This is something I wish more retailers would get. Once I find a pair of shoes that fits me that I like... I really, really don't want to go though that same discovery process 1-2 years down the line. I just want to buy the very same make/model of shoes I've grown accustom to.
Did a similar thing with Allen Edmonds dress shoes. Yes, they were expensive initially, but given how little I wear dress shoes, I wouldn't be surprised if they last me the rest of my life.
Now if only I could find a solution for clothing...
Allen Edmonds are my beater/non-fashion oxfords. I'm going on year five of near-daily wear with them.
They'll last you forever.
I've had less luck with my AE dress shoes, but I think I'm being too harsh on the leather soles.
Here in the UK, CDBs are £80 vs the £200 you're talking about (or $70 vs $170 that I can see on amazon.com).
Basically avoid really cheap, but you don't have to go to $200 though.
Also, we seem to be in a weird spot fashion wise right now. Hipster fashion doesn't seem to be fading. Reddit's MFA (male fashion advice) was recommending chukka boots and white trainers like 6 years ago and we're still there, same with skinny suits, etc.
Fashion, while apparently highly disposable for women, seems to have stabilized for men. MFA talk about "timeless" pieces, but in reality wearing chukkas, white trainers or slim suits in the 90s or early 2000s would have made you look like a plonker. When I was young Doc Martins were cool, then they weren't, now they kinda are again? I also remember Hush Puppies with a particular look were cool that really aren't today.
Same with dress shoes too, black, square fronted dress shoes were considered good, while pointy brown dress shoes were incredibly old fashioned. Now it's the other way around.
That said, those crepe soles are like ice skates in the wet...
CBDs and white shoes are definitely on their way out, but it will take years for that to happen, whereas women's fashion changes very quickly.
Source: wife works in production for both men's and women's fashion.
I got a pair of their work boots (1412, specifically) five years ago. I've worn them pretty much every day since then, and they're still perfectly usable.
Except mine DEFINITELY look a little aged on account of all the daily romps in the woods I do, lots of mud and wet grass. Most other shoes would've been long destroyed by now, though (looking at you, Doc Martens "fashion" boots).
The average person is probably better off just buying a 30 dollar pair at Target and putting 470 bucks into the stock-market.
Where Allen Edmond shoes are the real winner is compared to the shoes a level or two below them. Like Cole Haan. They last a lot longer but only cost twice as much.
Not dealing with the hassle of shoe-shopping every 6 months? Totally worth the money.
And time is money too.
Also, get factory seconds and you'll pay WAY less than $500 for a good pair of shoes. I think it was $~200 for me.
Edit: I bought APC jeans last time and the cost (and how good they look once worn in) was worth getting them repaired. Next time I can afford to spend a bit more, I'll probably go for Nudie - mostly because of their free repairs for life policy, which I think is amazing: https://www.nudiejeans.com/page/free-repairs-for-life
But like you said, it is very annoying because I like to just buy what I already know works, and it's not possible at many retailers any more.
Same for my shoes- I have a pair I like, and when they got old I went back to the same store and got the same shoes again, identical.
It sure makes getting dressed far easier in the morning.
Black T Shirt (5 every 4 months), Raw Denim Jeans (1 every 9 months), gray tank top (4 every 4 months), athletic shorts (1 every 6 months), everyday underwear (3 every 4 months), athletic underwear (2 every 4 months), athletic socks (3 pairs every 6 months), dress socks (3 pairs every 6 months).
It's great for a lot of reasons. Less time picking clothes, less time shopping for clothes, and something is worn out or stained I can discard it without stress.
- I buy basic clothing from a famous sports store, and they change a large part of the articles essentially every year, even the underwear; - I tried to buy a trousers with the same model of 3/4 years before, from a rather famous (in the country I live in) brand, and it was not available anymore; - I tried to buy t-shirts with the same model of 3/4 years before, again from another rather famous brand, and it's not available anymore. - My runners are a certain model from a very famous brand, which produces a new version every 1-2 years; I thought at least the size would be the same: nope.
Just did some quick googling for "custom tailored jeans" and there seems to be a few things out there, but not sure how good the service is. Might be worth a try
So if something starts looking a wee bit tatty I should just be able to use an app to get a replacement next day.
Completely agree - I'd want the same thing, not a crappy version of the same product you sold 2 years ago for the same price - which I suspect rules out a lot of clothes retailers.
Now when I find a pair I like, after a few months to ensure I like them, I buy 3 more pairs. Been doing this for about 5 years now.
Interestingly I have found it doesn't always work. Perhaps the materials age or there are differences in production batches, but I have the same exact shoe (from model number) from Lowe and some are comfortable and pliant, and others are not, and some are waterproof and others feel like they are made of a screen door.
Shame, that.
Fact: Some consumers like reliable consistency, while others prefer following fashion trends. Many consumers do both at different stages of their lives, years, and days.
[1] https://www.landsend.com/products/mens-all-weather-moc-shoes... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17337829
I've always been fascinated by a particular finger of land in the SF Bay just north of the San Mateo Bridge, west of the channel that goes under the bridge. It's quite some distance from the Foster City shore. I waded out to that finger on the day of lowest tide about ten years ago and walked to the northernmost point one day, with my junk Sambas ... it's probably the loneliest spot in the bay area without getting into the hills, except you can wave to the commuters on the bridge. I didn't bother to clean up that pair when done.
So I buy a few of varying colors but this is the extra effort I would like to avoid.
I tried this with my first son when he was a few days old. One pajama (or whatever it is called) was great so I went back to the shop and bought 10 of them. Then went back to the shop to return them after my wife explained to me a few facts of life.
The worst is when it has the same name and cosmetically looks the same, but you realize they've changed over to a lower quality manufacturer and it's nowhere near as well made.
If I know these shoes are "perfect" I will simply buy two pairs. If I'm unsure I'll go back a week later for a second pair.
It doesn't stop me from needing to buy new shoes, but it does postpone the process a little!
I do that a lot in other sections in life too, I buy crappy solder because I know it works well for me even though people are telling me this solder is crap and my house will burn down and I'll get lead cancer...
The other issue I've had is when finding something I like and that fits, I often can't bulk buy because there's only one or two items actually in stock. Thankfully these days I can often buy the one item in the shop and get the remaining ones online.
They had me for life, then didn't.
Otherwise, you've got to find something you like, and buy six of them to stockpile.
Its junk. The seam tape started shelling off the first day, its hanging in tatters. The pockets came unstuck and flap around inside the jacket. No more liners; its not even very water-resistant.
I also thought of my down-filled mummy sleeping bag in the tent, which is c. 1985 and proudly made in China by the Swan company. It works great after all these years, only a little stained by iron oxide and having lost a drawstring from the hood. My father bought a matching pair as a set, and I inherited the other half from my brother, so my wife and I can zip them together and have a cozy sack for two. Modern bags may have a bit more loft and pack a little bit smaller, but not enough to want to replace these.
When breaking camp, I noticed my c. 2013 tent had sheared off an attachment point between the rain fly and the poles. I may try to fix it with some of that crazy tent-repair tape, as I did when it went for a tumble in high winds once. But, I think back to some old tents my family purchased around the same time as my sleeping bag, and am glad to have this amazingly light weight tent instead. Those old ones have probably lost their waterproofing to rot, but their fiberglass poles were so heavy I'd never want to drag it somewhere again.
Shoes on the other hand are a disappointment. I have watched the average life span of hiking shoes decrease rapidly.