I love shoes. What woman doesn't? Okay, I'll admit, shoes were never a big deal to me in the past — shove on a pair of serviceable sneakers, and I was good to go.
But then something happened. No, I'm not sure what. Just…one day I decided I liked shoes. The problem is that I tend to be a bit of a miser. So I would buy shoes, but heaven forbid they cost more than $30. And even then, I was like, ugh…I want to pay 14.99 or less.
The problem is that cheap shoes, while they might look great, are not usually comfortable (yes, there are exceptions — I have a fairly comfy pair of sandals and flip-flops, but the rest, not so much.) So I have twenty pairs of shoes that look great, but OMG, after an hour of wearing them, I want to die. So I've spent hundreds over the years on shoes that I can't even really wear.
The thing I finally learned is that it is SO worth it to spend the money on good, comfortable shoes. No, spending $300 on a pair of shoes doesn't guarantee that they'll be comfortable. There's only one thing worse than uncomfortable cheap shoes, and that's uncomfortable expensive shoes.
But I've found a few brands that never fail me, and that are worth spending over $100 for — UGG, Born, and Clarks. I have a pair of Clarks ankle boots that feel like freaking tennis shoes. Seriously, I can walk in those things for 12 hours straight. Worth every cent of the $130 I paid. No more carrying around Band-Aids to cover blisters, rubs, and sore spots. No more buying adhesive cushions and crap to put on the inside of shoes to make them less torturous on my sensitive feet. I actually SAVE money by spending more for good shoes.
I just got these Born sandals that are amazingly comfy as well. And adorable! Man, I love shoes (weird, since I only put them on about once a week…I live in sweats and slipper socks.)
I'm dying to try these — and these — and these.
I've also discovered that it's worth it to pay a little more for fabulous service. I could get shoes cheaper at online retailers through Amazon or elsewhere, but NO ONE beats Zappos service. Buying shoes online can be a gamble, because of fit, style, etc., and then there's the hassle of returns. But not with Zappos. Not sure about the size? Order one, and if it's not quite right, they'll have another size to you right away so you can decide. Or order both sizes and return one. They are awesome about that, which is good, because buying shoes is always a pain for me, since about half the time I need a size 8, and the rest of the time I need an 8 1/2. Every once in a while, I even can go with a 7 1/2.
Yep, I sound like a commercial, but I'm just very impressed with how great they are. I can order my shoes and have them on my doorstep the next day…free. LOVE them.
So is there anything that you always splurge on? That's worth it to you to spend the extra money on rather than go cheaper and possibly not be happy or have to keep buying because they break/wear out?
I have an extremely high arch, zero padding beneath the ball of my foot, and my first three toes are the same length, which means my foot will never fit into Manolos or anything else with a pointy toe. One thing I do to ensure comfortable shoes is *alway* try them on, in person, wearing whatever hosiery I intend to wear with them. I have never ordered a pair of shoes by mail/internet and never will. Sorry, Zappos.
Oh, I take that back. I do intend to order a pair of Tom’s Shoes. Not only do they look amazingly comfortable, but even if they turn out not to work for me, for every pair of shoes purchased, Tom’s gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. I figure I can’t lose.
http://www.toms.com/
My sons introduced me to Zappos several years ago. It saved us tons of money since teenage boys destroy shoes faster than you can blink can eye – you’ve got that to look forward to.
I don’t think I splurge on anything. I was raised by my grandmother and she taught me to never buy anything not on sale. Now, I do make my husband buy my Uggs for me since they NEVER go on sale. They make a great pair of slippers as well as boots.
What a great site! And, I love your ankle boots. Thanks for the tip Larissa – I anguish over shoes too and have a terrible time finding comfortable ones.
I’m hoping Zappos ships to Canada.
I’m more of a barefoot kind of girl so I don’t splurge on shoes. I’d say my only splurges involve the number of books I buy. I know…I’m a nerd.
I rarely splurge on shoes or clothes, partly because I really lack good taste ;p I tend to wait for a friend or my sister to nudge me in the right direction. Like GoddessMine, I do tend to splurge on books–far too many, but who’s counting? And occasionally good chocolate :)
I hate shoes or rather shoe shopping – they are the bane of my life – I have awkward feet, long and skinny so if I get the length right the width makes them flop like boats. There is no such thing as ‘just popping out for some shoes’ and why do all the bigger sizes look like something that your Granny would wear and if you do find ‘snazzy’ ones they only get 3 of the bigger sizes in and they have all gone?
Oh and Larissa – is this the place to point out that not only do I live in lil’ ole England but I also lives 6 miles from Street which is the home of Clarks shoes and they have shoe shops galore!
I hate shoes or rather shoe shopping – they are the bane of my life – I have awkward feet, long and skinny so if I get the length right the width makes them flop like boats. There is no such thing as ‘just popping out for some shoes’ and why do all the bigger sizes look like something that your Granny would wear and if you do find ‘snazzy’ ones they only get 3 of the bigger sizes in and they have all gone?
Oh and Larissa – is this the place to point out that not only do I live in lil’ ole England but I also lives 6 miles from Street which is the home of Clarks shoes and they have shoe shops galore!
Oops – double post!
I can soo relate to you on being an absolute miser when it comes to spending money on shoes…I have no problems splurging on books, UK magazines, skincare products but heaven forbid I pay more than a $30 for a pair of shoes or sandals. However, there is one brand of sandals that I’m willing to cough up the cash for…and it’s b/c they are so freakin’ comfortable and give me good foot support so that I can walk for hours on end and end up having to deal with very little if any pain.
It’s a company called Mephisto and they vary in cost from $149 and up but omigosh are they worth the cost. I bought my first pair close to 7 years ago and they are still in great condition…they’ve weathered rain, sun, a little bit of snow and have held up well the test of time and usage.
I’ve shopped at Zappos before but now I prefer
Shoebuy.com because I have wide feet and they seem to carry shoes I like. I’m in love with Softspots shoes and also with Softwalk shoes. The thing I like about Shoebuy.com is that both the shipping and return shipping is free.
You have to try the new sneakers that are hitting the market. They are designed to be like walking in bare feet, which is awesome but dirty. My husband discovered them while learning about the proper way to to jog so that you don’t get injured. He’s military and runs all the time. Nike has some good ones for about $80. Another company even has a pair with toes, like the funky toe socks. I wouldn’t wear those but the Nike ones are so comfortable and I honestly don’t feel like I’m wearing anything on my feet.
And this is the 2nd time in 2 days that I have heard about Zappos. Weird!
Just have to say that I love Uggs. When I used to go to college up in Albany, NY (before transferring lol) I used to wear them every single day. My feet were always toasty warm!
I’ve never been one to spend much on clothing items or things like that but over the last year or two I bought a couple expensive things for myself and it made me feel good. Not all at the same time but here and there. I work full time and go to school. Things can get overwhelming and stressful so buying a pair of Coach sunglasses here or buying a pair of $100 jeans there, was a really good pick me up and I work hard why not reward myself every now and then?
I have a method to see if it’s worth spending a lot of money on something. Think about how many times you’re going to use the object that you want. Now divide the price for that number. You see, U$ 500 for a purse is not much if you intend to use it almost every day for a year, but U$ 500 for a prom dress that you’re going to use 1 time it’s too much…
I would rather have two pairs of good shoes than a closet full. I have a pair of born slides that I love.
We have always made it a rule to buy good sneakers for ourselves and our girls. You spend a lot of time on your feet. Next to a mattress shoes are very important.
I’m a picky shoe person. Always willing to spend more for a good pair. For the summer I got a pair of the Sketcher Tone Ups and OMG my little feet finally found a sandal/flip flop that doesn’t hurt my back or feet. Living in the AZ desert a good sandal is a must for summer. Got another pair in different color and found the same thing with the support and cushion. Love them!
I, too, splurge on shoes. I have big feet, so no way am I wearing cheap shoes. Although, I did have some from Payless that lasted me years and were comfortable. I have shoes in my closet that I haven’t even worn yet (I got them because they were on sale). Sandals are my downfall, but a pair of Italian boots are my passion! I work from home now, so I don’t have much reason to wear shoes. Sometimes I will wear my favorite sandal around the house (lol). The most I’ve spent on boots is $140 on sale (that’s a major splurge to me)!
I LOVE shoes, but unfortunately b/c of financial craziness haven’t been able to splurge like I used to. Really the only things I spend money on now for myself are books and purses. I bought myself a Coach bag about a month ago from the Coach Factory outlet. Regular $350 purse, their price $179 plus they gave me a 20% off coupon when I walked in the door, final cost $143!! I’m the type of person who will use the same bag for 3 years in a row, so I definitely get my money’s worth.