After buying a $70 pair of Vans at famous footwear and having them literally fall apart after using them as daily walking shoes, I’ve realized the quality of shoes overall has gone down over the last decade or so.
I don’t mind if they cost $100 or more, are there medium-light weight walking shoes that can withstand the horrors of walking on pavement? I remember checking out some Ecco shoes at the mall years ago, didn’t pull the trigger as they were almost $300 but the way the construction was described to me it sounds like those could last 5+ years.
What shoes do you have that you wear almost daily (not during the winter), and have had for almost a year but aren’t falling apart?
Topic I know about: I worked for ECCO corporate for about 7 years, and have a pair of Ecco shoes I made myself. I no longer work there.
A well fit pair of ECCO’s can last multiple years. They genuinely do try and make quality shoes and there’s a lot of work done to keep the materials and manufacturing processes producing high quality shoes.
That being said, any shoe made with a polyurethane sole (like ECCO and most shoes nowadays) will not last for a lifetime. Polyurethane is a great material but not a lifetime material. The only shoes which could qualify as buy it for life material are ones with leather soles, but they require occasional resoleing, so are a ship of thesus sort of affair. A pair of ECCO’s lasting 5 years is a reasonable goal but not one always attained.
You say you were wearing them everyday - this will decrease the overall lifetime of a pair of shoes. Your feet sweat and the inside gets wet, the leather uppers benefits from being allowed to dry out. Conversely, any shoes you own with polyurethane soles must be worn occasionally (a few times a year minimum) or the soles will harden and then crack and fall apart when being worn. ECCO used to get a lot of angry feedback from customers that bought expensive dress shoes only to wear to a wedding once a year, and they fell apart after only having been worn 2-4 times. You are best owning 2-4 pairs of shoes that you rotate through day to day, this will extend the life of all of them longer, so you will spend less overall (but need to start by buying multiple pairs). I would get pairs from different companies so you can compare how long they last and which you find are most comfortable for your feet. Some other companies that are in the same price and quality range as ECCO would be Cole Haan, Clarks, Timberland and Rockport. One of them might fit you much better then Vans or ECCO or whatever.
Finally, a good fit is key. If the shoe is too small, or just not the right shape for your foot, then whatever part of the shoe your foot is pushing against will wear out much faster then the rest of the shoe. This is actually a problem I have with ECCO’s personally. My feet are wide just behind my toes, and my shoes always fail right there where my foot is stretching the leather more then elsewhere, earlier then they would if they fit me better. Seeing how I was getting free and/or deeply discounted shoes, I was ok with this.
Shoe manufacturers use a form called a “last” when they manufacture shoes, the last determines the shape and fit of the shoe. Different companies have different lasts based on their own research and goals for fit and the kinds of customers they’re targeting. It may be that Van’s uses a last shape that doesn’t match up with your foot shape very well. Perhaps ECCO’s will fit you well, perhaps not at all.
If you’re in the US, ECCO runs sales every other month or so when the already on-sale shoes will be discounted another 30-40% (I just looked and they’re having one now…). You can pick up a pair for $100-150 pretty easily. Usually around holidays at a minimum. Keep an eye out on their website, and get a pair pretty cheap during a sale. Or, check out of there is an outlet near you, the outlets have legitimately low prices, especially on the clearance wall, though usually those shoes are also ugly AF which is how they end up there.
Anyone has questions about shoe production or ECCO, I’d be happy to answer. They make pretty good shoes and run their own, non sweatshop factories, so I do recommended the shoes. Their US office is run by a few complete idiots though so I don’t recommend working there.
Great post.
I will add that I’m a long time Clarks buyer and I can wholeheartedly recommend them as well. Well made shoes (provided their layout fits your foot), comfortable (look for their models with cushioning soles) and long lasting. If you do what OP advised and rotate a few pairs they will last ridiculously long.
Please note that even if a brand’s layout fits your foot and even if a pair seems to fit well, there may still be individual models that don’t fit something. For example I am a “heel-stepper” and there are Clarks models where the rear edge would destroy my ankles if I were to use them. What I’m getting at is, either try them in person, or buy online from a shop with a good return policy.
That must be so cool to wear shoes that you’ve literally made
I‘d generally advice against sneakers. If you want shoes that last, get some quality leather shoes, ideally Goodyear welted ones. When properly taken care of, they can last many years and can then be repaired. Also they will fit very well, after being broken in.
I remember checking out some Ecco shoes at the mall years ago, didn’t pull the trigger as they were almost $300 but the way the construction as described to me it sounds like those could last 5+ years.
It’s nearly always a false economy to try to reduce the upfront cost of footware (and a tremendous number of other things)
The Sam Vimes boots theory of socioeconomic inequality is a famous quote about how over time the more “affordable” option is often costs much more than the “expensive” option whilst also being a worse experience.
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.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ theory of socioeconomic unfairness.
– Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
The problem is not all fifty dollar boots are equal. Some are ten dollar boots with nice packaging.
And some boots used to be good, but have since been bought out by Mike Ashley and run into the ground.
Wondered how far I’d have to scroll to find this.
GNU
You cannot afford to buy cheap things.
First, check out the various Buy It For Life communities here on lemmy:
My answer: I have a pair of Keen boots that I inherited from my late uncle. I don’t know how long he has them, but they were already well-used when I got them. I’ve been wearing them for seven years, and while they’re no longer waterproof, they’re still sturdy.
Bought a 250 EUR pair of leather dress shoes, 5-6 years ago, they’ve undergone 2 resoles, but are still in good conditions while being my everyday shoes. You know Sam’s vine theory on boots.
I wore the crap out of my pair of New Balance skate shoes, forgot the model. But they’re still going strong. Ive biked with cages, walked, work construction, whatever, they’re just dirty but they’re still holding up.
My decade old Red Wings shoes are still going with some minor maintenance. Their boots last even longer I’ve heard. For skateshoes I try to limit how many days a year I wear them and buy them on sale. Skate sole gum is make for grip not durability and isn’t going to last long.
I tend to wear Ecco’s (not crazy expensive ones, more in the 120-150€ range). I quite like them in terms of being strong and looking good enough. But I think they last me about 2-3 years.
Yea Love Ecco, too. They are pricy. But totally worth it. For 2-3 times the price you get shoes that last at least 2-3 times as long and are a hell of a lot more comfortable.
Red Wing. Pricey, but they’ll last forever. Made in the US too.
I second this. Have both a pair of boots and shoes. Even though I haven’t been good at keeping them the boots has lasted eight years by now, and the shoes three. The boots will need a resole at some point, but for now all that has broken is one of the shoelaces. Shoes just got dirty so far
Running shoes last 300-500 miles, and can last even longer if you’re just walking in them.
Brooks’ Gost 15 are my current pair and hold up more than a year.
Brooks Ghost is the best shoe that I have ever put on my foot
I was worried about spending so much when i bought mine, but damn, these are comfortable shoes and while fairly new, have lasted well so far.
I cycle between 4 pairs of shoes in summer, two pairs of boots in winter, and one pair of all year shoes. I have had them all for over ten years. Tips:
- Buy Goodyear welted shoes
- Use shoe trees
- Don’t wear the same pair two days in a row
I also prefer to buy shoes made in UK, Italy, or US but that is just preference for perceived quality and definitely higher paid workers than most countries that mass produce shoes.
If you want a specific recommendation go with Allen Edmond Strandmoks. That’s my all year pair. Great shoes.
Use shoe trees Don’t wear the same pair two days in a row
People really underestimate how much better your footware lasts if you take care of it by cycling between a few pairs and providing good interior support when isn’t in use.
Meanwhile I just wear the same pair of shoes for ten years or so until it starts to get holes in the toes, then get extreme anxiety at the thought of trying to find a new, suitable replacement.
I love my Altra road running shoes. My mother and sister (both work on-their-feet-all-day jobs) are also fans and can get at least a year out of their pairs. They’re sturdy and last about 300+ miles, and if you get a dud they’ll make it right. My sister once had a pair disintegrate after a couple months and got them replaced for free.
Altra is a bit like blue cheese, though: either you love them or hate them, and both sides think the other is wrong. People with narrow forefeet find them too squishy and unsteady; those of us with wider forefeet are comfortable for the first time ever.
Also, if your budget allows, it helps to get two pairs of shoes so you can alternate days. Especially if you live in a humid climate. By alternating two pairs of shoes so they fully dry between days, you get more than twice as much life from them. (Obviously that’s not an option for everyone, but it’s good to do if you can)
As a young punk I learned jumping and the general abuse of skateboarding destroys regular shoes. I don’t skate nearly enough these days, but I still mainly buy Fallen shoes as they tend to be comfortable for walking+skating and don’t just fall apart. I’ve had some pairs I actually grew out of and gave to my younger brother as they tend to be well made.
I’ve had good luck with DC and Emerica as well, Vans does make some thicker ones (as opposed to the Converse style) which I got good use out of.
Yea, skate shoes in general are pretty tough. I have a pair of vans that I have had around at least for a few years that are still completely usable to me. They have a small hole on the top of them, but I use them for skating and walking around town.
I’m wondering if their quality has gone down recently, or what. Vans skate shoes, especially the pro model ones, are pretty hard to wear down quickly from my experience. The only people I see that normally go through them quickly skate all the time.
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Solomon shoes are expensive, but generally last a few years. They tend to blow out in the ankle first. Really comfortable too.
I’ve bought about five pairs of the waterproof Salomon trekking shoe models, wearing them daily I always got holes in the material after about one year.
I usually just get the normal ones. The waterproof ones are OK, but they make my feet really hot and sweaty after 5-6 hours.
I have some la sportiva shoes right now, that started falling apart at the 6mo-1yr mark. So annoying.
Find some “work” shoes. They’re more comfortable, and they hold up much longer than a brand’s regular wares. They’re often sold as non-slip shoes.
https://reebokwork.com/
https://www.adidas.com/us/healthcare_collection
https://www.puma-safety.com/us/en
https://www.newbalance.com/men/shoes/work-shoes/
https://www.skechers.com/technologies/collections/work-safety/
https://www.shoesforcrews.com/
https://www.timberland.com/en-us/c/timberland-pro/mens-footwear/work-shoes-10173
https://www.dsw.com/en/us/category/mens/shoes/work-safetyI’ve personally had some daily wear Skechers “work” shoes that after 5 years of comfortable wear, I finally had to replace the insoles, but they’re otherwise still holding up as well as the day I bought them. Every pair of shoes I’ve ever owned long term have been “work” shoes. Shoes for Crews are pretty expensive, but I had a pair of them last long enough that I finally ditched them because they just looked old fashioned, they were otherwise still wonderfully intact.
Since my vans fell apart, I’ve been wearing my sketchers work shoes I bought for a job like 4 years ago. I didn’t wear them a ton but I’m wearing them to work daily now, they are still functionally new besides being dirty.
