Footwear: buy cheap, pay twice?
Discussion
Really?
I admit to being stingy about footwear. That's to say I won't pay a fortune for it.
I have one pair of posh shoes that I bought to get married in. I've other formal type shoes that I wore when suits were the daily wear.
Self employed and working from home in the main, I rarely wear a suit iso the formal shoes never get use.
Most of the time I get cheap footwear mainly boots of varying description. I've a pair of I think they are called Grafter boots that I got in 2000. A bit shabby but still perfectly serviceable despite being all over the world with me from Arctic Norway to the Falklands. They cost maybe £25.
35 quid is my usual limit for the simple reason that I wear shoes and boots out quickly. The Grafters are the exception but I'll generally get a year out of something before the soles split or wear down.
I do rotate my footwear so rarely wear them two days in a row.
My wife says I wear them out because I buy cheap stuff and so a year ago she bought me a pair of DMs. Lovely comfortable brown leather ankle boots that go with most informal clothes. They cost over £100 which in shoe terms for me is probably 3 sets of my regular footwear.
Yesterday wearing them I walked through a puddle and noticed my feet getting wet. On examination both soles are split.
Now in my mind, as a buyer of cheap shoes, that's to be expected if you're tarting about in £30 shoes.
I went to a cobbler. New experience for me. £50 to fix them! If I'm going to pay £50 I may as well buy something new for less.
So does buy cheap pay twice really hold true?
Also the receipt is long gone. Do you reckon it's too late to get them fixed under guarantee?
No doubt being PH I'm not conforming to some rule. Should I be wearing an obscure £800 a foot brand made of unicorn hide or something? :-)
I admit to being stingy about footwear. That's to say I won't pay a fortune for it.
I have one pair of posh shoes that I bought to get married in. I've other formal type shoes that I wore when suits were the daily wear.
Self employed and working from home in the main, I rarely wear a suit iso the formal shoes never get use.
Most of the time I get cheap footwear mainly boots of varying description. I've a pair of I think they are called Grafter boots that I got in 2000. A bit shabby but still perfectly serviceable despite being all over the world with me from Arctic Norway to the Falklands. They cost maybe £25.
35 quid is my usual limit for the simple reason that I wear shoes and boots out quickly. The Grafters are the exception but I'll generally get a year out of something before the soles split or wear down.
I do rotate my footwear so rarely wear them two days in a row.
My wife says I wear them out because I buy cheap stuff and so a year ago she bought me a pair of DMs. Lovely comfortable brown leather ankle boots that go with most informal clothes. They cost over £100 which in shoe terms for me is probably 3 sets of my regular footwear.
Yesterday wearing them I walked through a puddle and noticed my feet getting wet. On examination both soles are split.
Now in my mind, as a buyer of cheap shoes, that's to be expected if you're tarting about in £30 shoes.
I went to a cobbler. New experience for me. £50 to fix them! If I'm going to pay £50 I may as well buy something new for less.
So does buy cheap pay twice really hold true?
Also the receipt is long gone. Do you reckon it's too late to get them fixed under guarantee?
No doubt being PH I'm not conforming to some rule. Should I be wearing an obscure £800 a foot brand made of unicorn hide or something? :-)
Edited by wildcat45 on Friday 18th September 15:05
DM's are cheap shoes with an expensive price tag IMO. Never liked them.
I have quite sweaty feet and tend to trash the insides of shoes before the outsides so tend to buy cheap.
Boots are a different matter though and I tend to buy more expensive ones. Sadly my Caterpillar work boots are on the way out and they seem to have become a fashion brand in the 15 years since I bought them.
I have quite sweaty feet and tend to trash the insides of shoes before the outsides so tend to buy cheap.
Boots are a different matter though and I tend to buy more expensive ones. Sadly my Caterpillar work boots are on the way out and they seem to have become a fashion brand in the 15 years since I bought them.
Edited by RizzoTheRat on Friday 18th September 15:19
I'm clueless when it comes to shoes, normally sticking to what I know best, Adidas Samba trainers.
Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
Baz Tench said:
I'm clueless when it comes to shoes, normally sticking to what I know best, Adidas Samba trainers.
Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
No hope for me then. I'm 45.Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
I didn't realise there was a shoe forum on here. I should have guessed.
I got into the interesting razor thread a few years back, then I grew a beard. Is there a beard section?
Presently drinking real ale in a bar in some cheap unbranded boots while wearing a 23 year old Barbour. Mixed PH messages or what?
If this tread runs you'll get all sorts of opinions, not really facts as ultimately you decide but here is my take.
Firstly if you've had the DMs a year even if you've not worn them much I'd be surprised if the company will repair them but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. If you want another pair, no need to pay £100, they have a factory shop in Woolaston Northants and on line too.
Secondly the question of how long a premium shoe or boot will last. I generally wear Loake, they cost £150 to £250 a pair, they look good and are well made.
BUT. They don't last 5 or more times longer than a £30 pair, no where near. The leather soles will wear out very quickly and although you can have them resolved it's £35 and more.
So yes they last and look better but it's a law of diminishing returns like most things really, cars, watches, clothes and so on. Paying more gets you better quality but not in my opinion by the amount you spend.
Firstly if you've had the DMs a year even if you've not worn them much I'd be surprised if the company will repair them but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. If you want another pair, no need to pay £100, they have a factory shop in Woolaston Northants and on line too.
Secondly the question of how long a premium shoe or boot will last. I generally wear Loake, they cost £150 to £250 a pair, they look good and are well made.
BUT. They don't last 5 or more times longer than a £30 pair, no where near. The leather soles will wear out very quickly and although you can have them resolved it's £35 and more.
So yes they last and look better but it's a law of diminishing returns like most things really, cars, watches, clothes and so on. Paying more gets you better quality but not in my opinion by the amount you spend.
I don't know trainer wise, I expect they'll wear out at a similar rate. Boots and formal shoes however I find the title to be very true. If I buy cheap shoes from say Next/Clarks, within six months they'll be fit only for the bin. Loake's (my preferred brand) will do a good 2 years, and can then be resoled and reconditioned at half the cost of a new pair (£70 at the factory) and do another two years. Applying man maths, that's £200 roughly for 4 years service, with the same money on cheap shoes giving about 2 years.
I'm one of the poncy types and like a nice pair of hand made shoes.
But... for work I have two pairs of thirty-odd quid hush puppies which I wear daily. They're comfy and last forever.
My 'good' shoes are for evenings and special occasions so don't 'need' to wear well. I've had a pair of Cheaney Arthur resoled at the factory which cost about the same as two pairs of my work shoes. They came back better than new though.
But... for work I have two pairs of thirty-odd quid hush puppies which I wear daily. They're comfy and last forever.
My 'good' shoes are for evenings and special occasions so don't 'need' to wear well. I've had a pair of Cheaney Arthur resoled at the factory which cost about the same as two pairs of my work shoes. They came back better than new though.
Are you on Twitter?
It might be worth tweeting your experience with the DMs and copying in their Twitter account.
I have had quite a few issues resolved quickly when I tweeted abou tthem - as the message is "out there" brands want to resolve them quickly for good PR.
Nothing to lose mate.
It might be worth tweeting your experience with the DMs and copying in their Twitter account.
I have had quite a few issues resolved quickly when I tweeted abou tthem - as the message is "out there" brands want to resolve them quickly for good PR.
Nothing to lose mate.
Baz Tench said:
I'm clueless when it comes to shoes, normally sticking to what I know best, Adidas Samba trainers.
Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
Adidas Samba are a bit Council aren't they?Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
i've got some
Baz Tench said:
Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
Get some flares and then it won't matter what shoes you wear as they'll be hidden.I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
RizzoTheRat said:
Baz Tench said:
Shoes are a bit of a mystery to me, nothing ever seems to suit me. You've got me thinking of going down town now and having a look around for some (my mate gave me my last pair, but again I'm not sure they suit me).
I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
Get some flares and then it won't matter what shoes you wear as they'll be hidden.I tend to have a budget of around £35 too. Any more makes me wince as I simply don't know what I'm doing when it comes to shoe shopping.
I'm 46!
I only ever wear boot cut jeans.
Edited by Baz Tench on Friday 18th September 16:14
Purely from lack of imagination I always wear capped DMs for work, I generally get about 10 - 12 months before they're just too bad to wear, but the soles do split on them. Made in China now so no doubt every pair is different to the last.
I guess at £50 or so on Ebay it's not bad for a year.
I guess at £50 or so on Ebay it's not bad for a year.
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