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Comment by devnullbrain | Hacker News Reader

IMO most HN users, regardless of country, earn enough that they should be able to clothe themselves without relying on dubious labour or uncomfortable, stinky synthetics that will outlast them by centuries. I've started turning down 'free' conference t-shirts: I already have enough to wear for gardening or to use as rags.

Not that OP is actually doing this. They're spending a lot of money because they're buying a lot of mass produced crap. The 'luxury' of those low cost-per-wear Converse is a flat insole that will put a podiatrist's children through school and a glued outsole that fails early and predictably. And then they have 5 other white sneakers doing the same job in their wardrobe. They could have spent less overall and got even better CPW from resolable, calf leather white sneakers.

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I know this isn't the point of your comment and that a pair of Converse aren't an ergonomic marvel, but I do a lot of bushwalking and I prefer not to have prominent arch support in shoes and boots. I've found that it tends to interfere with the plantar fascia.

A lot of cheaper boots have these huge foam wedges that ram into your arch. I've got a pair of Keen boots that cause crippling pain after about 5km that I should throw out, and a pair of Merrell walking shoes that are only comfortable because I swapped the insole. Meanwhile, more expensive boots have limited arch support that's less intrusive.

While it depends on foot shape, I'd rather walk longer distances in a shitty pair of Converse than an equally shitty pair of shoes which advertise arch support.

Where to find those clothes though..

It does mean doing your own research and asking yourself what you value in clothing. The sneakers I had in mind while writing this were Thursday Boots' Premier. I haven't worn them - I don't really like white shoes - but I know about them from a(n independent) Youtube channel called Rose Anvil, who review shoes and boots from a construction and material POV. This type of simple white sneaker is available from a lot of suppliers. Thursday are at the cheaper end and most HN users will be able to find a domestic or customs-free manufacturer if they value that.

There are other Youtubers who take a similar approach to basics like jeans and t-shirts, or outerwear. Reddit is particularly good for jeans and leather footwear. Social media and fashion doesn't have to mean peer pressure and trend chasing: the values I'm advocating for aren't rare. An understandable distate for the fashion industry doesn't mean we should disengage and settle for clothes that feel bad and opt for false economy.

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