Show us yr shoes!

[sheepstache]

I bought a replacement pair of shoes off of ebay. I knew I'd worked the old ones pretty hard, including some repairs, some of which were beginning to need repair themselves, but the visual difference was uh more striking than I expected.

Obviously most people won't have a brand new pair for comparison, but if you've got a beat-to-shit, use-it-up-wear-it-out pair of shoes you're proud of, post a pic!

[fkampere]

Black ones year and half old figured I'll get some new ones

[I'm a red panda]

I don't have a photo, but  the flip flops I'm wearing were given to me in 2000.  15 years is pretty good for a pair of flip flops :)

They still look fairly nice, though the bottoms are quite worn.

[Cougar]

I don't have a photo, but  the flip flops I'm wearing were given to me in 2000.  15 years is pretty good for a pair of flip flops :)

They still look fairly nice, though the bottoms are quite worn.

no photo either, but i usually get the same nike brand for about $50. i wont spend $100 on shoes but i'll spend 50 and get new ones. i mean your feet and ankles have to support you for your whole life; you dont want to be cheap on something like that. cheap shirts and pants yes, shoes; no.

[RidinTheAsama]

I don't have a photo, but  the flip flops I'm wearing were given to me in 2000.  15 years is pretty good for a pair of flip flops :)

They still look fairly nice, though the bottoms are quite worn.

I'm still going strong on a pair of <$5 flip-flops from almost 10 years ago.  If your 'toe thong' (right word?) starts to pull up out of the base, clip a bread tab underneath to keep them going a while longer - I made that repair on one foot a few years ago and so far so good.

[shelivesthedream]

My oldest pair of shoes is from 2007 - a pair of £200 knee-high brown riding-style boots with 1" heel. I polish and re-heel them and they look great. I don't wear them that often, though. The sandals I'm wearing today are from 2008, though, with a thick, soft cork sole, and they have had a lot of wear every summer and still look smart on top.

[BlueHouse]

pervert!
A friend of mine was accosted by a foot-fetishist about 25 years ago (before fetishes were considered run of the mill). A stranger blocked her path and told her to give him her shoes. He then handed her a 100 dollar bill. I thought it was hysterical when I heard the story but she was pretty upset about it and showed me the bill folded up in a drawer. She never wanted to touch it.
So this post made me think of that.

[2Birds1Stone]

Have to update with picture when I get home.

I purchased a pair of Dr. Martens steel toe boots at the ripe old age of 14 while traveling to Europe one summer. My parents yelled at me for spending $110 on high quality British made boots.

At 28 years old exactly 14 years later they are going strong and get worn almost daily 6 months out of the year, and all riding season as motorcycle boots.

I have a pair of Birkenstock Arizona sandals for 7-8 years that are held together with Gorilla Glue.

Both my pairs of sneakers for the gym are 7-8 years old. (Chuck Taylors) 

[Polaria]

QUECHUA Arpenaz 50 Men's Hiking Shoes, Black

Note: My feet are big enough to fit in men's shoes as well...

[Dee18]

My beloved cycling shoes....22 years old!  Glued back together several times and now only worn while I'm on the bike.  They were called touring shoes when I bought them.  If you know of any shoes like these that are available now, let me know.  I am ready for a new pair.  :)

[Melody]

Have to update with picture when I get home.

I purchased a pair of Dr. Martens steel toe boots at the ripe old age of 14 while traveling to Europe one summer. My parents yelled at me for spending $110 on high quality British made boots.

At 28 years old exactly 14 years later they are going strong and get worn almost daily 6 months out of the year, and all riding season as motorcycle boots.

I have a pair of Birkenstock Arizona sandals for 7-8 years that are held together with Gorilla Glue.

Both my pairs of sneakers for the gym are 7-8 years old. (Chuck Taylors)

Wow... No docs have ever lasted me that long. Apparently they have a fancier pair with a lifetime warranty which will be my next purchase when my current pair (approx 5.5 years old and pretty hammered, very little sole left) is done. I think my previous pair lasted less than four years... But this included living in the snow... Snow and docs don't get on too well apparently.
Interesting to note the prices... Basic docs today are about $100us and the fancy lifetime guarantee ones $200, still much cheaper in real terms than what you paid all those years ago.

[2Birds1Stone]

Have to update with picture when I get home.

I purchased a pair of Dr. Martens steel toe boots at the ripe old age of 14 while traveling to Europe one summer. My parents yelled at me for spending $110 on high quality British made boots.

At 28 years old exactly 14 years later they are going strong and get worn almost daily 6 months out of the year, and all riding season as motorcycle boots.

I have a pair of Birkenstock Arizona sandals for 7-8 years that are held together with Gorilla Glue.

Both my pairs of sneakers for the gym are 7-8 years old. (Chuck Taylors)

Wow... No docs have ever lasted me that long. Apparently they have a fancier pair with a lifetime warranty which will be my next purchase when my current pair (approx 5.5 years old and pretty hammered, very little sole left) is done. I think my previous pair lasted less than four years... But this included living in the snow... Snow and docs don't get on too well apparently.
Interesting to note the prices... Basic docs today are about $100us and the fancy lifetime guarantee ones $200, still much cheaper in real terms than what you paid all those years ago.

They are now made in china. Been a long time since they were made in UK. The old soles are incredible. I have walked thousands of miles in them over the past 14 years.

[Melody]

I think Thailand ... Or at least the ones sold here. Will deffo be forking out for the made in UK ones next time. Still 5 yrs for a $100 pair of shoes is pretty good anyway...

[Pooperman]

After 2 years (of every day wear), my sneakers have worn through both soles... not to mention the heel fabric is non-existent. It'll be time for a new pair sometime soon (which is what I've told myself for the last 6 months). Something interesting is that the right side is severely worn where the left side is much less so. I think these shoes cost $50 or so.

[snogirl]

I just bought these slightly used Asics Gel Evolution 6 @ a garage sale for 45 cents! They replace a blown out pair of Brooks now trashed.

[sheepstache]

These are all great!

After 2 years (of every day wear), my sneakers have worn through both soles... not to mention the heel fabric is non-existent. It'll be time for a new pair sometime soon (which is what I've told myself for the last 6 months). Something interesting is that the right side is severely worn where the left side is much less so. I think these shoes cost $50 or so.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who seems to be particularly hard on shoes. And who drags their feet (har) about shopping.

A lot of people have some unevenness in their gait. If you get leg or back pain it could be worth bringing the shoes to a good running shoe shop for an evaluation.

[FLA]

I still have my high school Docs, Mary Janes.  Still look new, sole or heel have not gotten mushed down.  I still wore them on snowy days, driving around from patient to patient, great sole for snow without having to put on boots, get to someone's house and take off boots, then put them back on, next house, off again, until you're stark raving mad. 

But DD stole them and DS bought some.  I guess they will always be a teen "thing", but probably not so much for a 45 yo, my "thing" is gone, passed down lovingly

[YK-Phil]

I have a pair of Born short boots that I bought in 2006 that I've worn almost daily since that time, and a pair of Born leather sandals bought in 2007. Both still look good and are practically indestructible. A month ago, I got myself a pair of Blundstone boots which, according to reviews, should last as long as the Born boots if I maintain the leather properly.

[Dollar Slice]

My favorite sneakers (I have foot/joint problems and finding shoes this comfy is about one in a million) are in such bad shape... the soles and outside are OK but the inside of the heel is completely worn out on one foot, to the point that all the cloth and foam padding has worn away and the hard plastic 'skeleton' of the shoe is exposed. (I put moleskin or duct tape or whatever is handy over the inside heel to keep it from rubbing my foot, but it keeps coming off. Need a better solution.) I keep finding bits of foam in the front hall...

I tried to replace them once, but after wearing the replacement shoes out for a day, and realizing how much less comfortable they were, I came home and took the old shoes out of the trash. It's been a couple of years since then. I only wear them when I'm going to be on my feet a lot, to save them the wear and tear of daily use... I know they can't last forever but I really wish they would!