Lower Cost Shoes

[Fifty150]

Not all of us can afford to spend a whole paycheck on shoes. Especially when living paycheck to paycheck.




I like these. Not just as a lower price option. I wear these shoes because they are comfortable.

 

[Cuvier]

You might look at used shoes from reputable sellers. I picked up a pair of Barker McClean blue Brogues. You can see here that they are on sale for $365 right now. I paid a bit over $100 as there was some water staining on them. I blended the discoloration with more water and the color evened out.
I bought mine from Abbot shoes.

 

[TLW '90]

If one is living paycheck to paycheck maybe they shouldn't be a clothing/ footwear enthusiast.

You don't have to spend a whole paycheck, just save to buy the best you can.

 

[Fifty150]

Some people are not enthusiast. They simply have feet. Those feet need shoes.


In the old days, they used to teach people to save 10% of their paycheck. With smaller paychecks, it's even harder to save. People struggling to survive, typically have no savings. A lot of those people are living in debt.

 

[Fifty150]

Commonly worn in urban communities, where gentlemen pander.

 

[Olumin]

We have gotten so used to ultra cheap clothing made overseas that we forget that clothing wasn't always this cheap. People back then made less money and got by. They got by buying less but spending more where it counts. The average household back then often spent over 10% of their income on clothing, but bought far fewer items overall.

Those items were of higher quality which could be worn longer and repaired/altered many times, usually by the consumers themselves.

Today we spend less but buy exponentially more. Many buy clothing they don’t need that isn't even worn once before it is thrown out. This results in clothing made to be disposable, which costs us more in the long term. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this isn't sustainable long term, especially once you know how this clothing is made.


So, I don’t think "expensive" clothing is the problem; the problem is unconscious (and unsustainable) consumption. Buying less but better-quality clothes will be cheaper in the long term, and is more sustainable both for the economy and the environment.

A $200 pair of shoes that can be worn for 15 years will cost you less than the $50 pair that will last a year or two.

- Buy factory seconds, they sometimes can be had for less than half the price.

- Buy second hand. I get a lot of my clothing second hand. Items like shirts, trousers and jackets can easily be had second had. I dress very well, but I spend relatively little. My button up shirts once cost over $200, but I paid less than $20 for many of them. Many "used" items have never been worn or were worn once. After dry cleaning & pressing they are as good as new.

- Buy clothing made of natural, biodegradable martial. Don’t contribute to the plastic problem & unsustainable manufacturing practises.

- Buy clothing able to be altered & repaired.

- Do some research and find out how clothing is made & constructed. Find out what can be repaired and what it takes. Find out what it is made of.

- Buy less.


If we buy just a few less things we don’t need, we will have plenty of money to buy good quality clothing. It’s rarely matter of "I can’t afford" and more one of "I don’t care to change by spending habits". I maintain that almost anyone short of bums can afford to buy good quality clothing if they only want to. If you don’t want to that’s fine, but then don’t complain.

 

[jchance]

You can get a used pair of Allen Edmonds for $70. Buy quality and resole when the time comes.

 

[Olumin]

I am looking to get some Nike runners and am bewildered by the $200+ price tage her in australia

A high price tag does not necessarily mean high quality or durability. Sneakers aren't really built to be durable regardless, they're built for comfort. So its kinda like buying a sweatshirt expecting it to be as rugged as a horse hide jacket.

From what I understand most sneakers, regardless of price range, are made the same using similar materials. Though there are some more durable options using better leathers and with options for resoling. But I really dont know anything about sneakers so you'd have to look it up yourself. Crown northampton would be one example I know of, but I know there are others at lower price ranges. I also know of Koio, but I dont know if they offer similar construction.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

There's a lot that plays into this conversation. One substantial reason people could buy less is: QUALITY. Planned Obsolescence was reserved for things like lightbulbs, and throwaway culture hadn't yet been created by the multinational corporations. You could buy a pair of jeans at the farm supply store that were durable for $9. A 3-pack of heavyweight T-shirts for $7 that could be washed 500 times before the material turned to tissue paper. You didn't have to buy the top of the line stereo component to get something that could last 30 years. You could buy a Ford Escort for $6K that you could get 150-200K miles before a major repair. An electric razor that would last 10 years for $15. You get the gist. You bought something once, and you didn't have to think about it again for a couple decades...and you could use it. Designed well, overbuilt to last, and COULD BE REPAIRED, from the entry level to the luxury version. It was a mindset and a social expectation. You didn't have to have money to get quality. It was inherent. Now, none of that exists. Even the top level model is made to fall apart in X amount of time. Then it gets political.

 

[Fifty150]

I am looking to get some Nike runners and am bewildered by the $200+ price tage her in australia

A high price tag does not necessarily mean high quality or durability. Sneakers aren't really built to be durable regardless, they're built for comfort.

For the most part, I think sneakers are built for profit. They find the least expensive way to produce the product, then charge as much as the free market will allow. That's why they price them for hundreds of dollars, and still have sales.

Most athletic style shoes are made for marketing. They spend more on marketing the shoe, than building the shoe. These are fashion items. You are buying an image associated with a brand.

Sneaker comfort is merely a by-product of inexpensive materials. Cheap foam and soft rubber. Of course they will be comfortable. Flip Flops are comfortable.

There are exceptions of course. There are certain athletic shoes which were designed for specific sports activities. Shoe manufacturers spent a lot of money on research to build shoes for running, basketball, etc. These shoes were built to be supportive, light weight, breathable, have good traction, and whatever else that sport needs. Perhaps there's value in having a shoe that you can actually run and jump in, and you won't get injured.


I can ride a bicycle in any sort of sneaker. I can lift weights in any sort of sneaker. I can chase bar flies in any sort of sneaker. My current sneakers have those Velcro straps, like the shoes that old people wear on cruise ships. Typical foam padding and rubber, glued together shoe. They don't have to do anything special, and they don't do anything special. It was on the discount rack, probably because it was last season's shoe.

I'm not sure what lifestyle image these project. I'm not sure who they want to sell these shoes to. The marketing department certainly didn't have me in mind, as their target demographic.

The worst part of the shoe is that it's actually paint on top of foam, where you might expect leather or some sort of textile. But it was cheap, and it's comfortable. I would be highly upset if I paid big money for a piece of foam with peeling paint.

 

[Jasonissm]

I am looking to get some Nike runners and am bewildered by the $200+ price tage her in australia

If you're getting running shoes, just get the previous years models at a hefty discount, I get mine at the outlets in Australia as well for about $100.

Running shoes are pretty disposable in that the foam degrades and the mesh will wear after you put in the mileage and I only really run around my local area so I don't care so much about them being in awful colours or designs which end up cheaper as well.

I think unless you are a non-standard width size, you can always really get sales on these things, even still I got a wide-size pair of New Balance at their outlet store.

 

[Fifty150]

- Buy second hand.

It's a personal opinion. I don't like 2nd hand shoes. Someone else's hot, sweaty feet has already broken in the shoe. It could be argued that you can spray something inside to kill germs, and that fungus won't live long enough to transfer. The shoe is broken in to their feet. The footbed has the impression of their foot. The shoe bends and flexes to their foot.

- Buy factory seconds

Many manufacturers offer Factory Seconds. In some instances, you cannot tell what the reason was that they rejected the product as first quality. Typically, they are minor cosmetic blemishes that most people will not notice. I buy factory seconds when there's a good deal. If it's a black shoe, and there's some slight blemish, you can usually add a little black dye and black shoe polish.

Most shoe sellers will also have clearance pricing just to move stale stock. These are typically 1st quality items, at a discount. And if you look around online, you will also find a coupon code of some sort.

Allen Edmonds

I like the brand. A little too much. I have over a dozen pairs and counting. Accumulated over the years of buying clearance shoes and factory seconds. I buy from their clearance rack.

​

Buy quality and resole when the time comes.

The reality of resoling is that there are very few skilled cobblers. There are many shoe repair shops, and most of them do not do good jobs. To top it off, resole pricing is so high, because of labor, that sometimes a new pair of shoes cost less. Allen Edmonds, as well as other shoe sellers, offers a factory recraft. Your local cobbler services will vary.

​

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

yeah, the resoling selling point is becoming a BS selling point. Not only the lack of skill and know-how, but the high cost makes so much of it prohibitive. unless you're paying $500 for the shoe, you're almost always faced with the "should I just buy a new pair"?

 

[Fifty150]

Some of us live in a metropolitan area where you can easily find a shoe repair shop.

Some of us live where the closest shoe repair shop may be an hour or more away. And there's no telling if the cobbler is capable.



The real problem is how much do you want to spend on a shoe repair, and how is the shoe being repaired.





In my area, none of the cobblers are actually that good. Every shoe repair guy in my neighborhood does "hack jobs". They will typically cut off, pull off, or sand off the worn portion of the sole. Then glue and hammer a patch piece of leather or rubber. Now off you go. $100 to $150 for a hack job. They will not take the shoes down to the welts. They will not rebuild your footbeds. They will not rewelt if needed. They will not do a "proper" job.


Some shoe sellers offers a resole or recraft service. Good if you want the factory that built the shoe, to rebuild it to their specifications. Depending on the shoe maker, it could hover around $200, or more, with shipping. With Allen Edmonds, you can bring your shoes to a retail store, and they will ship it back to the factory. This saves a few dollars in shipping. You will get a factory rebuild. And they can do that 2 to 3 times.

Pacific Northwest boot makes are known for rebuilding boots in a way that it's like building you a new pair of boots, with only the original vamp and uppers. Toes, insole, outsole, etc, are all replaced.

There are artisan cobblers. You see them online. They deconstruct and reconstruct. Often making the shoe better than when it was new.

Obviously, if budget allowed, we would all buy the best, and get the shoes recrafted.

If budget allowed, I would also live in a new home, with a home builder's warranty.

If budget allowed, I would also have a new car every three years, with a full warranty.



Most of us have to live within what our budgets allow.


My budget does not allow for shoes costing $500, $600, and more. So even if I find a pair in a second hand shop or on eBay, my budget does not allow for a $300 recraft.

My budget allows for about $50 or $60 on cheap shoes, with poor quality leather soles. Maybe what we can find on sale at the local mall or department store. Obviously, many people are in the same boat, which is why mall shoe stores exist. I glue on a cheap piece of rubber to keep that cheap leather sole from wearing through, and so it won't slip on wet floors in public bathrooms.

 

[Fifty150]

I have no training. No special tools. I won't be making a living doing this. A cheap piece of rubber has extended my shoes' serviceable life. Perhaps doubled their life. If the leather soles will wear out in 2 to 3 years, I expect the rubber to last 5 years before the leather starts to wear. Then I can peel it off, and reapply another piece of rubber. I'm doing the work myself. Rubber is cheap. Glue is cheap. These are less expensive shoes, as my budget allowed. Bought on sale, on clearance, with coupons.


I needed a black pair of shoes. I also needed them to be absolutely slip-resistant. Even in black tie, I might see action. In the event that I have to run away from the authorities, or my X's sister chases after me with a shotgun. I attached the lug soles right on top of the OEM leather sole and rubber heel. Just glue, and a few nails.

The red rubber is simply glued.

I added a few nails to the Wolverines, for no reason other than my thinking that they would be a good idea.

Right or wrong, I wear cheap shoes. I do what I can to make them last. With any luck, the cheap shoes will last a little longer.

 

[Fifty150]

You don't need a business, resale license, or a special wholesale account with a supplier. This stuff is available on Amazon.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Contact cement is a good topic. Do you have a favorite? I've had lousy experience with Weldwood and Gorilla Glue versions. I like other Gorilla Glue products, but the cement did not impress me. I've followed directions to a T on the respective containers. Various types of solvents to clean u surfaces. Fine sandpaper to rough up contact areas. I've tried it all. When I was younger, a reputable cobbler showed me how to use contact cement, and I believe he used Barge. Whether that cobbler would pass muster at Nick's etc can't be known. I had a pair of hiking boots that had glued-on soles that lasted 20 years with the original glue, but with the contact cement I tried, I had to re-do it every year. So yeah, I'd really appreciate a recommendation.

 

[Fifty150]

Masters and Barge have worked fine for me..

I think that preparation makes all the difference. Roughing up the surface. Cleaning the surface. You see YouTube videos where they sand down the surface, use acetone, and even have a special tool to scratch the surface.

 

[Fifty150]

with the contact cement I tried, I had to re-do it every year.

How are you doing that? Are you just adding glue between the shoe and the sole? Or are you taking the entire sole off, prepping the surfaces, then reattaching? I see those videos where they have a pneumatic press, and I'm sure that really helps bond the surfaces as the contact cement cures.



This is sort of how I do my shoes. Only I don't have any of those special tools. I don't even have a cobbler's foot shaped anvil to put the shoe on. But I manage. I stick one hand in the shoe, hold it up, then hit it with a hammer in my other hand. I'm trusting the glue to be strong.

 

[Fifty150]

Buy quality and resole when the time comes.

the resoling selling point is becoming a BS selling point

That all depends. Every situation is different. It depends on the shoe, the cost, and the person. I just bought a pair of Allen Edmonds from Shoe Bank for about $50. I will be thinking long and hard about resoling those. Especially if I can replace them with new shoes for less than the cost of the resole. On cheap $50 Stacy Adams, I really have to wonder if it's worth $150 to resole them.


I get it. We all have different opinions. And there are certain advantages to resoling. Sometimes it's a shoe that they don't make anymore, and you're really attached to the style. The uppers are broken in to your foot, and bend and flex exactly to your steps. The insole is broken in with the impression of your foot, and the shoe cradles your foot perfectly.


If I have shoes that cost over $200, a $200 resole would be a consideration.



On $600 Aldens, a $200 recraft would be better than buying another pair.

Totally worth $150 to repair $350 Iron Rangers.

If I didn't have the kind of money to buy expensive shoes, then I would rather buy what I can afford. Very difficult for me to want $70 used shoes, then spend double that amount to resole them.

I'm not buying Thursday, either. A lot of reports about poor quality, construction, and quality control issues. The biggest selling point to Thursday is that they have a Goodyear welt. To me, and it's just my opinion, that maybe those Thursday Boots are not really worth $200, or the $150 price tag of a resole. The lower priced shoes in my closet also have Goodyear welts, and can be resoled. Just my own opinion, that my Florsheim Imperials and Foundry boots are a better value at less than $100.

It may come as a surprise to some people, that other people do not have $500 for shoes. Some people have $50. That's where some of us are at in life. We don't have as much money. At the same time, we don't want to waste what little money that we do have. Some people really do buy shoes at Wal*Mart. That's why Wal*Mart sells shoes.

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