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hexbear needs more complaining
lol I've worn the same pair of docs for like 5 years and I went to buy a pair of runners recently and fully got sticker shock in the store. i was like oh that's a nice pair of new balance... 195 euro. i can't afford that 
Some true shittification has been happening with shoes for sure. I used to get years of pretty extreme sports use from a pair of pretty cheap trainers and in the last years when I haven't been training nearly as much or walking nearly as much they only last a season at best. No matter how much you pay.
One thing that has annoyed me the most is that in the past you got running shoes with that thicker cover over the toes always, that really helped in not getting your feet wet. Now they all are just that knitted stuff all the way to the sole and my toes are just always wet in the rain. If you want ones with that small piece of strurdier stuff, they are all in the price ranges that I can't afford to buy.
It's the Sam Vimes "Boots" theory:
"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."
Men at Arms - Terry Pratchett
Capitalism breeds innovation (... on how to produce the cheapest possible commodities and charge the highest possible price)
I have been buying brand name trainers that nurses recommend and not one pair has lasted more than two years.
Hoka? That brand has been surprisingly bad in my experience.
Nah some Adidas shit...
Haix makes some good boots but they're expensive (and a bit tacti-cooled up)
I haven't looked but they're probably run by nazis
Check out ethical shoes over here. You can filter them to your liking.
About Sketchers, they're ass, their memory foam sucks, and also pollutes this world. Puma is good; I've had their shoes, but I'll not be buying from them anymore because of their involvement in Pissrael.
Huh solid rec thanks! Puma were my main shoes as a kid those things could take a lot of punishment
I still like Pumas, but I stopped wearing them because of the BDS boycott
ty, great resource i appreciate the share
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I know they're not everybody's style but the best pair of shoes I've had in the last decade have been from this obscure brand.
$69 right now is pretty reasonable for what you get imo
Middle one is the kind of style I'd wear. They look good
idk if this is okay to say anymore (old), but those are fresh as fuck
it's ok us older folk will get the cut of your jibe
I yearn to look like Kaname Chidori from full metal panic. Pink flashy trainers complete the look
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I have a pair of their 'Snipers' and my biggest complaint is they've held together so well they have never got that "broken in" feeling.
you mostly walk around urban areas? the photo looks like a hiking trail, curious how it might hold up since i tend to wear trail runners
Yeah that pair is very much not a trail shoe. They're basketball shoes, but I mostly wear them at my indoor, on my feet all day job.
the soles look rad
i've been wearing nike trainers most of my life because there's an outlet store near me where all the mismade or "out of date" or whatever nikes get sent. the pair i have now has lasted me 7+ years of daily wear and i got them for £20. if you can find a decent outlet store they can be really helpful for this sort of thing
That's what I do now and just buy as many that will fit me and keep a stock. It would just be nice if i didn't have to hunt around in outlets for an ever decreasing stock of old style trainers tho
Order shoes online
Get the delivery, they sent the wrong size
They'll ship out a new pair to replace them but I have to show proof that I destroyed the wrong size ones
I hate the clothing/apparel/shoe/etc industry.
Electronics. "Hey these expensive headphones I got because the expensive ones will definitely be better and more durable than the cheap ones stopped working what do?"
"Send us a video of you drilling holes in it and we'll send a new one. Make sure you don't drill a hole through the battery igniting an inextinguishable electircal fire."
I actually started screaming at nothing the other day trying to repair some simple thing or another. I think it was a tire inflator pump.just standing outside snotty and crying waving my fist at god (the real god of capital)
Xero Shoes aren't cheap, but they last a very long time and they actually are more comfortable for most people's feet after some adjustment from conventional padded footwear.
I walk. A lot. Pretty much everywhere in reach. I'm still wearing the same ones (I have a second boot-high waterproofed set for when it snows) that I did two years ago.
If you can afford them, Shamma sandals are some of the best in the “barefoot sandal” category due to their straps. They’re repairable too, so you can buy the sandals once and just buy sole replacements
just to back you up on the comfort thing – husband and I switched to "barefoot" style shoes (a cheap brand so we could try them out, definitely not Xero) a couple months ago, and they've made a huge difference in the amount of foot and leg pain and fatigue we get. we both vastly prefer the new shoes and hate having to wear anything else, so now we're saving up to get zero-drop wide-toebox steel toe work boots.
my feet were put in too-small shoes a lot when I was a kid, and I've had bunions as long as I can remember. barefoot shoes combined with toe socks and foot exercises have helped me almost entirely correct the minor bunion in one foot (in 3ish months!) and made a lot of progress with the other.
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They look very functional but I also want 2000s trainer style back as well.
How are the inside heels do they wear down? Always the first bit to go on any shoes i use
There's a few varieties. I got really drab boring "don't bother trying to mug me for these" walking shoes and a second set that looks almost the same but with more traction and more material higher up the ankle for when it snows.
How are the inside heels do they wear down? Always the first bit to go on any shoes i use
They're so sturdy that I forgot that the inside of heels of most shoes wear down.
The shoelaces sometimes fray and fall apart but those are easily to replace.
You should try buying a sheet of sole like Vibram or something, and making your own "huaraches" if you're into minimal footwear. Cheap, quick, easy, minimalistic, and doesn't get more custom than that
Yeah six months ago I spent $130 on a nice pair of runners from REI that I literally only use as walking shoes for my evening walks 3x/week and they are already falling apart. Pathetic! Next time I will shell out for trail runners, hopefully they are more durable.
Don’t know if they’re available in the states, but the Inov8 graphene soled shoes have held up very well on rocky rough ground for me.
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Capitalism breeds innovation! (... on how to sell the cheapest possible commodities for the highest possible price)
I got the vegan leather blundstones a few years ago. They were $300, but they're nice to wear and have held up for 4 years of every day heavy use with no signs of wear so far
One pair of keen sandals was my everyday shoe for 6 months of year for 8 years. This summer I finally replaced them with a fresh pair of the same thing. The best shoes I've ever had, bar none.
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Sorry in advance vegans.
Frank's Semi-Annual Leather Footware Lecture;
spoiler
If you want to get one pair of boots for the rest of your life get something with an all-leather upper and goodyear welts. All leather upper means real top grain leather, so no plastic, no nylon, nothing made by glueing leather dust or other waste material together. Barring mechanical damage from scratches, cuts, or scuffs good quality leather will last years and can last decades. If it's kept clean and oiled it doesn't decay in the same way the plastic materials used in modern footwear does.
When looking at leather shoes, look at the grain of the leather. The top side, facing out, should be smooth but the organic pattern - wrinkles and variation, of the animal hide should be visible on close examination. If it's slick and plasticky it's fake or manufactured leather and will decay. The specific industry terms for the material you want is top grain or full grain leather. Anything else is either plastic or something made from leather dust and glue and will fall apart. Don't get anything with suede. Suede is made by shaving off the actual outer skin of the hid and gives up much of the leather's strength and integrity. Top grain or full grain leather.
To maintain your boots - plastics are made flexible and supple by chemicals called plasticizers. Plasticizers slowly leach out of plastices resulting in them becoming weaker and increasingly brittle over time. With leather the fibers inside the hide are kept supply and flexible by applying oil. The tanning process and contents of leather conditioning polishes and oils prevent the leather from rotting. As a result leather's lifespan is limited mainly by mechanical damage - cutting or abrasion from the environment or the fibers actually breaking down from years and years of use. Keeping your boots oiled and polished will prevent most forms of decay - rot and dry rot - from setting in.
Do - use a leather conditioning oil. Neatsfoot straight from the bottle works in a pinch but there are lots of leather conditioners out there.
Do - polish your boots regularly. You can find instructions online but the basic idea is 1.) Use a warm wrung-out rag and a soft brush to remove dirt and crud. 2.) Use a rag to generously apply polish to all leather surfaces (i use Kiwi). 3.) Use a rag to rub in all that polish 4.) Buff with a soft brush until it shines. You don't need to be able to shave with it, but that shiny surface is a flat layer of waxes and oils that produces a mechanical barrier against water and chemicals getting in to your boots
Do - dry your boots out after use. Water is a primary source of damage. Dry your boots thoroughly then apply a light coat of oil.
Don't - use silicon based waterproofing sprays. They work very well, but they can also prevent oil from getting to the leather which can lead to breakdown of the leather upper over time.
A goodyear welt is the manner in which the sole is attached to the boot. A goodyear welt allows the sole to be removed and replaced when needed. This extends the life of your footwear indefinitely. As long as the uppers remain intact you can continue replacing the soles. I'm a fan of vibram outsoles, personally.
The last set I had were built to wwii spec with leather insoles. I put the foam insoles you find at pharmacies in them and swapped as needed.
Consider investing (like 5$) in a leather hand stitching awl
This thing - https://www.buckleguy.com/413-automatic-awl/
Probably don't pay 32$ for it but make sure you get good waxed thread. Learn how to use it and you can make repairs in most leather goods. Most stitching awls have needle storage in the handle so you can throw it in a backpack and make repairs in the field.
All leather upper, good year welt, make sure you get fitted by a professional. It'll cost hundreds of dollars, but the Sam Vimes Boots Theory of Economics is real and specifically applies to boots. This concludes Frank's semi-annual "How to die in the same boots your great great grandpappy invaded Normandy with" lecture.
Note: if you're unwilling to buy leather then consider used leather boots. Again - if they're kept in good condition they'll endure indefinitely and you can get boots that are already decades old, slap new soles on them, and be gtg.
Note: leather work boots will often give out in the toe first. This is especially true for steel capped boots as the leather will get pinched between the steel cap and whatever you just kicked causing damage. There are various toe repair products that can be used to prolong the life of the boot, usually in the form of a plastic goop that is applied to the toe and dries in to a tough flexible shell.
Additional note: ideally everything in your boots are held in place by stitching (which can be replaced if needed) and not glue. If you do see part of your shoes, leather or otherwise, coming apart where they were glued then you can use a product called "shoe goo" to repair them. It's a flexible waterproof adhesive designed for footwear. Follow the instructions and make sure to apply plenty of pressure to the parts being glued togetrher.
I have a pair of boots that are cut in the style of Vietnam era US military. They make my ankles look thin and long. I'm sorry, this is the 12th type of liberalism
shoes dont seem to have gotten more expensive over the years so i assume theyre just using worse materials and making them under more oppressive conditions to make up the difference.
Part of why I buy boots, but they also are plagued with shitty construction and materials
I work in an office and still go through one or two pairs a year. I got fucking tired of it and used some of my privilege to get a pair of leather sneakers. I'm hoping they last. So far they're holding up pretty well. I can even get them resoled when needed. Just need a little more care, wipe them off every day and use leather conditioner every once in a while. And use a shoe horn...
It's true. So much of modern apparel is way more expensive now and has never been of poorer quality.
Many apparel companies have stripped every cost they possibly can out of materials and labor. Hence why keeping Haiti in bondage is so important to NATO -it's one of the last places you can really pay garment workers starvation wages.
i hate shoes
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this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2024
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