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Like other posters, I can't wear cheap shoes--they make my feet hurt. However, I buy shoes that go with a lot of outfits. Almost all my shoes are black or some other neutral color.
One of my best buys was a pair of chukka boots from Land's End I bought for $20. They're still in great shape after 15 years.
For years and years I would buy cheap $20 shoes from Target or somewhere like Famous Footwear, but with wide feet they never really fit right and I'd wear right through the bottoms or sides in under a year.
Now that I have a little more disposable income, I spend more on shoes to get shoes that fit well, are comfortable, and also stylish. I'd rather spend $200 on Doc Marten boots that will last me 10 years than $40 on boots from Target that I will have to replace every year.
My favorite shoes are Keen's. About 5 years ago my DIL told me that a friend of hers bought her Keen shoes in a Big Kid size rather than the same style in the Women's size for significantly less. Since I have fairly small feet, but prefer a larger toe box, I was able to save about 50% by buying the same shoe labeled "Big Kid" vs Women. Crazy, but true.
I have Keen Newport sandals that are my everyday shoes from May to October. I have Keen walking shoes for the cold weather months. I like them for the same reasons you describe, the wider toe box. I buy them in Men's size 12 (US), and I use Shoe Goo on the outer heels to extend the wear life of the bottom sole. The sandals are quick to take off and put on at the door step, as I don't wear them indoors in my apartment - I use Birkenstock plastic foam "beach sandals" as my indoor sandals. My floors are laminate in the bedroom & living, with ceramic tile in the kitchen, hall & bath which are too hard for stocking feet for any length of time. These are not the "cheapest" shoes by any means, but they are all good walking shoes. If they save any foot pain or a doctor's visit, they paid for themselves many times over.
I keep shoes forever, but I had a funny thing happen after I moved to GA. Twice, I’ve put on a pair of shoes that I hadn’t worn for years, and after walking a bit, the soles of the shoes crumbled and fell off. Once, I was still at home, but the other time I was at a concert.
I found that I can’t open the windows in the cool weather, because my shoes get mildew.
Properly fitting quality footwear is very important to me. I happily spend the money because uncomfortable shoes definitely will ruin my day. Also most look cheap and don't pair well with quality clothes.
Man made materials are a No No in my book -
shoes made of them deteriorate fast, the surface gradually becomes slimy and becomes sticky. If it progresses considerably, the surface cracks and becomes tattered. Man made materials offer almost no flexibility, so it does not stretch, they create moisture, sweating and smelling feet and promote bacteria growth.
I understand that to many buying quality, leather shoes is unimportant, they want to wear trendy shoes that don't need to last long, or are not within their budget.
But generally, using cheap synthetic leather shoes, belts and bags gives the impression that you are not particular about what you wear. And I guess, it's totally ok to some people, but those products are not quality and are not comparable to well made leather footwear.
I keep shoes forever, but I had a funny thing happen after I moved to GA. Twice, I’ve put on a pair of shoes that I hadn’t worn for years, and after walking a bit, the soles of the shoes crumbled and fell off. Once, I was still at home, but the other time I was at a concert.
I found that I can’t open the windows in the cool weather, because my shoes get mildew.
Those soles are made of polyurethane.
Polyurethane sole is nowadays often used due to the soft, shock absorbing abilities. The con is hydrolysis, and deterioration progresses little by little even when not worn.
Unfortunately the soles are often paired with a quality leather top.
I had two pairs of super comfy leather shoes with this sole. One pair was never worn.
Look here what happened:
I decided to wear them for a quick errand run before tossing them out and was mortified when they started to pulverize and leave crumbs on the store floor. At that time I didn't know about the hydrolysis. Now I make sure that I don't buy shoes with this sole no matter how comfortable they feel.
Read about here: https://www.safetyjogger.com/en/eu/technical/hydrolysis
The Chief Demographer of the United Nations (yes, there is such a job) once commented to a room full of venture capitalists, "The number 1 complaint of middle-aged and older women is they cannot find comfortable shoes. You should invest in building a company that makes comfortable shoes."
Oh - he said, "What's a Demographer, you might ask? Well, we're a bit like tax accountants but without all the charisma. "
When I used to travel for work, I'd often try and buy some quality shoes while in Europe. Wood soles tend to last a very long time. While also repairable, it was difficult to find in the US. On my last trip, I wasn't able to find anything similar anymore....but I didn't have a ton of time to look too much.
Some of the product in higher end stores here in the US is made to LOOK like it has wooden soles, but in actuality they are not. Would love to find someplace that does make them this way though. I've had such good luck with those types of shoes.
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