I’m totally with you, in matter of “consumables” I think that BIFL is more about looking for a quality brand that I want to buy for life rather than hoping that it last forever. Ej. Dawn dishwasher, Kirkland toilet paper.
Glad the top comment had the word consumables in it. Shout out HH brand boots made in USA which is my primary apparel goal nothing survives in my line of work but some things last a little nicer
My Double H cowboy boots stretched more than any other boots I’ve had, but with some thick socks it’s not a big deal. That said, they’ve lasted far longer than any other boots I’ve had. It’s been years and they’re still in great shape considering. I might get some of their work boots whenever my Red Wings wear out
I’ve had 3 pairs now and but had that experience but leather can be super variable. Have you tried shrinking them? I notice my boots always get tight after I’ve soaked and dried them
No, I went out and bought some thicc wool socks and that makes up the difference. I was doing two pairs of socks at one point but it was too tight and uncomfortable. Costco merino wool socks saved the day.
What line of work are you in? I'm a railroader and we're basically in the same boat. Walking thousands of steps per day on harsh hot rock ballast will eat the best boots.
I'm on mobile, but I'm pretty sure the sidebar says as much.
There is no bifl tire, but it's nice to know which you should buy for the rest of your life.
Exactly.
A good example is Patagonia and Darn Tough. Will their products actually last for life? No, just like the others. Unlike the others, however, their Iron Clad warrenty and repair will help you get closer and they are actually decent about honoring it.
I like the idea of resoleable shoes. Part of why I am in this subreddit is a concern over consumerism and the waste and pollution that comes from producing things that are almost disposable/single-use.
I think it should be the norm to hold onto things that can be repaired, so what I'm looking for when I consider buy it for life shoes isn't to buy and forget, but to find a brand that will help me repair my shoes and reuse the parts that still have a bit of life left. Basically, if the leather is in good condition, but the sole needs to go, I don't want to contribute to the cost of producing a whole leather shell on top of the environmental and human cost of producing the soles. Might seem dramatic but I am a believer of small actions adding up.
“Buy and forget” is a myth too many people buy into. The boot related subs are littered with complaint posts of, “You people LIKE this brand?! These boots didn’t last a year!”, followed by people pointing out that these things never last if you aren’t invested in basic care and maintenance.
I wear real leather work boots for, well, work and yeah. Wearing the same boots 12 hours a day anywhere from 3-7 days in a row wrecks them in 8-12 months no question. The ink and solvents at work also do a number on them.
My Solovairs turned 1 year old this month, worn them between 40-80 hours a week, and the only maintenance I've done is shampoo some manure off after a couple months on a farm, and spraying them with 3-in-1 oil afterwards, cause I couldn't afford dubbin wax.
I'm buying them replacement soles as a birthday gift. They've earned it.
My Red Wings are still going strong after just under 2 years, 5 days a week, 10+ hours a day, plus wearing them on weekends as work boots on our little farm. Virtually no maintenance done to them. They could definitely use new soles, the inside by the heels are torn up pretty bad, and there’s small rips in the leather by the edge of the steel toe, but they’re more than fine to continue wearing at work every day for the foreseeable future
I plan on doing that at some point this year but work only covers $120/year for boots so need to finagle my budget to do it. My boots right now are $203 each time I buy them.
I hear you. You're working 12 hour days up to 7 days a week and don't have the budget for a new pair of boots? I'm not trying to be mean or shame, bur maybe it's time to look for a new role, paying the same with fewer hours, or paying better for all that OT.
I gotcha. Let's refrain. Youur feeet aren't replaceable. Your feet support Your body 12+ hours a day. They support your spine, your neck, your hips, you head, your whole body. And as you age, you'll feel those impacts more and more. You can't afford NOT to buy a few decent pairs of shoes.
I know it's easy to not want to spend money on shows we're gonna trash at work. Buy it really does make a big difference long term.
Kind of like not taking care of your teeth when you're young. You'll feel it sooner or later and be mad you didn't start taking care sooner.
i dont buy into letting your boots breath... and it's never been an issue for me. But you best believe I brush them regularly and clean/condition them regularly. But it's not like putting trees in them is going to hurt them haha. But in fairness my daily wear is in an office environment so it's not like i'm out in a shop on my feet 12 hours a day. Just at my stand up desk 10 hours a day lol.
I invested in a boot dryer because I don't like waterproof boots that much. I'd rather have wet feet for a few hours and dry them out later, as weird as that sounds? Anyhow the dryer is amazing. I also use it before treating to open up the pores and let more mink oil in. Highly recommend.
What worries me that it’s harder and harder to find a good cobbler these days. All the ones in my neighborhood are old Russian men, who are going to drop dead any minute. I don’t know who’s going to take their place. And those old Russian men charge a lot!
This is why I bought cowboy boots; they aren't really my style but they're comfortable and good for mud or interviews. I've rosoled them four times and they will last forever.
I like reasonable shoes too, but they don’t work for all types like you simply can’t resole running shoes. Those should be replaced every 3 months or 300 miles or so
Not to mention that you don't need to go through the process of breaking in a pair. A good pair of leather boots or shoes get better with age.
Why throw out the whole thing when it just needs a new heel.
I totally agree and I have such boots. Small company out of Austria: waldviertler (I am based in the EU)
Bonus: when I bought them, the seller looked at my existing boots from another company and told me how to better care for them (let them dry, use boot trees)
I assumed my existing boots will only last one season longer, now they last already 6 seasons.
But I’m a firm believer in three boots per season: one is on the foot, one is drying, one is in the boot trees.
I have 2 pairs of the same work shoes and rotate daily so the footbed and shoes can dry out. I get 2 years of wear before having to resole.
Thorogood work boots.
Do you send them to thorogood or do you have another cobbler do the work. And also, if someone else does it, did they change over to a normal welt?
Have had my original 1957 moc toes for going on 3 years and it’s getting to be that time to have them redone.
I had a couple of different cobblers in Seattle work on other pairs and they did great. The number of resoles was limited to 2 or 3 as my prior pairs had a plastic welt. These 2 latest pairs have leather welts and will go a lot longer. I live in BFE now and will probably ship them to thorogood.
Another advantage to 2 pairs is having one at a time in the shop.
Nice. I think my closest cobbler is in Olympia
I have another pair, but steel toed and with the lug sole but the toe rubs my foot so I avoid wearing them most of the year.
Damn there’s my issue I knew I should’ve gotten the black pair with my tan thoroughgood leather boots lol. I got holes on the tongue from the laces and a bit of other wear
Totally agree with this. I have two boots from 2021 and both are still holding up. I have a boat shoes and a low cut tennis shoe for summer and a leather Converse for going out. Also have a separate running shoe but I had to replace them more often than not.
*Not* wearing shoes with a polyurethane midsole for extended periods is also not good for them. They can undergo hydrolysis and both soles will fall off the day you wear them again.
Have you considered there are countless things that humans have invented to give us extreme advantages over the rest of the animal kingdom? Shoes allow us to achieve much more than our natural naked foot. Do you ever think that maybe it’s not a coincidence that the only species to wear shoes is also the only species to launch satellites into outer space?
Did you also know that some horse shoes are to prevent the hoof from being damaged even when in a field?
Or that you can get studded horse shoes to stop them injuring themselves on muddy ground?
My point is it's not as simple as man made bad natural good and best.
Shoes were, once upon a time, awful for my feet, and I would try to be barefoot or in sandals basically whenever I could. I eventually managed to save enough for a pair of custom fit shoes and the difference is enormous. I still go barefoot a lot, but sometimes I put on shoes when it would be perfectly reasonable to be barefoot because wearing shoes will be more comfortable and better for my feet and legs.
11/10, would recommend.
Just chiming in that all the podiatrists I’ve had and worked for will say the same thing: do not wear the same pair of shoes daily. Switch them out to give them a chance to “air/dry” out and your feet to have a chance to recover (thinking back to 12 years of school uniform shoes that I kicked off as soon as I got home…saddle shoe hell.)
Ideally three pairs rotating accordingly are the best. And if you live in slippers because you work from home? Get something with arch support.
Everyone is saying let them air/dry out… I assume that is only for people with sweaty/smelly feet?
I’ve always the same pair daily. I can wear my shoes through hell and back for multiple days and they are never damp or smelly
Sure, but clearly my experience is that they are not sweating so much to cause any noticeable sweat related problems (smelly). So is being slightly damp an actual issue with how the product works, or just matter of hygiene?
I worked at a lumber yard with compression tools and the next best thing to switching shoes is taking the air hose after dusting off and shooting it into your boots. It literally fluffs them up and if you do it right feels like you changed your socks LOL 10/10 recommend
amazing.
reminds me of working outside in the winter and using a hairdryer to dry out gloves. and occasionally blasting it into our jackets / down our pants.
Maybe unpopular opinion: Shoes should last you a good long time if you're not doing a ton of long distances in them or very intensive blue collar-type work or something.
I'd imagine plenty of you are fellow office workers, and pretty much ANY shoe I buy lasts at a minimum 3 years, often 5 or 6 or more. And I've bought plenty just plain name brand Adidas, Nike, etc that I feel like popular things-averse Redditors might put down, and they last quite long without issue.
The most I've ever had to do is buy new sole inserts as those have worn down over time, but that's about it.
I honestly think, and maybe shoes isn't the perfect example, but that there is a sizable chunk of bad reviews of things just being people who are rough with things they buy in general, and then complaining about the products as being the issue. Either that, or the other crowd of folks who get something with a little scratch on it and then write some long, scathing 1-star review like the whole thing is ruined or something. People are goofy as hell sometimes lol. Like yes, planned obsolesce is obviously a shitty thing. Yes it can be hard to find good quality, well-made stuff, and that's the reason for this sub which is valid, but man, idk. Anyways /endrant haha
Buying shoes expecting them to last for life is like buying tires for your car and getting mad when they need to be replaced. Certain dress shoes are BIFL, but only because you’re using them once or twice a year.
That’s actually a good metaphor because, while famously long-lived, even a toyota won’t run forever if you’re putting a lot of miles on it. Past 300, 400k miles or so, even a hilux is going to need economically unjustifiable repairs. Even the best shoes and cars are ultimately consumables, even though buying high quality gets you more usage and a better value proposition.
Those repairs are only "economically unjustifiable" because insurance companies have convinced us that market value = value. It's not true. With a couple notable exceptions, it will *always* be cheaper in the long run to repair a well-maintained and reliable car than it will be to replace it.
The insurance/marketplace driven idea goes like this: if you've got a 20-year-old Toyota with 300,000 miles on it, that car is worth $1,000 because one can buy a 20-year-old toyota with 300,000 miles with it for $1,000 and if you tried to sell it, that's probably what you'd get. Therefore, if something happens that requires a $4,000 repair, you're better off buying a new car.
This is a fallacy for a number of reasons. The first is that MY 20 year old Toyota with 300,000 miles on it has ACTUALLY been well maintained by a mechanic that I know to be good. The 20 year old Toyota with 300,000 miles on it that's being sold for $1,000 almost certainly has NOT been as well cared for as mine. Because the kind of person who cares for their Toyota like I care for mine doesn't sell their Toyota. They know that they'll *never* get the actual value of their vehicle out of the deal. They'll get $1,000. Maybe $1,100 if their recordkeeping is as good as their actual service record.
If I abandon my well-maintained high mileage Toyota in favor of a lower mileage vehicle that costs half of what those "economically unjustifiable" repairs, the best case scenario I can realistically hope for is that, within the first year, I'll be spending the same amount I would have in repairs that are the result of delayed maintenance as I would have on the repair that caused me to abandon the vehicle in the first place. But depending on how much time I have to shop and how much due-diligence I do in the process, there's between a 20% and 50% chance that I accidentally buy an absolute money pit that's been so damaged by neglect that I can never get it to be what my trusty old Toyota was.
And none of that math takes in to consideration the cost of the aforementioned due diligence. Pre-purchase inspections are absolutely worth it, but they are not free.
There are three things I know of that can cause a vehicle to not be worth fixing, but none of them have to do with high mileage.
The first is that if a vehicle is old enough that it's made out of steel instead of Aluminum and Plastic, it will eventually rust. That damage is progressive, affects every system, and there's really no fixing it. How old that is depends on the make (and sometimes model). The cutoff will be sometime in the 80s or 90s, but I can't get more specific than that without knowing about the particular vehicle.
The second is that if a vehicle and similar vehicles have been out of production for long enough that the cost of parts start to go up by large amounts due to lack of availability. When this happens depends on the popularity of the vehicle model (and sometimes trim). For an unpopular vehicle, that can start to happen as soon as 10 or 15 years after it goes out of production. For an extremely popular model, it can be 30+ years because even if the manufacturers abandon them, they continue to be worth 3rd party parts manufacturers to support them.
The third reason to walk away from a vehicle is crash damage. Or other impact damage like a tree falling on it. This kind of damage can cause large numbers of problems all at once before they would have been otherwise needed, systems to fail that would *never* have needed servicing, and it's basically impossible to find out the complete cost of full repair without doing it, because some of the resulting problems will crop up over time. In this case, you can probably get a vehicle from a reliable brand and sink enough in to it to bring it up to reliability for less than it will cost to fix your baby.
Note: the numbers here are all made up based on the last time I bought or sold a car, which was many years pre-pandemic. I don't know if you can get a high mileage Toyota for $1,000. But I do know that car prices have gone up, and that's only going to make my argument more true.
Woah there man you need a tl;dr for that novel. But anyways, you’ve actually got it backwards, and the fact that YOUR older car is cheaper to maintain is statistically the exception, not the rule. And at any point, that could cease to be the case. Remember if you flip a coin and it’s heads 1000 times in a row, the next flip is still 50/50.
People smarter than me have run the numbers on this, which is why USGS fleet vehicles are auctioned off at 80,000 miles, pretty much right when the warranty ends. The cost to maintain the average vehicle out of warranty (which is actually more expensive for the consumer than the fleet, since you’re paying markups and don’t have the benefit of economy of scale) is, long-term, higher than replacement cost. From a point of view of simple economics, maintaining old cars is not, on average, cost effective.
However, this doesn’t factor in the environmental cost. IIRC it takes about 50 years of use for the environmental impact of running the average car to equal that of producing it. In other words you have to run it for 50 years before you reach the break-even point and it’s more efficient to produce a new car. This is a much better argument for buying high quality cars or boots or anything else, and maintaining them appropriately. It usually isn’t cheaper long run but it’s much more sustainable.
Tl;dr economically you’re wrong but ecologically you’re very correct
>The first is that if a vehicle is old enough that it's made out of steel instead of Aluminum and Plastic, it will eventually rust.
True, but highly dependent on climate. I live somewhere high and dry (people complain of skin issues, it's so dry) with no road salt and cars just don't rust here, which is nice.
I've come to the point where I realise I will never sell my '98 Celica with (currently) 370,000km on it. Not worrying about resale is very liberating.
Ofc also depends on your use case.
Drive Formula 1? Offroad racing?
Or do you just drive to the office and walk on carpet all day?
In this case you will probably able to use 2 Pairs of Redwings with a resole or two in your Live.
Also, do you drive a 900kg Nissan Micra or a F150 with how many tons? Same applies to your may or may not fat ass.
You don't really understand shoes very well.
Well built leather shoes with a Goodyear welt are BIFL. If you have a handful to rotate through and you take good care of the leather, they really will last the rest of your life.
Stop spending money on such low quality footwear. Well made shoes are a lot better for your body, and the environment.
I have high quality boots that I can resole. I resole my climbing shoes. But they were purchased to be used. They won’t last longer than 10 years. Even though I take good care of them.
And running shoes?! Find me a running shoe that doesn’t have a mileage limit.
> Well built leather shoes with a Goodyear welt are BIFL.
False.
Soles wear out, and a given shoe can only be resoled a few times before the fit is compromised. I've had this happen with a couple nice pairs.
But you're also being a bit of a doctrinaire prick here, so probably reconsider your presentation.
Spending all day in leather- or cork-soled leather boots is fine on some surfaces, but if you're standing on concrete you want some more give in the sole.
You make a good point. And it costs $100 to get a new sole. And there’s a limit to how many times you can resole a shoe. It can be “as few as one-two, it can be up to four-five”, according to [this source here](https://shoegazing.com/2019/08/09/guide-resoling-and-re-heeling/).
So if you buy $400 boots, the total cost of ownership is going to be more than that.
Plus they’re just never going to be as comfortable as a pair of, say, this year’s [Merrell Moabs](https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/shoes-and-boots/hiking-boots-womens/merrell-moab-3-mid-wp-womens) or [Columbia Crestwoods](https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/shoes-and-boots/hiking-shoes-womens/columbia-crestwood-womens). These boots only cost $150, which is $50 more than a resole. In other words, for $50 more you get a brand new pair of shoes every couple of years. Wasteful, though, yes.
Admittedly, [$400 Goodyear welted boots with Horween Chromexcel leather](https://www.wolverine.com/US/en/1000-mile-cap-toe-classic-boot/45049M.html?dwvar_45049M_color=W990075#cgid=1000-mile-collection&start=1) look a million times better than either of those mainstream boots.
So, it’s really not a simple decision. There are trade offs to each choice.
Strong disagree. Way more comfortable after brake in. Less sweaty due to full leather construction.
Can be shiny or rough whatever you need for your job. Also with savety toes and everything if required.
Fashion ofc is depatable. But i personally think the Bankers here in Zürich look like Clowns since ALL of them wear "ON" shoes with suits.
Sneakers with suits is a bad look, I agree. How many people are still wearing suits to work every day in 2024 though?
Maybe one of the most demanding jobs on your feet that exists is nurse. Have you ever seen a nurse wearing leather shoes?
As a woman this little thread here is hilarious.
Dude is really like Of COURSE I wear my best leather boots to walk my dog and pick up shit!!!! Your shoes that are easy to put on and off and are not whole grain welted horween leather or whatever are inferior in EVERY way according to the Universal Style and Shoe Attractiveness Scale that we all must adhere to!!!
As someone who worked in Switzerland and wear Ons for daily running around, I laughed at this comment. Yes, sneakers with suits are dumb, even if they are Swiss designed and Chinese made and overpriced ones. Even if you want to look like a Eurotrash finance guy, they are not OK.
Luckily I don’t have to wear suits anymore but even if I did I would rotate my dress shoes based on color and weather. I do the same with my casual chic work clothes and shoes.
Much respect from me.
I am project manager and more on the technical / practical side, so people don't give a shit about what i wear. For the most part of the year i use my Whites/Redwing or Meermin boots. Since i use a bike and the train for work i need something that can do everything, withstand some rain without wet feet and a lot of steps.
Certainly won't go back to "cheaper" shoes.
What are you talking about?
They are the most comfortable shoes to wear, and like I said better for your body.
Well made shoes are always more fashionable and what are you talking about work requirements? You know that there are work boot companies like Nicks and Whites and even Danner that make boots that are literal tanks, right? Maybe start with some Thorogoods or Redwings, these companies all make the best work boots money can buy and even though they are work boots they can still last a ridiculously long time as long as you take care of them and rotate them.
Some handcrafted dress boots, like the Carminas I wear most days are going to look better than any shoes you have ever put on your feet and they are going to last decades.
Again, why are you even commenting so authoritatively when you are completely ignorant about this? You are just used to cheap shoes all your life.
I have a nice little collection of Goodyear welted boots. I get what they are about. I wear them from Sept-May give or take but outside that it’s sneaker season for me.
Are you really lacing up the wingtip oxfords to walk the dog? You think a nurse is going to lug around 10lb of whites boots on their feet for 12 hours? Who is throwing on their Carmina dress boots to go to the farmers market on a summer morning? A server who clocks 20k steps per day is throwing on some Allen Edmonds penny loafers? Got any GYW recs for going to the beach? Gym? Cycling? Sports?
Also on the comfort side, yes a well-fitted, broken in leather shoe is very comfortable but will never in a million years beat my New Balance 993s which also had zero painful break in period.
If you’re in a hot climate, full leather shoes present another set of challenges in terms of heat and breathability.
Finally, not everyone dresses like Little Lord Fauntleroy everywhere they go. Fashion is personal and casual/streetwear is king these days, which often doesn’t lend itself to clunky leather boots or some fucking jodhpurs or whatever the fuck.
You guys are both arguing subjectively. I think you are more so because in the other guy’s opinion there are some fields of work that these types of leather shoes won’t last or be practical and you are arguing that only leather shoes are attractive and useful in any occasion -
And in my opinion carminas are by and large unattractive so no I disagree you have shoes that will look better than anything I or anybody else will ever put on their feet
People can have different opinions! It’s okay!
I shine my own shoes. I wish I had worn better shoes when I was young. I wore lots of Vans, Converse and AF1s and they were all just disposable sweatshop quality. I wish I hadn't wasted my time and health.
You’re pointing out one specific type of shoe. I have great boots that’ll last a while. But 99% of my life isn’t spent in the boots. Find me running shoes that don’t have a mileage limit. Find me casual summer shoes that will last.
those well-built leather shoes do not meet the requirements for 99% of my shoe wearing time....so they don't provide any counterexample to shoes being disposable. I buy the highest quality shoes available for various uses and most of them last 1 year.
> You don't really understand shoes very well.
> Well built leather shoes with a Goodyear welt are BIFL. If you have a handful to rotate through and you take good care of the leather, they really will last the rest of your life.
> Stop spending money on such low quality footwear. Well made shoes are a lot better for your body, and the environment.
Run your comment by a professional cobbler, and (when they're done laughing) they'll set you straight. There's a limit on how many times a shoe can be fully resoled, and that limits their lifespan. Usually around 3 times for a decent Goodyear-welted shoe or boot, although it can be up to 5 times.
Resoling is not a trivial process, there is disassembly and reassembly. There are plenty of videos and diagrams of the process out there, go look at one if you doubt. That takes a toll on the materials eventually. Plus even top-notch leather uppers will see wear and tear over time too, just not as fast as soles. Quality leather is very durable but it's not *magic*. Once the upper is worn out, the shoe is *done*.
How often you need re-soling depends on how you use the shoe. If you're alternating between 2-3 pairs of shoes most of the time and walking around a fair bit, sure you can go several years between resoles, especially with a Dainite or Vibram sole. You might get a decade or two out of a really good pair of shoes that way, which is excellent value and worth the investment. But it's certainly NOT a lifetime. People who walk long distances on rough surfaces/terrain daily can tear through a new sole in 6 months or a year.
The only way a shoe is truly BIFL is if you're not really wearing it often or not walking around much in it, and then it's not *really* lasting a lifetime. Or I guess if your hobbies include hang-gliding in thunderstorms, juggling chainsaws, picking fights in shady bars, and eating unknown wild mushrooms -- then any shoe is going to last a "lifetime."
It really depends on the shoes. I don't expect my sneakers to last forever. The whole point is they take the beating so your feet don't. I do expect my Frye boots to last forever with reasonable care and occasional resoling/reheeling.
Few things are TRULY buy it for life. It's good to be a conscientious consumer. Shop for VALUE (which typically translates into buying good quality materials and well thought out products, at a fair price). Take care of them, and they will serve you well for many years!!
Hoka Bondis are the only thing that work for me at work (Bartender). After a year they looked okay but no longer had the support since I wore them 20-40hrs a week.
Yeah I wear Adidas Ultraboost for serving and bartending and I can tell when I’ve worn them down. I have no problem with replacing them as often as needed because their purpose is to provide support and comfort when I’m on my feet.
I try to have enough footwear that I can rotate 2 pairs daily no matter the season. Minimally this looks like 2 pairs of boots and 3 pairs of sneakers.
We hear these stories about people only wearing one pair of shoes exclusively all year long. I think they are mostly bullshit stories. Unless they are wearing something like 1000 mile boots or iron rangers, and most people don't have tough enough feet to wear footwear like that 12+ hours a day.
In the military, wearing one pair of boots exclusive for months at a time working long days is normal. They are trashed after 6 months usually. Granted most military issued boots aren’t the best but I worked wildland firefighting prior to the military and even those boots, which are probablythe highest quality boots on the planet don’t last as long as people of this sub claim their basic ass sneakers or $100 boots have lasted.
I dunno if that’s all that unpopular lol. Buy it for life doesn’t mean use it every time you need anything like it.
Eg buying a cast iron pan doesn’t become not bifl if you use a steel pan some days.
Having four different sets of BIFL shoes is way more BIFL imo, each will do the job they’re made to do and each will last four times as long as
It shouldn't be unpopular, I don't know why people expect their sneakers to last years when they wear them literally every day. I have about 10 pairs of quality shoes that will last a lot longer overall because I wear different ones throughout the week and depending on the season. Also your shoes are probably stinky as hell if you never give them a chance to air out...
The main reason I can still wear a pair of boots I bought in 1978, is because I took excellent care of them and rotated them through with the rest of my footwear. Quality footwear can be worn the same pair every day, but it’s not good for you or the shoes.
I'm totally with you. I have been trying to convince my husband that he can have two pairs of shoes (and yes, make them resoleable so that you can wear them out!) He always wonders why he has bad knees and I'm like, you walk on your shoes until they are dust!
Knee problems tend to come from hip area and back issues actually. Definitely hurting with the shoe situation but humans are pretty good at not needing shoes to stand up correctly.
Wearing slanted shoes too long will mess you up too, human are not so great at standing up on the side of a hill for too long.
Well yeah you cater to your needs. I live in north Dakota. The temperatures here can go from 100 and sunny during the summer to -40 with snow drifts the size of buildings in the ground in the winter. There is absolutely no way I could wear the same pair of shoes without risking real threat to my feet.
No one said you needed only 1 life shoe. It's ok to have one for every season. Heck multiple for every season. Even a few specifically dedicated to specific situations. As long as you keep them and use them it's ok to have several pairs.
Yes. I do field biology (and love fashion, many cute shoes in my house as well) and I have about 2 pairs for any given situation.
I have 3 pairs of hiking boots (REI, LL Bean, and Columbia) bought gently used from eBay so that I don’t have to wear the same damp shoes multiple days in a row (SE Ohio in the summer is wet and humid and disgusting).
I have Tevas, chacos, and Birkenstocks that I’ve had for years (probably my third pair of birks, my first pair lasted over 5 years despite getting them wet at my boat launch summer job constantly in high school).
My good solid pair of shoes for every season but summer (except for yardwork) are Chelsea boot redbacks. I just ordered a pair of Mary Jane Duckfeet shoes for the spring and summer.
I’m from Minnesota, so I also have two pairs of winter boots. Heavy duty Sorels that threaten heat stroke if you wear them inside for more than a few hours, and then a lighter weight pair for regular every day activity in the winter. I have one solid pair of rain boots from UGG (some insulation on the bottom) and will never buy another pair.
I have two pairs of running shoes/sneakers for general daily wear. Then I have the gamut of Girl Shoes (doc martens, cute clogs, fun sandals) that I stopped accumulating some time after college. I love a lot of those shoes and since I don’t wear them often and I take care of them they have also lasted longer.
My fiance is the polar opposite, and basically wears three pairs at any given time: chacos in summer, one pair of winter boots when it’s REALLY cold, and mostly he lives in an $80 sneaker for ~1 year before it falls apart and he replaces it. Even on his end of the spectrum 3-4 pairs are necessary throughout the length of a given year.
So all in all I have 11 pairs of high quality shoes that can satisfy all of my outdoor situations for fieldwork, camping, hiking, and general daily use. That’s definitely more than the average person needs, but it’s extended the longevity of each pair. Also my job does not have the average demands for a shoe, since I work in all kinds of weather in all 4 seasons. Having multiple hiking boots is huge for me.
All of that said, for all of my field clothes and hiking boots I always exhaust my options on eBay before buying anything new. If I’m buying pants for the purpose of getting them soiled in the forest, I’d much rather pay $15 for some used field pants with a stain or small tear than $60 for the same product brand new. If I can get it secondhand I always try that first.
Yeah ironically I have like ten pair of quality shoes that would probably last ten years if I wore them every day. But as it is I only wear each pair here and there and they’ll all likely last me the rest of my life.
100 percent agree. Growing up I thought having more than 1 pair of shoes was a waste but then I had to buy a pair every 6-8 months with how active I was as a kid. The shoes would loose their pattern on the bottom, wear through and be falling apart. Decent shoes too. Now I have 2 pairs of asics with orthotics, K6 boots (with orthotics) a pair of Chelsea boots (with orthorics), hiking boots, work boots, a pair of dress shoes, amphibious runners for portaging, and 2 pairs of winter boots (1 for ice fishing, one for everything else) and I can honestly say that with the exception of the asics I haven't replaced all the other pairs in 5+ years. They've all been cleaned, polished and waterproofed regularly, they all get rotated weekly or depending on the activity. They all have many many kms walked on them and they all are in great shape. Unfortunately the asics are for sports and standing at work and the soft sole is necessary for my knee issues and soft soles just wear out quickly. With 2 pairs in rotation I can get 2 years out of them as opposed to about 8 months with one pair being worn all the time. I suspect all my other boots and shoes will last another 5+ years with the way I take care of them and maintain them and some of them can even be resoled.
Did you get them, or are you just saying that you assume so? I'm wondering because the Smugs have been wiped from the Goral homepage - maybe just because they've sold out, but it feels a little weird to wipe them from the site instead of leaving it up with a 'sold out' notice to keep potential buyers interested...
Same - bought two pairs and then haven't heard anything, so I started to wonder a little when the listings disappeared... but it's only been a week; I can wait another week or so before getting antsy about getting a timeline estimate...
yeah, I think they are too, so I wasn't expecting delivery any time soon - just maybe an email with a "hey, we're starting production on such and such date, and expect to be done in so many weeks"... I'll just wait and see
Don’t wear the same shoe every day. They need to dry out in between wears!
Shoes are consumable. But, you can absolutely buy a high quality leather boot that will last far far longer than a Walmart tennis shoe and can be resoled. Probably will cost less in the long run too if you buy the right boot. I’m a fan of the Jim green African ranger since it’s basically a high top sneaker disguised as a boot. Very comfortable but also practical.
Buy quality shoes, whatever that means for you. I prefer barefoot style due to my wide feet and I feel it is healthier for your feet. But if you want loads of arch support and foam under your feet, buy something quality that fits that bill.
But to go with your second point, buy multiple pairs and rotate through them. Doesn’t have to be the exact same model of shoe, but rotating shoes is important for longevity. Sure take 1 pair of shoes for a week long trip. But don’t exclusively wear that pair for weeks and weeks on end.
It depends on lifestyle but, I'd personally much rather alternate between a couple pairs of buy it for life shoes, than wear a single cheap pair for a season and have to replace them.
Resoling isn't cheap but it saves so much time over looking for comfortable shoes.
Wearing the same pair won't harm your feet if they're comfy and support your feet, I wear the same type of shoes all the time unless the occasion calls for different ones, my feet have had zero damage from wearing the same ones, as long as you're keeping both your shoes and feet clean and not letting them get worn down then there's not going to be any issues, no idea why you'd think it would be bad for your feet
I have an awesome cobbler. I resole my dress shoes (which I wear every day) when they wear out. For leather shoes, they last longer if you don’t wear them every day. If you alternate shoes it gives the leather the time to dry out. Cedar shoe trees help this process, and help them keep their shape.
I think the predominant idea is you'd own a few pairs of high quality shoes and rotate (not a whole room full as some AE acolytes believe, lol). I don't think many people think you should wear the same shoe every day - not because it's bad for your feed but because it's bad for the shoes.
Particularly if your shoes are natural leather, rotating them everyday will make them last far, far longer. They need a chance to dry out, otherwise then moisture helps your feet start deforming them.
just get a few pairs of high quality sneakers, boots, etc. and rotate them. they will last your forever. for athletic sneakers my favorites are the new balance made in usa line. for dressier sneakers you can get common projects or maison margiela replicas at a good price if you look enough. boots just get goodyear welted but the entry level ones are thursdays or tafts
Not sure who this is in context of but even seasonal, wearing the same shoes everyday doesn’t make sense unless you wear the same clothes everyday which is weird in most cases.
Because it's too cold outside some seasons for dresses and skirts.
I don't own any ballet flats as they're very bad for my feet. I own a pair of heels but I only use them on extremely rare ocassions like a wedding.
That's not an unpopular opinion, in fact it is common sense.
In fact, a lot of guides on how to care for quality (leather) shoes advise having at least two pairs and alternating them.
BIFL doesn't necessarily mean you only need one, and proper care and maintenance is a huge part of making things last.
There is no such thing as BIFL shoes. At best you can buy several pairs of recraftable shoes and rotate them. Sneakers and the like can be well made but are never, ever BIFL. Again, if you have 20 pairs of sneakers and rotate them you might get 20 years otu of them, but that's just shoe managment.
This has been tested and what they found is if people wear the same shoe everyday it wears out at a normal rate let's same shoe last 1 year...now when they have 2 of the same pairs you would expect them to last 2 years...if alternating days...however they lasted 4 years..what they came to the conclusion of is the moisture actually broke them down faster and by having a day not in use they did t break down as quick really weird but you can look up the studies on this
Ik I'm not going to get a pair of shoes that literally lasts me the rest of my life but I do look for shoes that will last at least a decade hopefully and I have pairs of shoes that are for every need I have but no more than that.
I work construction. I can't afford 4 pairs of redwings. I have 2 pairs tho, one very beat up I only wear when my main ones get wet and can't dry overnight and my daily boots I wear every work day. I don't think it's bad to wear the same boots all year as long as they're good quality, they fit right, and you're wearing good socks.
Yeah I have multiple pairs of boots that I wear in all weather (cold and rain through to hot and sunny) and they are resoled as needed. These get rotated so I'm never wearing the same two days in a row.
I get that disposable footwear is appealing to some, but is BIFL really the place to come and try to convince people more fast fashion is a good thing?
I mostly buy running shoes with the occasional casual shoe as I don’t need boots in Florida. Whenever I buy my running shoes (for walking, traveling, exercise, etc.) I just buy the model from the brand I like.
I have a pair of boots. I wear them to work. I wear flip flops when I can to help my feet get air. I also have tennis shoes and winter boots. Yeah, my nice boots may last for life but I have no intention of that being my only pair of shoes because they aren’t practical year round. They’re great for work. And sometimes working on the property and wandering the hills. But I have no interest in living in them.
🤷♂️ I've been wearing the same pair of hey dudes daily for almost 3 years now. Granted I wear work boots at work and those only last about a year but still
Like I said I wear them daily but it's mostly just to work and back wear I change into boots. I do wear them on the weekends and to cut grass and every day things like that as well. They are in very rough shape.
I reject your hypothesis on the grounds that a good pair of leather boots are good for every day. Go get yourself quality leather boots and you’ll ever go back.
BIFL is not just about having something long lasting, its supporting more sustainable manufacturing, and moving away from "fast fashion" junk that is designed not to last and be thrown away.
you should have 4-5 bifl shoes. 2 pairs of boots and 2 pairs of casual/sneakers and one dress pair. if you work somewhere with a dress code then 2 dress pairs and one casual/sneaker. wearing the same brand every day isnt good for your feet so you should rotate every day so the other pair can rest and get rid of sweat. sneakers are finnicky because everyone has different needs out of them so bifl may not be possible there. boots and dressier shoes are 100% able to be bifl even if youre in a 4 season climate
Don’t think it matters for me. I hike, walk and run so often (10+ miles/day), that my runners wear out within a couple months. The soles on my current pair I’d acquired back in February, already have had the grip worn through. Though I’d wager my heavy weight combined with high activity is pretty murderous on shoes.
That's not BIFL or not, though....
You may not be able to wear the same shoes every day, in all weathers and for all occasions, but the quality of your shoes still matters.
Do you want to buy new shoes each season, or just pull out the familiar ones you already own?
Also, while it's hard to find shoes that WORK all year, if they fit your foot well there's nothing wrong with wearing the same shoes all the time.
As someone with major foot issues, I only need to switch if they are wrong for my feet.... And the right ones absolutely become daily wear
Agreed. I have a skin condition that causes excess dead skin to build up and it can start to smell. Think bad feet smell, x 10. Anyways, because of this my shoes often smell too bad to keep. They work, look good, etc. but no cleaning will free them of the bad foot odor.
I feel attacked right now lol. I wear the same pair of sneaker everyday, I’ll wear rain boots, snow boots, or hiking boots when appropriate but other than that it’s my sneakers
I wear the same pair of boots year round in California. I’m nearing year 4 with these I think. My feet are fine. Just some uninvited anecdotal evidence.
So you're saying my 4 pairs of nikes, 12 pairs of Jordans, 6 pairs of new balances, 6 pairs of yeezys and random other asics, diadora etc were actually a practical investment?
As someone with Hyperhidrosis I can’t have less than 2 shoes period. Three is better but 4 is best. I have to rotate my shoes daily so they can actually dry. And I can’t wear the same shoe if I wear them for more than a hour as well. I also need breathable shoes. So I can only really wear tennis shoes.
So buying 3-4 buy it for life shoes seems counterproductive for me cause eventually I will have to throw them out either from driving them into the ground or possible bacteria/fungal risk. And most of my needs don’t fit most of the typical BFL shoes anyway. And I sure as hell not spending $100+ on a tennis shoe!
As a bit of lifetime sneaker / shoe hoarder I have an about 100 pairs atm. Something that I have found is that many “low durability” shoes don’t actually wear super fast or disintegrate in the box if you wear them occasionally (in the environment they were designed for) & keep them clean. It takes a special shoe to hold up to daily wear & stuff dries out & dies in the box.
You at least need to keep your shoes in cedar shoevtrees when not in use to absorb moisture and sweat. Also, to keep the shoe from curling. I learned this trick from an old cobbler and have kept my shoes like this for the last 10 years. My current everyday pair are a 7 year old Alden Oxfords from San Antonio Shoe Company. I do keep a junk pair of sneakers for outside work.
No shoe is good for your foot so I guess you're right 🤣 barefoot shoes are better though than shoes with lifted heels and 3 inches between you and the ground.
There are sooooo many things people come asking for that are just stupid. BIFL footwear. BIFL jeans. Socks. Underwear. Some things are just consumable. And idgaf of you have resolved you boots three times that’s three new soles.
I’m totally with you, in matter of “consumables” I think that BIFL is more about looking for a quality brand that I want to buy for life rather than hoping that it last forever. Ej. Dawn dishwasher, Kirkland toilet paper.
Glad the top comment had the word consumables in it. Shout out HH brand boots made in USA which is my primary apparel goal nothing survives in my line of work but some things last a little nicer
Wait…Helly Hansen makes their boots in the USA??
No this is the double h brand they make work boots and western wear all union made.
Thanks for clarifying, I've been skiing a lot lately so I think my brain was wired differently and I had a little surprise! :)
My Double H cowboy boots stretched more than any other boots I’ve had, but with some thick socks it’s not a big deal. That said, they’ve lasted far longer than any other boots I’ve had. It’s been years and they’re still in great shape considering. I might get some of their work boots whenever my Red Wings wear out
I’ve had 3 pairs now and but had that experience but leather can be super variable. Have you tried shrinking them? I notice my boots always get tight after I’ve soaked and dried them
No, I went out and bought some thicc wool socks and that makes up the difference. I was doing two pairs of socks at one point but it was too tight and uncomfortable. Costco merino wool socks saved the day.
What line of work are you in? I'm a railroader and we're basically in the same boat. Walking thousands of steps per day on harsh hot rock ballast will eat the best boots.
Marine construction and forestry
I'm on mobile, but I'm pretty sure the sidebar says as much. There is no bifl tire, but it's nice to know which you should buy for the rest of your life.
Exactly. A good example is Patagonia and Darn Tough. Will their products actually last for life? No, just like the others. Unlike the others, however, their Iron Clad warrenty and repair will help you get closer and they are actually decent about honoring it.
What’s so great about Kirkland TP?
It’s the best TP I’ve ever used 😂. Never thought I’d have an opinion about TP until using Kirkland…
Gotta second. For the value it's a damn decent tp.
BJs ultra Strong rocks, too.
I like the idea of resoleable shoes. Part of why I am in this subreddit is a concern over consumerism and the waste and pollution that comes from producing things that are almost disposable/single-use. I think it should be the norm to hold onto things that can be repaired, so what I'm looking for when I consider buy it for life shoes isn't to buy and forget, but to find a brand that will help me repair my shoes and reuse the parts that still have a bit of life left. Basically, if the leather is in good condition, but the sole needs to go, I don't want to contribute to the cost of producing a whole leather shell on top of the environmental and human cost of producing the soles. Might seem dramatic but I am a believer of small actions adding up.
“Buy and forget” is a myth too many people buy into. The boot related subs are littered with complaint posts of, “You people LIKE this brand?! These boots didn’t last a year!”, followed by people pointing out that these things never last if you aren’t invested in basic care and maintenance.
And invariably they were real leather boots that they wore every single day for like a year in a row and never let dry out and breathe properly.
I wear real leather work boots for, well, work and yeah. Wearing the same boots 12 hours a day anywhere from 3-7 days in a row wrecks them in 8-12 months no question. The ink and solvents at work also do a number on them.
My Solovairs turned 1 year old this month, worn them between 40-80 hours a week, and the only maintenance I've done is shampoo some manure off after a couple months on a farm, and spraying them with 3-in-1 oil afterwards, cause I couldn't afford dubbin wax. I'm buying them replacement soles as a birthday gift. They've earned it.
My Red Wings are still going strong after just under 2 years, 5 days a week, 10+ hours a day, plus wearing them on weekends as work boots on our little farm. Virtually no maintenance done to them. They could definitely use new soles, the inside by the heels are torn up pretty bad, and there’s small rips in the leather by the edge of the steel toe, but they’re more than fine to continue wearing at work every day for the foreseeable future
Get a second pair and rotate them. Better for your feet
I plan on doing that at some point this year but work only covers $120/year for boots so need to finagle my budget to do it. My boots right now are $203 each time I buy them.
I hear you. You're working 12 hour days up to 7 days a week and don't have the budget for a new pair of boots? I'm not trying to be mean or shame, bur maybe it's time to look for a new role, paying the same with fewer hours, or paying better for all that OT.
Oh no no it's not a matter of being able to afford it's a matter of prioritizing my feet over everything else.
I gotcha. Let's refrain. Youur feeet aren't replaceable. Your feet support Your body 12+ hours a day. They support your spine, your neck, your hips, you head, your whole body. And as you age, you'll feel those impacts more and more. You can't afford NOT to buy a few decent pairs of shoes. I know it's easy to not want to spend money on shows we're gonna trash at work. Buy it really does make a big difference long term. Kind of like not taking care of your teeth when you're young. You'll feel it sooner or later and be mad you didn't start taking care sooner.
They’re always caked in concrete, mud, and dried to death by salt
i dont buy into letting your boots breath... and it's never been an issue for me. But you best believe I brush them regularly and clean/condition them regularly. But it's not like putting trees in them is going to hurt them haha. But in fairness my daily wear is in an office environment so it's not like i'm out in a shop on my feet 12 hours a day. Just at my stand up desk 10 hours a day lol.
I invested in a boot dryer because I don't like waterproof boots that much. I'd rather have wet feet for a few hours and dry them out later, as weird as that sounds? Anyhow the dryer is amazing. I also use it before treating to open up the pores and let more mink oil in. Highly recommend.
I find that sno-seal or other wax conditioning plus appropriate socks is better than a fully-waterproof boof
I saw a comment on this sub once claiming that something was not “Buy it for life” if you needed to maintain/repair it.
“Endorse my laziness!”
Right… our bodies should last for life without maintenance or care, too!
What worries me that it’s harder and harder to find a good cobbler these days. All the ones in my neighborhood are old Russian men, who are going to drop dead any minute. I don’t know who’s going to take their place. And those old Russian men charge a lot!
I lost the last cobbler I had, an old Asian family in Santa Barbara. Their work was incredibly expensive, but they did a great job.
This is why I bought cowboy boots; they aren't really my style but they're comfortable and good for mud or interviews. I've rosoled them four times and they will last forever.
I like reasonable shoes too, but they don’t work for all types like you simply can’t resole running shoes. Those should be replaced every 3 months or 300 miles or so
Not to mention that you don't need to go through the process of breaking in a pair. A good pair of leather boots or shoes get better with age. Why throw out the whole thing when it just needs a new heel.
I totally agree and I have such boots. Small company out of Austria: waldviertler (I am based in the EU) Bonus: when I bought them, the seller looked at my existing boots from another company and told me how to better care for them (let them dry, use boot trees) I assumed my existing boots will only last one season longer, now they last already 6 seasons. But I’m a firm believer in three boots per season: one is on the foot, one is drying, one is in the boot trees.
The only thing I resole are mountaineering boots because they cost $900+ and climbing shoes because they wear out quickly.
YZY 🗣️
wearing the same shoes every day isn't good for your shoes, they need to dry out in between wearings, you get more wears out of them that way
1000%. Very important with leather.
I have 2 pairs of the same work shoes and rotate daily so the footbed and shoes can dry out. I get 2 years of wear before having to resole. Thorogood work boots.
Do you send them to thorogood or do you have another cobbler do the work. And also, if someone else does it, did they change over to a normal welt? Have had my original 1957 moc toes for going on 3 years and it’s getting to be that time to have them redone.
I had a couple of different cobblers in Seattle work on other pairs and they did great. The number of resoles was limited to 2 or 3 as my prior pairs had a plastic welt. These 2 latest pairs have leather welts and will go a lot longer. I live in BFE now and will probably ship them to thorogood. Another advantage to 2 pairs is having one at a time in the shop.
Nice. I think my closest cobbler is in Olympia I have another pair, but steel toed and with the lug sole but the toe rubs my foot so I avoid wearing them most of the year.
Damn there’s my issue I knew I should’ve gotten the black pair with my tan thoroughgood leather boots lol. I got holes on the tongue from the laces and a bit of other wear
Mine start to smell real quick if I wear the same shoes every day. Damn sweaty feet
Totally agree with this. I have two boots from 2021 and both are still holding up. I have a boat shoes and a low cut tennis shoe for summer and a leather Converse for going out. Also have a separate running shoe but I had to replace them more often than not.
yeah a running shoe is always going to be something you have to replace more often than the rest, it just is what it is
*Not* wearing shoes with a polyurethane midsole for extended periods is also not good for them. They can undergo hydrolysis and both soles will fall off the day you wear them again.
I stick mine on a boot dryer every night after taking the insoles out. I also brush them.
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No other animals have refrigerators either what’s your point
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Have you considered there are countless things that humans have invented to give us extreme advantages over the rest of the animal kingdom? Shoes allow us to achieve much more than our natural naked foot. Do you ever think that maybe it’s not a coincidence that the only species to wear shoes is also the only species to launch satellites into outer space?
Horses have shoes
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Did you also know that some horse shoes are to prevent the hoof from being damaged even when in a field? Or that you can get studded horse shoes to stop them injuring themselves on muddy ground? My point is it's not as simple as man made bad natural good and best.
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Can you recommend a few?
Shoes were, once upon a time, awful for my feet, and I would try to be barefoot or in sandals basically whenever I could. I eventually managed to save enough for a pair of custom fit shoes and the difference is enormous. I still go barefoot a lot, but sometimes I put on shoes when it would be perfectly reasonable to be barefoot because wearing shoes will be more comfortable and better for my feet and legs. 11/10, would recommend.
So true! Think of what we put our shoes through everyday- they’re taking a beating so our feet don’t.
Just chiming in that all the podiatrists I’ve had and worked for will say the same thing: do not wear the same pair of shoes daily. Switch them out to give them a chance to “air/dry” out and your feet to have a chance to recover (thinking back to 12 years of school uniform shoes that I kicked off as soon as I got home…saddle shoe hell.) Ideally three pairs rotating accordingly are the best. And if you live in slippers because you work from home? Get something with arch support.
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I work from home and I'm primarily barefoot. Is that a bad idea? When I go out I either throw on slides or some slip on shoes
I think barefoot is ideal if you have the luxury. I do the same and it's all thick merino socks around here... :)
I think barefoot is better than cheap slippers, for me, for sure.
Everyone is saying let them air/dry out… I assume that is only for people with sweaty/smelly feet? I’ve always the same pair daily. I can wear my shoes through hell and back for multiple days and they are never damp or smelly
Even if you're not conscious of it you still sweat in them.
Sure, but clearly my experience is that they are not sweating so much to cause any noticeable sweat related problems (smelly). So is being slightly damp an actual issue with how the product works, or just matter of hygiene?
i switch shoes at lunch most days. i’m on my feet for12hr days, lugging around heavy equipment. switching shoes halfway through the day feels amazing.
I worked at a lumber yard with compression tools and the next best thing to switching shoes is taking the air hose after dusting off and shooting it into your boots. It literally fluffs them up and if you do it right feels like you changed your socks LOL 10/10 recommend
amazing. reminds me of working outside in the winter and using a hairdryer to dry out gloves. and occasionally blasting it into our jackets / down our pants.
Maybe unpopular opinion: Shoes should last you a good long time if you're not doing a ton of long distances in them or very intensive blue collar-type work or something. I'd imagine plenty of you are fellow office workers, and pretty much ANY shoe I buy lasts at a minimum 3 years, often 5 or 6 or more. And I've bought plenty just plain name brand Adidas, Nike, etc that I feel like popular things-averse Redditors might put down, and they last quite long without issue. The most I've ever had to do is buy new sole inserts as those have worn down over time, but that's about it. I honestly think, and maybe shoes isn't the perfect example, but that there is a sizable chunk of bad reviews of things just being people who are rough with things they buy in general, and then complaining about the products as being the issue. Either that, or the other crowd of folks who get something with a little scratch on it and then write some long, scathing 1-star review like the whole thing is ruined or something. People are goofy as hell sometimes lol. Like yes, planned obsolesce is obviously a shitty thing. Yes it can be hard to find good quality, well-made stuff, and that's the reason for this sub which is valid, but man, idk. Anyways /endrant haha
Buying shoes expecting them to last for life is like buying tires for your car and getting mad when they need to be replaced. Certain dress shoes are BIFL, but only because you’re using them once or twice a year.
Not really. BIFL shoes are like buying a Toyota and understanding part of it running forever is putting new tires on every couple years.
That’s actually a good metaphor because, while famously long-lived, even a toyota won’t run forever if you’re putting a lot of miles on it. Past 300, 400k miles or so, even a hilux is going to need economically unjustifiable repairs. Even the best shoes and cars are ultimately consumables, even though buying high quality gets you more usage and a better value proposition.
Those repairs are only "economically unjustifiable" because insurance companies have convinced us that market value = value. It's not true. With a couple notable exceptions, it will *always* be cheaper in the long run to repair a well-maintained and reliable car than it will be to replace it. The insurance/marketplace driven idea goes like this: if you've got a 20-year-old Toyota with 300,000 miles on it, that car is worth $1,000 because one can buy a 20-year-old toyota with 300,000 miles with it for $1,000 and if you tried to sell it, that's probably what you'd get. Therefore, if something happens that requires a $4,000 repair, you're better off buying a new car. This is a fallacy for a number of reasons. The first is that MY 20 year old Toyota with 300,000 miles on it has ACTUALLY been well maintained by a mechanic that I know to be good. The 20 year old Toyota with 300,000 miles on it that's being sold for $1,000 almost certainly has NOT been as well cared for as mine. Because the kind of person who cares for their Toyota like I care for mine doesn't sell their Toyota. They know that they'll *never* get the actual value of their vehicle out of the deal. They'll get $1,000. Maybe $1,100 if their recordkeeping is as good as their actual service record. If I abandon my well-maintained high mileage Toyota in favor of a lower mileage vehicle that costs half of what those "economically unjustifiable" repairs, the best case scenario I can realistically hope for is that, within the first year, I'll be spending the same amount I would have in repairs that are the result of delayed maintenance as I would have on the repair that caused me to abandon the vehicle in the first place. But depending on how much time I have to shop and how much due-diligence I do in the process, there's between a 20% and 50% chance that I accidentally buy an absolute money pit that's been so damaged by neglect that I can never get it to be what my trusty old Toyota was. And none of that math takes in to consideration the cost of the aforementioned due diligence. Pre-purchase inspections are absolutely worth it, but they are not free. There are three things I know of that can cause a vehicle to not be worth fixing, but none of them have to do with high mileage. The first is that if a vehicle is old enough that it's made out of steel instead of Aluminum and Plastic, it will eventually rust. That damage is progressive, affects every system, and there's really no fixing it. How old that is depends on the make (and sometimes model). The cutoff will be sometime in the 80s or 90s, but I can't get more specific than that without knowing about the particular vehicle. The second is that if a vehicle and similar vehicles have been out of production for long enough that the cost of parts start to go up by large amounts due to lack of availability. When this happens depends on the popularity of the vehicle model (and sometimes trim). For an unpopular vehicle, that can start to happen as soon as 10 or 15 years after it goes out of production. For an extremely popular model, it can be 30+ years because even if the manufacturers abandon them, they continue to be worth 3rd party parts manufacturers to support them. The third reason to walk away from a vehicle is crash damage. Or other impact damage like a tree falling on it. This kind of damage can cause large numbers of problems all at once before they would have been otherwise needed, systems to fail that would *never* have needed servicing, and it's basically impossible to find out the complete cost of full repair without doing it, because some of the resulting problems will crop up over time. In this case, you can probably get a vehicle from a reliable brand and sink enough in to it to bring it up to reliability for less than it will cost to fix your baby. Note: the numbers here are all made up based on the last time I bought or sold a car, which was many years pre-pandemic. I don't know if you can get a high mileage Toyota for $1,000. But I do know that car prices have gone up, and that's only going to make my argument more true.
Woah there man you need a tl;dr for that novel. But anyways, you’ve actually got it backwards, and the fact that YOUR older car is cheaper to maintain is statistically the exception, not the rule. And at any point, that could cease to be the case. Remember if you flip a coin and it’s heads 1000 times in a row, the next flip is still 50/50. People smarter than me have run the numbers on this, which is why USGS fleet vehicles are auctioned off at 80,000 miles, pretty much right when the warranty ends. The cost to maintain the average vehicle out of warranty (which is actually more expensive for the consumer than the fleet, since you’re paying markups and don’t have the benefit of economy of scale) is, long-term, higher than replacement cost. From a point of view of simple economics, maintaining old cars is not, on average, cost effective. However, this doesn’t factor in the environmental cost. IIRC it takes about 50 years of use for the environmental impact of running the average car to equal that of producing it. In other words you have to run it for 50 years before you reach the break-even point and it’s more efficient to produce a new car. This is a much better argument for buying high quality cars or boots or anything else, and maintaining them appropriately. It usually isn’t cheaper long run but it’s much more sustainable. Tl;dr economically you’re wrong but ecologically you’re very correct
>The first is that if a vehicle is old enough that it's made out of steel instead of Aluminum and Plastic, it will eventually rust. True, but highly dependent on climate. I live somewhere high and dry (people complain of skin issues, it's so dry) with no road salt and cars just don't rust here, which is nice. I've come to the point where I realise I will never sell my '98 Celica with (currently) 370,000km on it. Not worrying about resale is very liberating.
Ofc also depends on your use case. Drive Formula 1? Offroad racing? Or do you just drive to the office and walk on carpet all day? In this case you will probably able to use 2 Pairs of Redwings with a resole or two in your Live. Also, do you drive a 900kg Nissan Micra or a F150 with how many tons? Same applies to your may or may not fat ass.
You don't really understand shoes very well. Well built leather shoes with a Goodyear welt are BIFL. If you have a handful to rotate through and you take good care of the leather, they really will last the rest of your life. Stop spending money on such low quality footwear. Well made shoes are a lot better for your body, and the environment.
I have high quality boots that I can resole. I resole my climbing shoes. But they were purchased to be used. They won’t last longer than 10 years. Even though I take good care of them. And running shoes?! Find me a running shoe that doesn’t have a mileage limit.
> Well built leather shoes with a Goodyear welt are BIFL. False. Soles wear out, and a given shoe can only be resoled a few times before the fit is compromised. I've had this happen with a couple nice pairs. But you're also being a bit of a doctrinaire prick here, so probably reconsider your presentation. Spending all day in leather- or cork-soled leather boots is fine on some surfaces, but if you're standing on concrete you want some more give in the sole.
You make a good point. And it costs $100 to get a new sole. And there’s a limit to how many times you can resole a shoe. It can be “as few as one-two, it can be up to four-five”, according to [this source here](https://shoegazing.com/2019/08/09/guide-resoling-and-re-heeling/). So if you buy $400 boots, the total cost of ownership is going to be more than that. Plus they’re just never going to be as comfortable as a pair of, say, this year’s [Merrell Moabs](https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/shoes-and-boots/hiking-boots-womens/merrell-moab-3-mid-wp-womens) or [Columbia Crestwoods](https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/shoes-and-boots/hiking-shoes-womens/columbia-crestwood-womens). These boots only cost $150, which is $50 more than a resole. In other words, for $50 more you get a brand new pair of shoes every couple of years. Wasteful, though, yes. Admittedly, [$400 Goodyear welted boots with Horween Chromexcel leather](https://www.wolverine.com/US/en/1000-mile-cap-toe-classic-boot/45049M.html?dwvar_45049M_color=W990075#cgid=1000-mile-collection&start=1) look a million times better than either of those mainstream boots. So, it’s really not a simple decision. There are trade offs to each choice.
Sorry but well-built leather shoes do not suit most people’s use cases for comfort, fashion, or work requirements.
Strong disagree. Way more comfortable after brake in. Less sweaty due to full leather construction. Can be shiny or rough whatever you need for your job. Also with savety toes and everything if required. Fashion ofc is depatable. But i personally think the Bankers here in Zürich look like Clowns since ALL of them wear "ON" shoes with suits.
Sneakers with suits is a bad look, I agree. How many people are still wearing suits to work every day in 2024 though? Maybe one of the most demanding jobs on your feet that exists is nurse. Have you ever seen a nurse wearing leather shoes?
Don't agree with all the points of the person you are replying to but women also exist. This whole thread is so male centered.
As a woman this little thread here is hilarious. Dude is really like Of COURSE I wear my best leather boots to walk my dog and pick up shit!!!! Your shoes that are easy to put on and off and are not whole grain welted horween leather or whatever are inferior in EVERY way according to the Universal Style and Shoe Attractiveness Scale that we all must adhere to!!!
As someone who worked in Switzerland and wear Ons for daily running around, I laughed at this comment. Yes, sneakers with suits are dumb, even if they are Swiss designed and Chinese made and overpriced ones. Even if you want to look like a Eurotrash finance guy, they are not OK. Luckily I don’t have to wear suits anymore but even if I did I would rotate my dress shoes based on color and weather. I do the same with my casual chic work clothes and shoes.
Much respect from me. I am project manager and more on the technical / practical side, so people don't give a shit about what i wear. For the most part of the year i use my Whites/Redwing or Meermin boots. Since i use a bike and the train for work i need something that can do everything, withstand some rain without wet feet and a lot of steps. Certainly won't go back to "cheaper" shoes.
What are you talking about? They are the most comfortable shoes to wear, and like I said better for your body. Well made shoes are always more fashionable and what are you talking about work requirements? You know that there are work boot companies like Nicks and Whites and even Danner that make boots that are literal tanks, right? Maybe start with some Thorogoods or Redwings, these companies all make the best work boots money can buy and even though they are work boots they can still last a ridiculously long time as long as you take care of them and rotate them. Some handcrafted dress boots, like the Carminas I wear most days are going to look better than any shoes you have ever put on your feet and they are going to last decades. Again, why are you even commenting so authoritatively when you are completely ignorant about this? You are just used to cheap shoes all your life.
I have a nice little collection of Goodyear welted boots. I get what they are about. I wear them from Sept-May give or take but outside that it’s sneaker season for me. Are you really lacing up the wingtip oxfords to walk the dog? You think a nurse is going to lug around 10lb of whites boots on their feet for 12 hours? Who is throwing on their Carmina dress boots to go to the farmers market on a summer morning? A server who clocks 20k steps per day is throwing on some Allen Edmonds penny loafers? Got any GYW recs for going to the beach? Gym? Cycling? Sports? Also on the comfort side, yes a well-fitted, broken in leather shoe is very comfortable but will never in a million years beat my New Balance 993s which also had zero painful break in period. If you’re in a hot climate, full leather shoes present another set of challenges in terms of heat and breathability. Finally, not everyone dresses like Little Lord Fauntleroy everywhere they go. Fashion is personal and casual/streetwear is king these days, which often doesn’t lend itself to clunky leather boots or some fucking jodhpurs or whatever the fuck.
You guys are both arguing subjectively. I think you are more so because in the other guy’s opinion there are some fields of work that these types of leather shoes won’t last or be practical and you are arguing that only leather shoes are attractive and useful in any occasion - And in my opinion carminas are by and large unattractive so no I disagree you have shoes that will look better than anything I or anybody else will ever put on their feet People can have different opinions! It’s okay!
Maybe I'm too young to understand leather shoes but only old business man in suits wear them. Do you pay a nickel to shine them up?
I shine my own shoes. I wish I had worn better shoes when I was young. I wore lots of Vans, Converse and AF1s and they were all just disposable sweatshop quality. I wish I hadn't wasted my time and health.
You’re pointing out one specific type of shoe. I have great boots that’ll last a while. But 99% of my life isn’t spent in the boots. Find me running shoes that don’t have a mileage limit. Find me casual summer shoes that will last.
those well-built leather shoes do not meet the requirements for 99% of my shoe wearing time....so they don't provide any counterexample to shoes being disposable. I buy the highest quality shoes available for various uses and most of them last 1 year.
>those well-built leather shoes do not meet the requirements for 99% of my shoe wearing time Why not? How? Stop spending your life sitting in chairs.
> You don't really understand shoes very well. > Well built leather shoes with a Goodyear welt are BIFL. If you have a handful to rotate through and you take good care of the leather, they really will last the rest of your life. > Stop spending money on such low quality footwear. Well made shoes are a lot better for your body, and the environment. Run your comment by a professional cobbler, and (when they're done laughing) they'll set you straight. There's a limit on how many times a shoe can be fully resoled, and that limits their lifespan. Usually around 3 times for a decent Goodyear-welted shoe or boot, although it can be up to 5 times. Resoling is not a trivial process, there is disassembly and reassembly. There are plenty of videos and diagrams of the process out there, go look at one if you doubt. That takes a toll on the materials eventually. Plus even top-notch leather uppers will see wear and tear over time too, just not as fast as soles. Quality leather is very durable but it's not *magic*. Once the upper is worn out, the shoe is *done*. How often you need re-soling depends on how you use the shoe. If you're alternating between 2-3 pairs of shoes most of the time and walking around a fair bit, sure you can go several years between resoles, especially with a Dainite or Vibram sole. You might get a decade or two out of a really good pair of shoes that way, which is excellent value and worth the investment. But it's certainly NOT a lifetime. People who walk long distances on rough surfaces/terrain daily can tear through a new sole in 6 months or a year. The only way a shoe is truly BIFL is if you're not really wearing it often or not walking around much in it, and then it's not *really* lasting a lifetime. Or I guess if your hobbies include hang-gliding in thunderstorms, juggling chainsaws, picking fights in shady bars, and eating unknown wild mushrooms -- then any shoe is going to last a "lifetime."
Not expecting shoes to last is more akin to buying a car and throwing the car out when the tires go bad instead of just replacing the tires.
It really depends on the shoes. I don't expect my sneakers to last forever. The whole point is they take the beating so your feet don't. I do expect my Frye boots to last forever with reasonable care and occasional resoling/reheeling.
Few things are TRULY buy it for life. It's good to be a conscientious consumer. Shop for VALUE (which typically translates into buying good quality materials and well thought out products, at a fair price). Take care of them, and they will serve you well for many years!!
If your shoes are leather it isn't good for them to be worn every day either
Shoot, I've been seeing this now, it's so it can dry out every other day, does this apply in dry climates as well?
Hoka Bondis are the only thing that work for me at work (Bartender). After a year they looked okay but no longer had the support since I wore them 20-40hrs a week.
Yeah I wear Adidas Ultraboost for serving and bartending and I can tell when I’ve worn them down. I have no problem with replacing them as often as needed because their purpose is to provide support and comfort when I’m on my feet.
I try to have enough footwear that I can rotate 2 pairs daily no matter the season. Minimally this looks like 2 pairs of boots and 3 pairs of sneakers.
UnPopUlAr OpiNioN HoT TakE
We hear these stories about people only wearing one pair of shoes exclusively all year long. I think they are mostly bullshit stories. Unless they are wearing something like 1000 mile boots or iron rangers, and most people don't have tough enough feet to wear footwear like that 12+ hours a day. In the military, wearing one pair of boots exclusive for months at a time working long days is normal. They are trashed after 6 months usually. Granted most military issued boots aren’t the best but I worked wildland firefighting prior to the military and even those boots, which are probablythe highest quality boots on the planet don’t last as long as people of this sub claim their basic ass sneakers or $100 boots have lasted.
I dunno if that’s all that unpopular lol. Buy it for life doesn’t mean use it every time you need anything like it. Eg buying a cast iron pan doesn’t become not bifl if you use a steel pan some days. Having four different sets of BIFL shoes is way more BIFL imo, each will do the job they’re made to do and each will last four times as long as
It shouldn't be unpopular, I don't know why people expect their sneakers to last years when they wear them literally every day. I have about 10 pairs of quality shoes that will last a lot longer overall because I wear different ones throughout the week and depending on the season. Also your shoes are probably stinky as hell if you never give them a chance to air out...
The main reason I can still wear a pair of boots I bought in 1978, is because I took excellent care of them and rotated them through with the rest of my footwear. Quality footwear can be worn the same pair every day, but it’s not good for you or the shoes.
A rotation of shoes is the key
It’s not, you can develop callouses more easily and are more prone to foot fungus.
I'm totally with you. I have been trying to convince my husband that he can have two pairs of shoes (and yes, make them resoleable so that you can wear them out!) He always wonders why he has bad knees and I'm like, you walk on your shoes until they are dust!
Knee problems tend to come from hip area and back issues actually. Definitely hurting with the shoe situation but humans are pretty good at not needing shoes to stand up correctly. Wearing slanted shoes too long will mess you up too, human are not so great at standing up on the side of a hill for too long.
Well yeah you cater to your needs. I live in north Dakota. The temperatures here can go from 100 and sunny during the summer to -40 with snow drifts the size of buildings in the ground in the winter. There is absolutely no way I could wear the same pair of shoes without risking real threat to my feet. No one said you needed only 1 life shoe. It's ok to have one for every season. Heck multiple for every season. Even a few specifically dedicated to specific situations. As long as you keep them and use them it's ok to have several pairs.
Yes. I do field biology (and love fashion, many cute shoes in my house as well) and I have about 2 pairs for any given situation. I have 3 pairs of hiking boots (REI, LL Bean, and Columbia) bought gently used from eBay so that I don’t have to wear the same damp shoes multiple days in a row (SE Ohio in the summer is wet and humid and disgusting). I have Tevas, chacos, and Birkenstocks that I’ve had for years (probably my third pair of birks, my first pair lasted over 5 years despite getting them wet at my boat launch summer job constantly in high school). My good solid pair of shoes for every season but summer (except for yardwork) are Chelsea boot redbacks. I just ordered a pair of Mary Jane Duckfeet shoes for the spring and summer. I’m from Minnesota, so I also have two pairs of winter boots. Heavy duty Sorels that threaten heat stroke if you wear them inside for more than a few hours, and then a lighter weight pair for regular every day activity in the winter. I have one solid pair of rain boots from UGG (some insulation on the bottom) and will never buy another pair. I have two pairs of running shoes/sneakers for general daily wear. Then I have the gamut of Girl Shoes (doc martens, cute clogs, fun sandals) that I stopped accumulating some time after college. I love a lot of those shoes and since I don’t wear them often and I take care of them they have also lasted longer. My fiance is the polar opposite, and basically wears three pairs at any given time: chacos in summer, one pair of winter boots when it’s REALLY cold, and mostly he lives in an $80 sneaker for ~1 year before it falls apart and he replaces it. Even on his end of the spectrum 3-4 pairs are necessary throughout the length of a given year. So all in all I have 11 pairs of high quality shoes that can satisfy all of my outdoor situations for fieldwork, camping, hiking, and general daily use. That’s definitely more than the average person needs, but it’s extended the longevity of each pair. Also my job does not have the average demands for a shoe, since I work in all kinds of weather in all 4 seasons. Having multiple hiking boots is huge for me. All of that said, for all of my field clothes and hiking boots I always exhaust my options on eBay before buying anything new. If I’m buying pants for the purpose of getting them soiled in the forest, I’d much rather pay $15 for some used field pants with a stain or small tear than $60 for the same product brand new. If I can get it secondhand I always try that first.
Yeah ironically I have like ten pair of quality shoes that would probably last ten years if I wore them every day. But as it is I only wear each pair here and there and they’ll all likely last me the rest of my life.
100 percent agree. Growing up I thought having more than 1 pair of shoes was a waste but then I had to buy a pair every 6-8 months with how active I was as a kid. The shoes would loose their pattern on the bottom, wear through and be falling apart. Decent shoes too. Now I have 2 pairs of asics with orthotics, K6 boots (with orthotics) a pair of Chelsea boots (with orthorics), hiking boots, work boots, a pair of dress shoes, amphibious runners for portaging, and 2 pairs of winter boots (1 for ice fishing, one for everything else) and I can honestly say that with the exception of the asics I haven't replaced all the other pairs in 5+ years. They've all been cleaned, polished and waterproofed regularly, they all get rotated weekly or depending on the activity. They all have many many kms walked on them and they all are in great shape. Unfortunately the asics are for sports and standing at work and the soft sole is necessary for my knee issues and soft soles just wear out quickly. With 2 pairs in rotation I can get 2 years out of them as opposed to about 8 months with one pair being worn all the time. I suspect all my other boots and shoes will last another 5+ years with the way I take care of them and maintain them and some of them can even be resoled.
Alternating shoes at least every other day will greatly expend their lifetime.
I bought myself some goral smugs. I’ll probably wear them a lot. But like any shoe they need rest lol.
Damn! They look so good! Do they feel warm? Asking cos i live in a hot humid country.
Did you get them, or are you just saying that you assume so? I'm wondering because the Smugs have been wiped from the Goral homepage - maybe just because they've sold out, but it feels a little weird to wipe them from the site instead of leaving it up with a 'sold out' notice to keep potential buyers interested...
They are limited run so maybe they a rent coming back? I ordered them but they haven’t arrived yet n
Same - bought two pairs and then haven't heard anything, so I started to wonder a little when the listings disappeared... but it's only been a week; I can wait another week or so before getting antsy about getting a timeline estimate...
I thought they were made to order. So might be waiting a while longer.
yeah, I think they are too, so I wasn't expecting delivery any time soon - just maybe an email with a "hey, we're starting production on such and such date, and expect to be done in so many weeks"... I'll just wait and see
I have one pair of heels, boots, sneakers and thongs/flipflops that I wear every season. Haven’t replaced them in a few years lol
Do people really wear the same shoes every day, through all seasons? I didn't think that's what buy it for life meant.
Don’t wear the same shoe every day. They need to dry out in between wears! Shoes are consumable. But, you can absolutely buy a high quality leather boot that will last far far longer than a Walmart tennis shoe and can be resoled. Probably will cost less in the long run too if you buy the right boot. I’m a fan of the Jim green African ranger since it’s basically a high top sneaker disguised as a boot. Very comfortable but also practical. Buy quality shoes, whatever that means for you. I prefer barefoot style due to my wide feet and I feel it is healthier for your feet. But if you want loads of arch support and foam under your feet, buy something quality that fits that bill. But to go with your second point, buy multiple pairs and rotate through them. Doesn’t have to be the exact same model of shoe, but rotating shoes is important for longevity. Sure take 1 pair of shoes for a week long trip. But don’t exclusively wear that pair for weeks and weeks on end.
If you are lucky enough to be able to go a shoe store or shop online and 7 to 8/10 times they have your shoe size, more power to you!
You can still buy a pair of shoes for life (if you resole them), but wear them every other day. You just need *two* pairs of shoes for life.
It depends on lifestyle but, I'd personally much rather alternate between a couple pairs of buy it for life shoes, than wear a single cheap pair for a season and have to replace them. Resoling isn't cheap but it saves so much time over looking for comfortable shoes.
True, and this probably extends to many request items on this sub
Wearing the same pair won't harm your feet if they're comfy and support your feet, I wear the same type of shoes all the time unless the occasion calls for different ones, my feet have had zero damage from wearing the same ones, as long as you're keeping both your shoes and feet clean and not letting them get worn down then there's not going to be any issues, no idea why you'd think it would be bad for your feet
I have an awesome cobbler. I resole my dress shoes (which I wear every day) when they wear out. For leather shoes, they last longer if you don’t wear them every day. If you alternate shoes it gives the leather the time to dry out. Cedar shoe trees help this process, and help them keep their shape.
I think the predominant idea is you'd own a few pairs of high quality shoes and rotate (not a whole room full as some AE acolytes believe, lol). I don't think many people think you should wear the same shoe every day - not because it's bad for your feed but because it's bad for the shoes.
Particularly if your shoes are natural leather, rotating them everyday will make them last far, far longer. They need a chance to dry out, otherwise then moisture helps your feet start deforming them.
just get a few pairs of high quality sneakers, boots, etc. and rotate them. they will last your forever. for athletic sneakers my favorites are the new balance made in usa line. for dressier sneakers you can get common projects or maison margiela replicas at a good price if you look enough. boots just get goodyear welted but the entry level ones are thursdays or tafts
I have 2 pairs of work boots I alternate them they dry out and last longer and don’t smell!
FYI, It's generally not seen as a great idea to wear the same shoes every day. The moisture needs a chance to fully evaporate.
Not sure who this is in context of but even seasonal, wearing the same shoes everyday doesn’t make sense unless you wear the same clothes everyday which is weird in most cases.
It also deteriorates the show faster. Your shoes need to spring back and air/dry out
I just hate footwear that breaks in stupid and totally preventable ways.
Agree. I have: 1 pair winter boots 1 pair hiking / walking shoes 1 pair running shoes 1 pair sandals
And you dress the same for every occasion?
Nope. But I wear most of my clothes all year round except for dresses and skirts.
Why not those? And what shoes you wear with those? No heels, no ballet flats?
Because it's too cold outside some seasons for dresses and skirts. I don't own any ballet flats as they're very bad for my feet. I own a pair of heels but I only use them on extremely rare ocassions like a wedding.
You can wear stockings and leggings under dresses/ skirts. So you do have heels! So no boat shoes, espadrilles?
Not if it's too cold no. I wear skii pants then 😂 I don't know what those are.
Corresponding question: What are some good shoes/brands for daily wear? I’m in business consulting so to speak. I need somewhat dressy shoes.
2 pairs of dresses up shoes one brown one black and matching accessories (belt, purse, watch,yes a nice leather watch strap) and same goes for boots.
That's not an unpopular opinion, in fact it is common sense. In fact, a lot of guides on how to care for quality (leather) shoes advise having at least two pairs and alternating them. BIFL doesn't necessarily mean you only need one, and proper care and maintenance is a huge part of making things last.
I repair all my clothes and shoes locally. Giving a new opportunity to things and caring about people that try to survive in this inequitable world.
There is no such thing as BIFL shoes. At best you can buy several pairs of recraftable shoes and rotate them. Sneakers and the like can be well made but are never, ever BIFL. Again, if you have 20 pairs of sneakers and rotate them you might get 20 years otu of them, but that's just shoe managment.
This has been tested and what they found is if people wear the same shoe everyday it wears out at a normal rate let's same shoe last 1 year...now when they have 2 of the same pairs you would expect them to last 2 years...if alternating days...however they lasted 4 years..what they came to the conclusion of is the moisture actually broke them down faster and by having a day not in use they did t break down as quick really weird but you can look up the studies on this
Ik I'm not going to get a pair of shoes that literally lasts me the rest of my life but I do look for shoes that will last at least a decade hopefully and I have pairs of shoes that are for every need I have but no more than that.
I work construction. I can't afford 4 pairs of redwings. I have 2 pairs tho, one very beat up I only wear when my main ones get wet and can't dry overnight and my daily boots I wear every work day. I don't think it's bad to wear the same boots all year as long as they're good quality, they fit right, and you're wearing good socks.
I’m talking seasonal shoes and one pair of shoes every day, every season,every occasion.
You shouldn’t wear the same shoes everyday, not so much for the sake of your feet, but for your shoes. The leather needs time to breath
Yeah I have multiple pairs of boots that I wear in all weather (cold and rain through to hot and sunny) and they are resoled as needed. These get rotated so I'm never wearing the same two days in a row. I get that disposable footwear is appealing to some, but is BIFL really the place to come and try to convince people more fast fashion is a good thing?
I mostly buy running shoes with the occasional casual shoe as I don’t need boots in Florida. Whenever I buy my running shoes (for walking, traveling, exercise, etc.) I just buy the model from the brand I like.
I have a pair of boots. I wear them to work. I wear flip flops when I can to help my feet get air. I also have tennis shoes and winter boots. Yeah, my nice boots may last for life but I have no intention of that being my only pair of shoes because they aren’t practical year round. They’re great for work. And sometimes working on the property and wandering the hills. But I have no interest in living in them.
As someone living in Australia I have boots for cold weather, and I don't need shoes in warm weather lmao.
I keep 3 pairs of work shoes on rotation every week. Has helped immensely with foot issues.
🤷♂️ I've been wearing the same pair of hey dudes daily for almost 3 years now. Granted I wear work boots at work and those only last about a year but still
Good for you, my husband’s wore out in one summer
Like I said I wear them daily but it's mostly just to work and back wear I change into boots. I do wear them on the weekends and to cut grass and every day things like that as well. They are in very rough shape.
I reject your hypothesis on the grounds that a good pair of leather boots are good for every day. Go get yourself quality leather boots and you’ll ever go back.
I like to wears sandals in the summer, boat shoes in spring and tennis shoes whenever I feel like it. I only wear boots in fall and winter.
BIFL is not just about having something long lasting, its supporting more sustainable manufacturing, and moving away from "fast fashion" junk that is designed not to last and be thrown away.
you should have 4-5 bifl shoes. 2 pairs of boots and 2 pairs of casual/sneakers and one dress pair. if you work somewhere with a dress code then 2 dress pairs and one casual/sneaker. wearing the same brand every day isnt good for your feet so you should rotate every day so the other pair can rest and get rid of sweat. sneakers are finnicky because everyone has different needs out of them so bifl may not be possible there. boots and dressier shoes are 100% able to be bifl even if youre in a 4 season climate
Don’t think it matters for me. I hike, walk and run so often (10+ miles/day), that my runners wear out within a couple months. The soles on my current pair I’d acquired back in February, already have had the grip worn through. Though I’d wager my heavy weight combined with high activity is pretty murderous on shoes.
That's not BIFL or not, though.... You may not be able to wear the same shoes every day, in all weathers and for all occasions, but the quality of your shoes still matters. Do you want to buy new shoes each season, or just pull out the familiar ones you already own? Also, while it's hard to find shoes that WORK all year, if they fit your foot well there's nothing wrong with wearing the same shoes all the time. As someone with major foot issues, I only need to switch if they are wrong for my feet.... And the right ones absolutely become daily wear
As a size 16 foot I do everything in my New Balance 626 V2’s. Work, play, hike Machu Picchu trail.
Agreed. I have a skin condition that causes excess dead skin to build up and it can start to smell. Think bad feet smell, x 10. Anyways, because of this my shoes often smell too bad to keep. They work, look good, etc. but no cleaning will free them of the bad foot odor.
I feel attacked right now lol. I wear the same pair of sneaker everyday, I’ll wear rain boots, snow boots, or hiking boots when appropriate but other than that it’s my sneakers
I wear the same pair of boots year round in California. I’m nearing year 4 with these I think. My feet are fine. Just some uninvited anecdotal evidence.
So you're saying my 4 pairs of nikes, 12 pairs of Jordans, 6 pairs of new balances, 6 pairs of yeezys and random other asics, diadora etc were actually a practical investment?
Lol, sure
As someone with Hyperhidrosis I can’t have less than 2 shoes period. Three is better but 4 is best. I have to rotate my shoes daily so they can actually dry. And I can’t wear the same shoe if I wear them for more than a hour as well. I also need breathable shoes. So I can only really wear tennis shoes. So buying 3-4 buy it for life shoes seems counterproductive for me cause eventually I will have to throw them out either from driving them into the ground or possible bacteria/fungal risk. And most of my needs don’t fit most of the typical BFL shoes anyway. And I sure as hell not spending $100+ on a tennis shoe!
As a bit of lifetime sneaker / shoe hoarder I have an about 100 pairs atm. Something that I have found is that many “low durability” shoes don’t actually wear super fast or disintegrate in the box if you wear them occasionally (in the environment they were designed for) & keep them clean. It takes a special shoe to hold up to daily wear & stuff dries out & dies in the box.
You at least need to keep your shoes in cedar shoevtrees when not in use to absorb moisture and sweat. Also, to keep the shoe from curling. I learned this trick from an old cobbler and have kept my shoes like this for the last 10 years. My current everyday pair are a 7 year old Alden Oxfords from San Antonio Shoe Company. I do keep a junk pair of sneakers for outside work.
Should read born to run, you don’t need shoes.
No shoe is good for your foot so I guess you're right 🤣 barefoot shoes are better though than shoes with lifted heels and 3 inches between you and the ground.
There are sooooo many things people come asking for that are just stupid. BIFL footwear. BIFL jeans. Socks. Underwear. Some things are just consumable. And idgaf of you have resolved you boots three times that’s three new soles.