Author Topic: How long should shoes last?  (Read 3720 times)

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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How long should shoes last?
« on: 17 November, 2019, 11:17:01 am »
In the spring of last year I bought some Meindl walking shoes from Open Air in Cambridge. My feet demand size 13 so choice is often limited.

I noticed yesterday that the sole of the left shoe had worn through where there's a sort of decorative line of plastic. To be fair the rest of the sole is getting pretty thin as well. At £160 these shoes weren't cheap at all and I'm disappointed that they haven't lasted rather longer, although I have worn them pretty well every day. I reckon £8 a month or so is rather a lot to pay for footwear.

I have just ordered a replacement from Amaz*n - Merrell Moab low-rise boot for £73. If they last a year they will have been better value for money than the Meindl.
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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #1 on: 17 November, 2019, 11:35:56 am »
Soles wear out, and to cater for the current fashion for lightweight everything they are probably thinner than they used to be.


A quick google shows plenty of places offering resoles & refurbishment for Meindl footwear.  Or you can return them to the manufacturer.


Edit: https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/base-camp/resoling-service/
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fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #2 on: 17 November, 2019, 11:42:08 am »
More useful to measure distance than time. How far have you walked in them?
Maybe 1000 miles would be decent for a pair of boots. Though depends on the terrain, some rocks can cause more wear. And your weight, and walking style.
If the soles are some sort of sticky rubber, that could wear out faster.

CommuteTooFar

  • Inadequate Randonneur
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #3 on: 17 November, 2019, 12:10:22 pm »
My record for a pair of walking shoes/boots is around six weeks.  I was not pleased and have not bought a Mountain Warehouse shoe since.
Threw out a pair of hi-tecs a last week that lasted just over a year which is typical for me. (I used to cycle everywhere, since I retired I walk everywhere).
They are just not built to last anymore.

Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #4 on: 17 November, 2019, 12:25:43 pm »
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #5 on: 17 November, 2019, 12:49:10 pm »
I have a very nice pair of Altberg boots but they are not for every day. It was after I went to Richmond to be measured for them that I used the same dimensions to order the Meindls.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #6 on: 17 November, 2019, 12:53:20 pm »
I normally use Merrell (shoes, not boots) for everyday walking, and they tend to last about a year.

Mr Larrington

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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #7 on: 17 November, 2019, 01:58:01 pm »
Quote from: pterry

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.

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ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #8 on: 17 November, 2019, 05:10:40 pm »
I have a pair of Rockport smart-er boots that I wear for work pretty much every week if I'm going to clients or the office.  They've lasted at least 3 years so far and still have plenty of wear.  The soles are pretty hard rubber on them though, but still give very good grip. 

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #9 on: 17 November, 2019, 05:14:53 pm »
The Vimes theory is broadly correct but does not allow for ponce factor, which unfortunately affects many items made for a specific purpose, particularly where that purpose is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as leisure. Cycling and walking are both badly affected by ponce factor.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #10 on: 17 November, 2019, 05:28:12 pm »
Quote from: pterry

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.


We had that conversation in the pub last week. One friend was wearing a pair of shoes he had bought in the sale for £10 and opined that he couldn't understand why anyone would pay for expensive shoes. Another friend admitted that the handmade leather soled brogues he was wearing cost nearly £200 when he bought them several years ago but as he pointed out he would never need to buy another pair of brogues ever.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #11 on: 17 November, 2019, 05:44:37 pm »
Lancashire Shoe Repairs offer an excellent service ime.

Merrell  Moabs I find to be very soft on the sole and wear rate is fast.  Also, I have wider than average feet and the sides of the toe box came away from the sole fairly quickly.


Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #12 on: 17 November, 2019, 05:55:05 pm »
As I've said before, the great thing about using a bike [for journeys you'd otherwise walk] is that you wear easily-replaced cleats and pedals, rather than expensive and hard to replace shoes.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #13 on: 17 November, 2019, 06:06:01 pm »
I don't think Merrell (approach shoes, at least) are as good as they used to be. The last pair I had got uncomfortable to wear before they were properly worn out looking and I have given up on them in disgust. I'm now buying slightly cheaper shoes I have lower expectations of rather than spending lots and being disappointed.
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Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #14 on: 17 November, 2019, 06:10:30 pm »
Don't expensive shoes end up a bit trigger's broom? Because they were expensive and are comfortable, you have high expectations of them. Therefore, when the soles get a bit worn, it's worth having them resoled (and they're probably made in a way that makes this possible). Then it's a bit of upper, and so on.
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Kim

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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #15 on: 17 November, 2019, 06:12:49 pm »
I'm now buying slightly cheaper shoes I have lower expectations of rather than spending lots and being disappointed.

Mrs Pingu's corollary to Captain Vimes' boots theory.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #16 on: 17 November, 2019, 06:25:16 pm »
Don't expensive shoes end up a bit trigger's broom? Because they were expensive and are comfortable, you have high expectations of them. Therefore, when the soles get a bit worn, it's worth having them resoled (and they're probably made in a way that makes this possible). Then it's a bit of upper, and so on.
When the soles don't look at all worn I've assumed it's the inner structure that is knackered and causing the discomfort.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #17 on: 17 November, 2019, 06:29:57 pm »
I have found that, if you possess 40-50 (ICBA to count) pairs of shoes/sandals/boots/etc., then they tend to last quite a long time. Although I've discovered that it is possible for them to deteriorate without being worn. I dug a pair of walking boots out of the back of the cupboard a few years ago after not wearing them for quite a while. After about a mile the sole of one of them detached itself. "Oh bugger", thought I and turned for home. After a couple of hundred yards the other one fell off. I thought that was rather remarkable coordination of failure.
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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #18 on: 17 November, 2019, 06:35:37 pm »
Depends on the use to which you put them. I tend to wear Aussie Elastic sided boots (stockboots) for general wear. So they get worn walking around town, around the farm where I live, walking in fields; I just washed the car in them.
The pair of Redbacks I'm wearing now are about 3 years old and cost me £110. No particular signs of wear on the soles.
I expect them to last another 3-5 years and will be disappointed if they don't. Usually the leather breaks up.

My previous pair (of a cheaper brand), lasted about 5 years of daily wear before the leather became very cracked and they were relegated to gardening wear only.
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IanDG

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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #19 on: 17 November, 2019, 08:30:28 pm »
I had some North Face Hedgehogs that lasted 3 years, probably wore them every day. I was so impressed I bought a second pair when they wore out - they lasted about 9 months. Shop told me that was average.

Just bought a second pair of Magnum boots today - my last pair lasted more than 2 years of daily use dog walking. Hope these perform better than the Hedgehogs.

Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #20 on: 17 November, 2019, 09:10:47 pm »
I had a similar experience with North Face Hedgehogs.  Clearly they made a 'mistake' with the earlier version.  Still a very comfy shoe and I can just about eek 12 months out of a pair.

Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #21 on: 17 November, 2019, 09:29:52 pm »
The Redback boots recommended by mrcharly are available at this place, which was recommended last week by Regulator.  https://www.bushgear.co.uk/collections/redback-boots   Size 13 for Wow available.


TK Maxx are sometimes OK for decent shoes.  I'm currently wearing a pair of commando soled Cheaneys (seconds) which I got for £99 reduced from £375!  I expect them to last a long time & they can be sent off for a full refurbishment when they need it.


My US Redwing chukkas are very comfortable, but the cream coloured sole gets filthy & is hard to clean.  Starting to pong a bit as well..
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ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #22 on: 18 November, 2019, 06:59:21 am »
I have a pair similar to those redbacks, preferring ankle boots to shoes for work as well. They look comfy, but the soles look quite soft?  I'd say the same of my rockports as well though, so looks can be deceiving
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #23 on: 18 November, 2019, 09:12:37 am »
I have found that, if you possess 40-50 (ICBA to count) pairs of shoes/sandals/boots/etc., then they tend to last quite a long time. Although I've discovered that it is possible for them to deteriorate without being worn. I dug a pair of walking boots out of the back of the cupboard a few years ago after not wearing them for quite a while. After about a mile the sole of one of them detached itself. "Oh bugger", thought I and turned for home. After a couple of hundred yards the other one fell off. I thought that was rather remarkable coordination of failure.

This happened to Miss von Brandenburg about halfway between the car park and the cliffs next to the Old Man of Hoy last year; fortunately she was able to effect a temporary repair with tape blagged off some passing climbers ;D
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
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CommuteTooFar

  • Inadequate Randonneur
Re: How long should shoes last?
« Reply #24 on: 18 November, 2019, 11:37:47 am »
The real problem with any type of shoes is size.  My precise foot measures as 24.5 cm UK 5 1/2.  They are also wider than typical.  I buy UK size 7 which typically are the smallest size found in many shops and am careful about the width of the toe box.  Manufactures say they make size 6 and 6 1/2 but shops just do not stock them.