I need to replace all my shoes, how to go about it mustachianly?

[windawake]

This sounds like I'm a crazy person with tons of shoes but I only have/had three pairs (had to throw one pair out last night).  They all have major holes and/or are disintegrating.  One are canvas walking shoes (knock off Keds) from Target that I got for $9.  I've had them for about a year but apparently Target does not sell them anymore which is very sad.  Another is a pair of boots, they're leather and shiny, and were probably $50-$60 from DSW.  The final is a pair of slip on canvas shoes I got from Target which were $17 or so, they didn't hold up super well since the bottom was made of hemp and it started disintegrating.  I feel bad because replacing them is going to cost a lot, but I gotta wear shoes!  Wearing holy shoes when there's any water on the ground at all totally sucks, my feet have often been wet this spring.  Also most of my lady friends think I'm crazy for only having 3 pairs.  Where are some good places to get them?  I was thinking about Tom's for one pair of canvas shoes, even though they're expensive, just to give it a try.

Disclaimer: I do not only own three pairs of shoes, I have 3 fancy pairs of shoes from when I had a full-time job (now in grad school) and don't like them much for every day activities so will save them until needed.  I also have 2 pairs of winter boots (casual and hardcore).  And workout tennis shoes that I rarely wear since I usually bike and do yoga and wear my canvas shoes for biking.

[arebelspy]

I was thinking about Tom's for one pair of canvas shoes, even though they're expensive, just to give it a try.

Everyone I know who has tried Tom's shoes, including DW, has loved them.  That may be an example of paying for quality/comfort (and warm fuzzies since buying a pair also donates a pair) and could be worth it.

[Bakari]

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/shoes-cheap-expensive-or-in-between/

[velocistar237]

I bought a pair of Allen Edmunds on ebay for $70 and use them only at work. I expect them to last forever. My wife bought some Danskos on ebay for something like $50. If you know what you want, and you know your size, you can find a good deal on a pair of shoes that someone bought, wore twice, decided they didn't fit, waited too long to return them, and put them up on ebay.

[herisff]

I use Zappos.com. I tend to buy on the high end for my work shoes (I wear MBTs and need leather uppers for safety) and thus ended up in the VIP club at Zappos which includes free to/from shipping. I also have contact allergies to leather and so can't wear leather directly against my toes (and absolutely hate the socks-with-sandals look and feel). On Zappos you can search for type of material, height of heel etc etc etc and then view only the ones that match. You can mark particular items you're interested in, then wait until they go on sale.

Since I'm an hour away from any mall or shoe store, this is a great option for me. The gas price alone makes it prohibitive to just go and browse, and with the free shipping to/from I can even try them on and send them back if they don't fit. Besides, I hate shopping.

[ferfischer]

I have actually had really good luck finding shoes at thrift stores like the ARC.  I'm amazed at the name brands that people give up, and shoes that are barely used.  It takes time and effort though, to find them!

[Mrs MM]

I would get one pair of really good shoes that you wear on a regular basis and pay a little more for them so they last longer.  One year doesn't seem like a very long time to me...

I have one pair of workout shoes that I got for about $50, one pair of flip flops that I got for really cheap from Old Navy, and a pair of walking around shoes for every day.

I also have shoes from other times in my life that have lasted a while, including a pair of high quality hiking shoes that I picked up from REI outlet several years ago for only about $25 (my feet are a size 6, which is a good size to be when you want shoes on sale).  They have gotten a lot of use and have lasted a long time.

MMM has a pair of great shoes that he wore almost exclusively for a long time - they were brown all-purpose timberland shoes and he's had them for years.

I'd go to a shoe store, try stuff on, and then come home and look for that same shoe online to find a better price.

[Arbor33]

MMM has a pair of great shoes that he wore almost exclusively for a long time - they were brown all-purpose timberland shoes and he's had them for years.

Boots generally seem to be made with a far superior quality than your typical pair of shoes (sneakers, dress shoes, etc). Although mine aren't Timberland, I have a pair of Irish Setters I bought over 7 years ago and I've worn them as my primary shoes almost every day since (sandals take the cake in summer). I've put them through hell; hunting, hiking, construction work, northern NY winters, and almost anything else you could imagine and they still have the potential to show nicely should I need to polish them up. I'll probably have to have them resoled eventually, but they've been great otherwise!

[Nancy]

I really like Keen footwear. They are high-quality, comfortable, and have lasted me over four years. Also, the company appears to be enviro friendly/globally conscious. If you are into canvas shoes, Keen donates $5 to Kiva.org if you buy a pair - see here: http://www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/hybridlife_hope.aspx
I have never purchased canvas shoes, so I cannot speak to their quality. Generally, canvas shoes won't last as long.

(Since you've expressed interest in green companies in other posts, you may want to look into Target's green rating and product sources and make sure it's a company that you want to support.)

[windawake]

Thanks all!  I decided to go the quality route to see how that takes me.  Bought myself a pair of Tom's and a pair of Patagonia flats (that were on sale at my local mountaineering store).  They're both black.  Man, black shoes are the best.  As are black pants (black skinny jeans are exclusively what I wear).  They match everything.