I bought a paid of Columbia hiking shoes (for the look, not that I planned on doing any hiking) a little over two years ago. They were CAN$79 marked down from something like $139, so I couldn’t resist.
Anyway, I wear them to work every day. (I’m not Imedla bloody Marcos! ) In the past couple of months, they’ve been deteriorating rapidly, and I need a new pair of shoes - not sneakers, but just like tan suede or Sketcher-type shoes to wear to work.
Thing is, I’m not exactly rolling in money right now. Paying off a loan, trying to catch up on my utility bills, I smoke too much*, and so on. So I’m looking at getting a pair of cheaper shoes at a store like Payless, or Yellow (a Quebec store). They’re both in the mall near me.
Now, I know the quality won’t be as good as the Columbia shoes, but I just need something to tide me over until I can straighten out my financial situation.
My question to you: are these shoes really that bad? Are they going to fall apart in two weeks? Have you bought shoes at Payless or a similar store, and what has been your experience?
Thanks.
Please don’t rush in here and say “you should quit smoking - you’d have more money, fool.” I’m aware of that and it’s on my list of things to do. Thanks again.
Most of my current shoes are from Payless. Some of them have lasted years! It really depends how you treat them. I treat my shoes so hard, even fancy ones get beaten after a year or so if they’re in constant use.
If you don’t care much about style, you might be better off going to an outlet or one of those “Name Brand Shoes for Less” stores and finding a marked-down name brand. You may have to scrounge for the right size in a style that - um - was not successful, but you’ll probably have a better shoe.
I like to shop at DSW Shoe Warehouse. I have big feet for a woman (size 11!) and it’s hard to find dress shoes without 6-inch heels. The prices are reasonable and I can usually find a couple of pairs.
One suggestion I’d like to make is to buy 2 pairs of identical shoes and alternate them every other day. Each pair will get a chance to air out and you should get some decent wear. Good Luck.
Perhaps I’m buying from a different Payless, or I’m murder on my shoes (probably a combination of both).
I have bought shoes there for “emergency shoe situations” where I needed a certain style or color or both quickly and cheaply. (Theater, or a “must find bland navy pumps to match this dress”) And, compared to more expensive shoes, they didn’t look as nice, and they didn’t hold up well. More than 2 weeks, but high use for multiple months - no.
I had a pair of sneakers that I bought as a “hold me over” and wore out- it took a year and I wore them a LOT. Working out, walking, working. They were like $12 and I really got my money’s worth out of them.
I must be tough on shoes. Every pair of shoes I’ve ever bought at Payless (and there have been plenty because I just really like shoes) has either fallen apart within 6 weeks or is so uncomfortable that I can’t bear to wear them longer than that.
I would bite the bullet and buy a good pair of shoes. I agree that DSW has some great name brand shoes (Kenneth Cole, Sketchers) at good prices. They won’t be $10, but they’ll last alot longer.
I’m also a complete shoe snob, so my opinions may be skewed. And scott, I’m so disappointed! I thought you were Imelda bloody Marcos!
I bought a pair of shoes from Target once (straw sandals with a slight platform) and they were the worst pair of shoes ever. I got heaps of compliments about them, but the design of the shoe caused my ankle to roll over numerous times. They lasted about two years before they started to fall apart.
Personally, I just can’t stand the sight of el cheapo sneakers. However, I guess you’re probably not buying them to impress me. And I should probably be less judgemental about crappy-looking shoes. But, for what it’s worth, I guess that I can just ask that you find the money somewhere else in your budget, if only to satisfy my bizarre and irrational hatred of those really ugly sneakers that they sell there. I’ll understand if you choose to ignore my advice, though.
I also go with the comments about seeing if there is a higher-end shoe clearance place around you, or even a department store outlet: the shoes may be GASP a season old (you rule-breaker you!), or a display pair, but you can get 'em cheaply that way.
Generally, my luck with the cheapy shoes is variable. The cheapy shoes that look cheapy start looking like crap in a very short time frame. Flex them, peer at where the sole joins the upper part of the shoe, etc. If anything doesn’t look right about the construction, pass on it. (I do the same thing to higher-end shoes also.) The cheapy shoes that don’t look that cheapy last me just about as long as the higher priced shoes, but then I’m known for being hard on my shoes.
<< Walk a mile in my shoes, and you’d get blisters! >>
It’s the “All Man-Made Materials” label on my leather Payless shoes that freaks me out. For the record, the rubber heel did crack in half, but that took about 2 or 3 years of wearing them 4 days a week. So that’s not bad for $30 shoes.
Target shoes aren’t great, but they look nice. I tend to look at them as seasonal. You can buy lots of nice sandals for summer, because that’s how long they’ll last before they break. I went to the Shoe Dept. (semi-cheapo shoe store in the mall) yesterday, and got a nice pair of New Balance running shoes for cheap. Hopefully they won’t be seasonal.
For some guys, I think it’s best to get a few pairs of brand name (not inexpensive) shoes in a few different styles. It will cost a lot up front but pay off in the long run. A good pair of men’s shoes should outlast a new car. Never wear any pair two or more days in a row and when they do wear out, take them to a shoe repairman and get them fixed.
Of course, this strategy would not work for guys and gals who like a near-infinite variety of shoes. A discounter is a better strategy here and seems to work well for Ms. Lorenzo who must have at least 80 pairs of shoes (but who’s counting?)
Whoa. Sorry nothing really to add on shoes…but my brain just woke up and realized that Payless means duh, “pay less”. :smack: How could I never have thought of that before. It’s always just been a store name before.
I love Payless! I have a pair of sneakers that fits my feet like my own glass slippers, and I have had them for several years so far. However, I haven’t been real hard on them, but they seem to me like very fine, funtional, footwear. I have also had good success with the brown sneaker-boot looking things, there is usually one or two such models in the store, the man-made materials type. I have taken those up and down mountains, over and through rivers and streams, lots and lots of walking on a daily basis. Yeah, they are quality all right. I would just encourage you to follow Nightsong’s advice and really look over the shoes before you buy them, because I’ll bet certain that for every good, solid, “best-$14-I-ever-spent” pair of troopers, there are half a dozen pieces of crap. Sort out the two and you’ll be fine.
) In the past couple of months, they’ve been deteriorating rapidly, and I need a new pair of shoes - not sneakers, but just like tan suede or Sketcher-type shoes to wear to work.
I got heaps of compliments about them, but the design of the shoe caused my ankle to roll over numerous times. They lasted about two years before they started to fall apart.
