$800 Shoes...

[Warp Coil]

I have a casual work environment. I spend little time in the outdoors, so fancy walking/hiking shoes or boots are unnecessary. So I typically spend maybe $50 on a pair of shoes and they'll last me a good, long while.

 

[Mr. B]

I've never paid for than $100 for a pair of shoes. My lifestyle does not require a large selection as I so seldom attend formal gatherings. I have a pair of sneakers, some leather Chuck Taylor high tops (daily use) and one pair of black dress shoes, I think they were about $80.

 

[kimc]

I love good shoes but $800 seems extreme even to me...

 

[SeerSGB]

I've got a $25 pair of leather steel toed work books I bought my 2nd year of highschool, nearly 20 years ago...fuck I'm old...anyway they're still in good shape and the best shoes I've ever worn.

So I generally look at quality before price. And as a personal rule more than $30 for a pair of shoes is just a waste.

 

[JoeZhang]

I generally spent between £60-£100 on shoes. The only place I wear trainers (or sneakers as I think you call them) is in the gym.

 

[RandyS]

One of the (few) advantages of needing a wheelchair to get around, is that I'm still wearing the same pair of $18.00 sneakers I bought five years ago.

They ARE starting to show a little wear though.

 

[Captain Ice]

I actually had to buy a new pair today, because I discovered a few weeks ago that the ones I'd been wearing basically had no sole left in parts of the heels. (I would have gone when I first discovered the problem, but I was going to be out of town on two consecutive weekends and last weekend was spent catching up on email and laundry.) So I went to the Rockport store this afternoon, where I found the style I like for $180, but they didn't have my size. The clerk suggested I go to another store across the street, where I did find the same style in my size... for only $90. Quite a difference. I know where I'll be getting my Rockports from now on.

What's the name of the second store? I want to see if I have one near me.

I could be wrong, but I have been told in the past that Rockports are resoleable. If you haven't thrown the old pair out, you might want to look into this. For $30 or so, you could have a second pair to wear with a new sole.

I wear size 14s, so sometimes it's hard to find a good pair, and they're generally more expensive.

I'm in the same boat as you, I wear a 13 EEEE so my options are pretty limited. Either Docs or New Balance for me. On occasion I can find Adidas' wide enough.

You know what they say about men with big feet?
















That it's really friggin' hard to find shoes that look nice and fit comfortably.

Me and my 10 1/2 EEEE feet wholeheartedly agree with this.

Buying shoes used to be a royal PITA for me as it has proven extremely hard to find stores that stock shoes in my size. It has gotten better in recent years though. Nowdays, I know I can find a pair of shoes to fit at most sporting goods stores and all Red Wing outlets.

I usually spend between $40 and $50 on New Balance or Nike athletic shoes. Will probably spend $80 or so on some decent dress shoes in the near future.

I have spent as much as $190 on a good pair of Red Wings on more than one occasion, but can justify that with the knowledge that every pair of Red Wings that i have ever owned has lasted at least 5 years. I still have and wear one pair of them that is now 12 years old.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

I try to spend no more than $25 on a pair of shoes.

I honestly could not care less about shoes.

Seconded.

Shoes serve one purpose, and one purpose only: To protect the feet. Anything beyond that, I consider not important.

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Have you heard the saying, "the shoes make the man"?

Wearing the right shoes can finish off an outfit. Properly cared for shoes also send a strong message. A pair of well polished shoes gives the impression that you pay attention to the details and are thorough.

For work, I have 3 pair I rotate through depending on the occasion and what I'm wearing. These ran me about $275 each.

I've also got a couple of pair of more casual shoes that were in the $125 range.

With proper care and regular resoling, there's no reason why a good pair of shoes can't last a number of years.

I'd rather spend a bit more now on quality, then go cheaper and have to replace them in a year or two.

 

[Unicron]

My work shoes cost about $130, and their style is specially suited for working on a concrete floor. I think the money was well spent as my feet have been happy in them. Beyond that I rarely spend more than $30 on sneakers or casual shoes.

 

[TorontoTrekker]

I actually had to buy a new pair today, because I discovered a few weeks ago that the ones I'd been wearing basically had no sole left in parts of the heels. (I would have gone when I first discovered the problem, but I was going to be out of town on two consecutive weekends and last weekend was spent catching up on email and laundry.) So I went to the Rockport store this afternoon, where I found the style I like for $180, but they didn't have my size. The clerk suggested I go to another store across the street, where I did find the same style in my size... for only $90. Quite a difference. I know where I'll be getting my Rockports from now on.

What's the name of the second store? I want to see if I have one near me.

It was The Bay - formerly the Hudson's Bay Company. I don't think they exist outside of Canada. (Their website is www.thebay.com, if you want to see if you can order online.)

I could be wrong, but I have been told in the past that Rockports are resoleable. If you haven't thrown the old pair out, you might want to look into this. For $30 or so, you could have a second pair to wear with a new sole.

I do still have the old ones, so I'll check that out - thanks!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Shoes serve one purpose, and one purpose only: To protect the feet. Anything beyond that, I consider not important.

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Have you heard the saying, "the shoes make the man"?

I've heard it, yes. I don't participate in it.

Wearing the right shoes can finish off an outfit.

Stop right there. I don't wear "outfits". I wear clothes. The closest thing I get to giving a crap about what I wear is what sports team logo is on the front.

Now don't misunderstand me. Everything I wear is *clean*, of course. It's just not even approaching fancy. I wear the same kind of stuff all the time: Black Dockers for pants; Sneakers for shoes; T-shirts (when it's hot) and sweaters (when it's cold). That's it, really.

Look at the photos I've uploaded to my albums. I look like that all the time.

 

[Kestra]

I'll put some money down on a good pair of shoes that I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of. Boots that I want to last through several winters, some good standard black heels, flats for work, things like that. I wouldn't go over $200 generally though. Over $100 makes me cringe but I've never regretted it.

I'd never spend $800 on a pair of shoes but hey, if you have the money and that's your thing, go for it!

 

[StarryEyed]

I try to spend no more than $25 on a pair of shoes.

I honestly could not care less about shoes.

Seconded.

Shoes serve one purpose, and one purpose only: To protect the feet. Anything beyond that, I consider not important.

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Have you heard the saying, "the shoes make the man"?

Good lord. You honestly judge a person's worth by the shoes they are wearing?

Here's a saying for you: "Don't judge a book by it's cover."

 

[Mallory]

Unfortunately, that's not the way high-end business works. If you're trying to close a major deal with any top tier management of a company you're going to be judged just as closely as the deal you're you're trying to make.

 

[Tomato]

My more expensive shoes cost near the $200 mark. My Aunt works for a shoe store so usually I try to get them on discount.

I have a pair of Zegna sneakers which cost ~$200. I have a Taryn Rose casual which cost like ~$220 and a Gravitti dress shoes for $200.

The problem with my shoes is that I drag my feet so the heels get worn out the first day I wear them.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Unfortunately, that's not the way high-end business works.

Well, bully for them. I try to stay as far away from high end business as possible.

 

[Mallory]

I wish I could too, believe me.

 

[M'Sharak]

I wear sneakers the majority of the time, and can generally find something acceptable and not too garish for forty bucks or so. Dress shoes are another story. If you go asking the mall stores for something in a size 13 and a compound narrow width, they just start shaking their heads. Or laugh.

I've got a pair which were custom-made for my feet which cost me two hundred dollars, and are still comfortable twenty-five years later. But eight hundred dollars? I don't care how nice they are -- that's an extravagance.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I buy my sneakers from Target for twenty bucks a pair.

 

[Mallory]

I wish I could get away with that.