.aspx?product_no=9565&category_id=1208 but they also come with a lifetime guarantee or they'll repair it for you free minus the shipping and handling fee of $20.
I'm a big fan of sales! I don't wear payless shoes, but I do spend under $50 on my work shoes. I just get a classic shoe in an end of season sale.
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