Fifty150
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,127
- Location
- The Barbary Coast
When you're young, you just don't listen. My Dad told me, "don't buy cheap shoes". But he never told me why. It took me a lifetime to learn that lesson.
Decades ago, I found some cold weather shoes that I really liked. Lug sole pattern for traction. Every step was cushioned. And it had that furry stuff on the inside. My feet were completely warm. They were from a brand name outdoors clothing and supply store. I liked the first pair so much, that I bought a second pair.
They were good. I wore them in the woods. I wore them while pier fishing. I wore them on ski trips. I went out for walks during the winter. They lasted for decades. The soles still had plenty of tread.
Until today. We got our first real rain of the season. I took the shoes out of storage. The glue finally died.
A half a lifetime ago, I didn't know anything about shoe construction, or what to look for when buying shoes. Like every other kid, I shopped for brand names. And most of the time, it was advertising driven fashion.
Cheap leather glued onto a synthetic lasting board. A single rib steel shank riveted on. A little bit of felt padding. A rubber sole glued to the bottom.
This is not worth sending to a shoe repair shop, or even glueing back together myself. A good shoe guy could Blake-stitch a midsole onto the bottom, then add a Vibram outsole. But after decades of use, I decided to cut my losses short. No way was I going to spend $150 - $200 on $50 shoes. I have two pairs of these. For that kind of money (which I don't have), I could buy a new pair of good shoes.
Decades ago, I found some cold weather shoes that I really liked. Lug sole pattern for traction. Every step was cushioned. And it had that furry stuff on the inside. My feet were completely warm. They were from a brand name outdoors clothing and supply store. I liked the first pair so much, that I bought a second pair.
They were good. I wore them in the woods. I wore them while pier fishing. I wore them on ski trips. I went out for walks during the winter. They lasted for decades. The soles still had plenty of tread.
Until today. We got our first real rain of the season. I took the shoes out of storage. The glue finally died.
A half a lifetime ago, I didn't know anything about shoe construction, or what to look for when buying shoes. Like every other kid, I shopped for brand names. And most of the time, it was advertising driven fashion.
Cheap leather glued onto a synthetic lasting board. A single rib steel shank riveted on. A little bit of felt padding. A rubber sole glued to the bottom.
This is not worth sending to a shoe repair shop, or even glueing back together myself. A good shoe guy could Blake-stitch a midsole onto the bottom, then add a Vibram outsole. But after decades of use, I decided to cut my losses short. No way was I going to spend $150 - $200 on $50 shoes. I have two pairs of these. For that kind of money (which I don't have), I could buy a new pair of good shoes.
