I tracked my shoe expenses for four years. I noticed: if you buy high-quality shoes, they’re comfortable, nice, and last a long time. Cheap shoes aren’t very comfortable, but you can replace them quickly.
The problem is there’s not always budget for high-quality shoes. When cheap shoes wear out quickly, you buy cheap ones again. And so it goes, time after time.
How do you decide what to buy? When they wear out or when you have the budget? Do you keep several pairs rotating?
How do you decide: high-quality shoes or cheap ones?
byu/FinFlow247 inFrugal
Posted by FinFlow247
30 Comments
General rule of thumb, don’t cheap out on the things that separate you from the floor. Shoes, mattress, etc. Save up, buy ones that are good and last.
I usually think in terms of cost per wear. I’ll save for one good daily pair and rotate if I can, since shoes last longer that way. For stuff I don’t wear often, cheap is fine.
High quality for the win.
If your budget is small, go to the store and find a brand you like, and what size. Then look for that brand on the second hand sites.
Your feet, ankels, knees, hips and back will thank you for wearing proper footwear later in life.
I stopped buying cheap shoes a long time ago because I could. Sometimes people don’t have much choice, but high quality footwear is better for your wallet, the environment, and your body.
Avoiding fast fashion and low quality clothing and footwear is where I am right now. I am not a minimalist and have quite a few shoes, sneakers, boots, and sandals. They do last forever because I don’t wear the same ones every day. It also gives me the opportunity to shop the off season sales and I get amazing deals.
Quality for shoes.
Consignment shopping can be your friend. Check your sizing in a few brands and specific shoes that you like and then find them gently used online if you can.
I own only two pairs of shoes-> an every day shoe & running shoes. I agree that high quality shoes are a better long term buy and better for your feet, but when the budget isn’t there, I’d recommend getting slightly used shoes from Goodwill until the budget is there for you. Your feet are just too important
Buy good quality shoes. I’m not sure what kind of shoes you wear but Adidas regularly has great sales on shoes.
Slowly but surely rise up. If you start by buying nice but budget shoes they’re still a step up from cheap and you can take the time while wearing those to save up for something a little nicer. Then, repeat that while working toward even higher quality. I cheat a little bit and find some great higher-end options at places like ROSS and Sam’s Club that have served me well.
my general thought is not to judge the shoes by their price (or clothes) .
quality and price are not necessarily correlated. by looking around and also looking for sales you can get good shoes for a reasonable price.
one should check the material, stitching , try etc … maybe look at reviews. I have good shoes that ddn’t cost me and arm and a leg
If you’ve read Sam Vimes’ “Boots Theory of socio-economic unfairness ” in Terry Pratchett’s book Men At Arms – The answer is to buy high quality in favour of cheap as it will be cheaper in the long run.
“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.”
Shoes are one thing that we never go cheap on.
I bought (for me) very expensive shoes once: A pair of 100 € Keen sandals because a friend recommended them to me.
Since my heel spur didn’t hurt in these shoes alone I wore them every day, even in winter (365 day/year).
After 4 years I purchased the exact same pair again.
Always high-quality shoes. I keep at least 3 pairs rotating, but if I had the budget, I’d own at least 10. I love sneakers, not gonna lie 😁
I buy high-quality shoes that are barely used for about 90% off. It isn’t worth risking blisters, shoes that fall apart or cut into my feet or ankles.
Buy once, cry once.
It’s expensive being poor.
It depends if they are every day shoes or just occasional, as well as what you need them to do.
I also find if you take decent care of them even cheap shoes can hold up pretty well. There are some I wouldn’t wear out in bad weather because they are not constructed to withstand that, but I can change into them once I get to work and they last forever working a desk job. Basic cleaning and maintenance will go a long way to keep things looking fresh.
I always make sure to have good winter boots though because I don’t mess with cold feet or slips and falls.
I would optimize for quality, and not price or durability. I bought a pair from Brooks, the one their automated tool suggested, and it has been incredible for my long runs. I was struggling to run 10 minutes when I started, now I do weekly 100 minute runs and these shoes had a big part to play. I don’t know how long they’re gonna last but even if they don’t last long, the health benefit outweighs price.
A pair of Docs right now will still be in service when you retire.
I have fallen arches so i wear out shoes in a silly looking ,uneven way, where I live we have winter from October to May on a bad year so it’s mostly winter shoes for me,
I spring for high quality spiked shoes, I love the ones from icebug.
Also wear bearpaw boots for dry winter days.
I cheap out on summery shoes because I’m to forgetful to wear special insoles and usually my summers revolve around chill summer pursuits and partying at my mums country house and going my apartment in the city and partying there, so I buy cheap’ish (probably more medium priced I guess) heels for city time and light weight flats for countryside time.
Have shoes that have lasted many summer seasons and some that have not.
buy cheap, buy twice
I wear shoes out quickly no matter how expensive they are. Since I only wear very flat shoes, I opt for the cheapest ones I can find that are comfy. I hate to be wasteful, but the $120 pair that becomes unusable after two years is less affordable than the $40 pair that lasts one year.
Gotta argue here just a little: Nike shoes are expensive and to me they seem flat on the insoles and wear out quickly. Don’t get me wrong – I have always liked Nike but my Sketchers are cheaper in price and seem to last longer.
I think it depends on what activities you are going to use them for.
For example, if you are training for a marathon, invest in some good running shoes. However, if your just hanging out at the beach, do you really need a $100 pair of sandals?
Consider mid-market quality as well. I have some really nice leather sandals that are alternatives to a popular brand name. They’ve lasted me a few years but we’re half the price. I did buy them out of season, which helped lower the cost.
Also, dont be afraid to thrift as well. I found a nice pair of sandals that way as well.
I would say, invest in classic pieces you’ll use over and over again. Minimize buying things you don’t wear often.
If you have some classic options that go with many things, you’ll buy less shoes overall which also helps.
Depends on the shoe. Daily wear/walking shoes I try to go mid range ($100-$150) since I want something lighter, and usually lighter shoes don’t last as long. Also there tends to be fashion trend cycles or new brands, so every few years I might change it up (right now I like my On shoes)
For winter boots, hiking boots, I go expensive, so the materials last long and I have a pair of Sorels that have lasted me 7+ years now, and Oboz for hiking
For event shoes like high heels I just take hand me downs from my mom, even if they don’t fit perfectly and my feet have to suffer for a few hours. Those I wear once or twice to go with a dress and never wear again
Was having similar issues with cheap shoes not lasting. I bought my first more expensive pair recently and can really feel the difference.
I will add a few more variables to consider. Think of how many times you will wear the shoes. If I am buying dyed shoes for a wedding that I will only wear once, then cheapest ones I can find. I will also go low cost for short trend summer sandals. On the other side, shoes or boots that I need for comfortable standing and walking and I hope to wear for many years until I get old and feet begin to grow again and get bunnies, I will put out the money for quality. But I do understand that sometimes you have to get by with the lower cost / quality while you save up for the better version.
High quality. They last longer and do less damage to your back and joints in my experience. I have some Nike’s that are bald on the tread but still look good, they’re like 5 years old.
If it’s shoes that I wear everyday, I do not cheap out.
If it’s for something specific that I most likely wear a lot, I cheap out
I always try to buy quality clothes and shoes. Like you noted, they just wear better and last for years if you take care of them. I shop with a general idea of what I want/need in mind, and then I scour end of season clearance online and in stores looking for something that will fit the bill. I also shop the clearance section at an area outlet mall, there are great deals to be had there.