Shore it up by wrapping electrical tape around it. To be stylish, find some white electrical tape.
I tend to agree that Apple isn't going to retreat on USB-C. That just doesn't make a lot of sense. And whatever minor virtues Magsafe may have, I'm happy when traveling not to have to remember a one-off charger for a laptop. (Which I have forgotten a couple of times.)
And I find the covering of the whole cord tends to deteriorate over time, which isn't strain related.