Where do you guys buy your shoes?

[rahby1us]

Just curious. I used to pick the bargain bin at Dick's or other sporting goods, or just look for the lower priced ones there. Then one day i "accidentally" found a pair of $15 shoes at Walmart and i've kind of been getting my sneaks there ever since. They seem to wear out maybe a little faster than name brand stuff, but also never had any fall apart where the sole comes off etc. which i have had with the major brands. I just hike the sole down to paper thin. Also not sure if skimping on shoe costs might be destroying my foot or spine, but i've had no pain, no complications and no falls on the trail!

Note* I'm just referring to tennis shoes, nothing for style, just function :  )

[cowpuncher10]

So I had several pairs of cheap walmart shoes when I was in my late teens. They messed my ankles up badly in that the consistency of the sole was never consistent and would wear unevenly forcing me to roll my ankles inwards which began to cause problems in my knees as well. Once I switched back to a more "reputable" shoe manufacturer I was made immediately aware that something had gone awry and went to the doctor where it was confirmed that I had a problem with my gait where I hadn't before....I'm not saying that the shoes themselves were directly responsible just that there was probably a correlation with both the shoes and the job I was working at the time, long 8 hour days on my feet on concrete may have changed my walking habits as well....

TLDR: Spending an extra 30 bucks on a different shoe that will last me 2+ years and reduce the likelihood of those problems recurring is worth it to me. Cost per use, assuming 300 days of use a year, is a .05 cent difference in cost per use. I can find areas of more significant savings with less of a potential impact on my life elsewhere....

[mountain mustache]

I buy Hoka shoes (for hiking/trail running/walking) because I have major orthopedic issues, and the cushion is Amazing. I don't know why I ever wore anything else, and I never plan to buy anything else. They are $$$, but my feet don't hurt anymore so I don't really care. I get them at the local running store, which has a no questions asked lifetime return policy.

For non-exercise I switch between chacos, danskos, Blundstone boots or teva snow boots in the winter. All of these have amazing support, and cushion for my 9 hours on my feet job. I get them all online on sale.

[Parizade]

When I was younger I bought all my shoes at Payless. As I got older shoe quality became more important (cheap shoes = foot pain). At this point I'm willing to pay up to $200 for well-reviewed high quality shoes but it's hard to find that in my size so I use Zappos.com. They make it so easy to find exactly what I'm looking for and so easy to return any that don't fit right.

My preferred brands are Soloman for winter (I have never been able to wear out a pair of their boots/shoes and they fit my foot perfectly) and Chacos for summer (if they wear out you can send them back for refurbishment). When I have to wear something dressier I have black Vionic flats that work well with a dress or dress pants.

[Hula Hoop]

IMO you need to find a brand that works for your feet and go with that.  I also believe in spending a bit on shoes that fit well and are comfortable.  I have long narrow feet and I find that Blundstones, Dankos and Keens, for example, are like boats on my narrow feet.  I buy a lot of El Naturalista shoes and boots (a Spanish brand available here) as they tend to be narrow but I read the reviews online.  Clarks and Ecco are also good.  But you need to try a lot on before you find the ones that work for you.  Nothing worse than uncomfortable shoes.

[slackmax]

I might buy some at Walmart, but they never have my size, of course. So I haven't bought any there yet. Cheap. $12 or something like that, for the cheapest brand.

In the past I have bought my shoes (all black, lace up sneakers that look good enough to pass for formal?) at Payless, preferably on sale, when I'll buy 2 or 3 pair at a time.  Can be as low as $20 a pair on sale. Full price they are about $34.

But lately nothing on sale.

I guess I'm lucky in that I can usually tell when I try them on whether they will hurt my feet with lots of walking.

The brands are all foreign made, China, etc. I don't care. Minimum lifespan seems to be 4 years of daily non-work wear. If I am working, as in yard work, or hiking, I wear my already falling apart shoes. I always have 2 or 3 pair of falling-apart shoes on hand to take the abuse. Most of the  falling-apart shoes don't hurt my feet unless I walk too far.    Once they fall apart in a fatal way, like sole flapping and catching on the ground, I take them to the textiles recycling place.

[Just Joe]

I've not had much luck with cheap shoes unless they are marked down returns. I once bought cheap ($20) shoes and they lasted exactly one hike before the sole let go. I walked home with the sole flapping around.

I bought a pair of Oboz returns and they were not initially comfortable but they have been the toughest shoes I've ever owned. They have been comfortable once they broke in. 

[GuitarStv]

I wear running shoes pretty much exclusively in the spring, summer, and fall.  I've found that Nike, Reebok, and New Balance shoes tend to fit my feet well and last reasonable amounts of time . . . but they're very expensive.  So, every eight or nine years I will comb through flyers and go to outlets until I find a reasonable sale (30 - 40$ per pair of shoes) and buy five or six more pairs.  Based on what's still in our closet, I've got another six year before needing to do this again.

[Arbitrage]

New Balance extra-wide or Nike tend to fit my feet.  I buy when I need a pair coming up, and I find a ridiculous sale online through slickdeals, usually ~$25-30 shipped.  I've occasionally bought Skechers as well in store (checking for sales at an outlet), but I think I should probably stick to the former strategy.

I tried Target shoes once, didn't work out.  I expect I'd have similar experiences with other bargain brands.  Given the prices I've been paying for name-brand shoes, not much motivation to go that direction again.

For work shoes, I've settled on a set of Dockers that I can purchase through Amazon for about $50.  Comfortable, long-lasting, and look good enough in brown or black. 

Hiking/winter boots have been a different story.  My previous pair of leather Vasque boots was expensive, a gift from parents, and lasted me about 18 years.  Supposedly in the meantime they moved manufacturing from Italy to China, and the quality went downhill, so I didn't re-up.  Ended up with a pair of Zamberlans, purchased online after showrooming a bunch of different boots.  Again, expensive, but if I can manage anywhere near the life of the previous boots, I can't complain.  3.5 years so far.

[partgypsy]

As I get older, I am seeing the worth is buying nicer quality shoes. When I was young through maybe 30's, 40's, did do the payless, Walmart, sears shoes. Not Target, their shoes are worse than Walmart's. Lands end, while I am a fan of their clothes, their shoe make is skinny and extra long and do not fit my feet at all.

Now I have certain brands I search out and buy when I can find them (Clarks, Merrell). To tell the truth in my town Shoe Carnival has lots of coupons and sales and they have some decent brands.

[Loren Ver]

I too am a zappos user.  I have big feet, so it makes it hard.  Zappos lets me try on dozens to find the one I like.  I don't go for the very expensive ones, mostly asics for me. 

I like to wait until sale season (like black Friday) and then get the ones I like for cheap.  I am usually in the $30-40 range, full price is usually $70.
LV

[One]

I’ve recently bought shoes off dh gate. They ship directly from China. Everything has been good so far. I’m not a fan of Walmart shoes. The ones I’ve tried seem cheap and hurt my feet.

[ematicic]

I have bad over pronation and flat arches and used to despise running. I found a great running store, and several since that really helped find a good fit. From there I just scour the internet for the same shoe when I see a good price. Mainly I wear cheapos from day to day and keep the pricy running shoes for just that.

[YK-Phil]

Blundstones are my daily walkers, whether at work, camping, traveling, practically four-seasons. For light hiking and regular wear, I have a pair of Scarpa approach shoes, and for heavier hiking, a pair of Scarpa mountaineering shoes which I rarely use anymore. All bought on line at the lowest available price. I still have a couple of pairs of very expensive urban shoes like Prada and Gucci stored in a bin, that my wife got me when she had a great high-end consignment store (along with a couple of nice expensive suits, my wife will decide which one will match my shoes for my funerals).

[Parizade]

I too am a zappos user.  I have big feet, so it makes it hard.  Zappos lets me try on dozens to find the one I like.  I don't go for the very expensive ones, mostly asics for me. 

I like to wait until sale season (like black Friday) and then get the ones I like for cheap.  I am usually in the $30-40 range, full price is usually $70.
LV

+1 Yes asics are great!

[dude]

I've gotten some great, cosmetic blemish shoes/sneakers at Nordstrom Rack, deeply discounted. Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics, Kenneth Cole, etc. It can take some searching to find something that's the right size/fit and look (lots of horrible looking stuff to be found), but I've scored some really sweet deals there. Same for pants and shorts.

[merlin7676]

For everyday shoes I hit the sketchers outlet store. They almost always have buy one, get one 1/2 off...and then I wear them till they are literally falling apart so they last several years.

For my running shoes, I only buy Hoka as well. Good shoes, lightweight, soft and comfortable to run on.

[mm1970]

I pretty much only buy running shoes, and when they wear out for running, I wear them to work.  And I have a big pile that I need to donate.  Because I buy 2 pairs a year.

I buy them at the local running store.  They are great at fitting my feet.  Mostly I get Brooks or New Balance, but this year's New Balance version they narrowed the toe box!!  Which was the whole point of buying new balance.  I tried Hoka's (very popular locally), but they didn't fit me very well - too big on the heel to get them to fit in the toe.  Sometimes Saucony.

About half the time I buy my shoes with a 20% discount because I join paid running groups.  If I'm training for a half marathon, there will be a "shopping day" with the group and we get a discount.

[Cranky]

For the very occasional pair of dressy shoes, Payless has always been fine. Good thing I don't dress up much these days, since that's not going to be an option.

I have generally had good luck finding a pair of walking/athletic shoes on the clearance rack at Shoe Carnival, and I have found some pretty nice shoes at the thrift store. I think one of the Goodwills here gets clearance shoes from a department store, because they often have shoes that seem brand new.

I was advised to replace any shoe I wore often after my knee surgery last year, and I really just bought a couple of pairs identical to ones I already liked on Amazon.  I don't expect to wear much besides athletic shoes after this anyway.

[G-String]

I work in an office so I wear dress shoes.  I was buying dress shoes at Aldo for around $100, but they would only last me a year before falling apart.  Last year I decided to splurge and spent $300 on a pair of Dr. Martens made in England.  I expect these shoes will last me a minimum of 5 years and possibly 10, until I retire.  Money well spent I think. 

[seattlecyclone]

I used to buy cheap shoes from Target, Ross, etc. More recently I've started buying lightly used name-brand shoes from Goodwill. These tend to be less expensive and longer-lasting than the new cheap shoes, in my experience so far.

[Bracken_Joy]

6pm.com It's the zappos close out site. I buy shoes in brands I like/know work for us, in discontinued years and colors. Much cheaper. I try to stay ahead of replacements, too- there's always extra coupons for Black Friday, so I do shoes for Christmas every year for my husband and I. Then we have them on hand when our old pairs blow out.

[Parizade]

6pm.com It's the zappos close out site. I

ooooo, good to know!

[Laserjet3051]

Mountaineering boots custom fitted at local specialty mountaineering shops.
Cycling shoes (w/cleats) from bike shops
surf booties from surf shops
water sandals from REI
sneakers from Off Broadway Shoes
work shoes from DSW (I'm picky on style and DSW has the largest variety I've seen)

I want shoes to fit well and be durable. cheap shoes fall apart fast and increase the probability of an injury. I still try to only buy on sale/discount; so I patiently wait.

[Cornel_Westside]

My feet don't like being in formal dress shoes every day, but I do like looking professional. So I usually get Ecco shoes, which are very comfortable. They aren't made in the same way as other formal shoes, so they can't be resoled as far as I understand. And they're not cheap; the recent ones I got cost $200. But they seem well made and I expect them to last 2 years, and they look MUCH better than other "comfort" dress shoes.

[GuitarStv]

Am I the only one who realized long ago that black running shoes are dress shoes?

[Awesomeness]

Probably 80% of what I own comes from Costco. Rarely pay more than 30$ for a pair, including winter boots. I do enjoy the addidas sneakers and flip flops they sell the most and sometimes sketchers. Paid 40$ for the recent hiking shoes they had last winter then watched them go down to 20$ on clearance. 

Trying to dress better these days so I recently bought some flats and some name brand nicer sandals off season from Nordstrom Rack, still in the under 30$ range but discounted from 60 and up.

[cowpuncher10]

Am I the only one who realized long ago that black running shoes are dress shoes?

Not in my line of business. I would be beaten out the door.

[Cranky]

Am I the only one who realized long ago that black running shoes are dress shoes?

Not for girls. LOL Mind you, I am not above wearing my athletic shoes with a skirt, but I am rocking the Old Lady Look these days.

We did find some reasonably dressy not-quite-athletic-shoes-but-cushioned shoes for dh, but Full Professors have no necessary sartorial standards, either.

[exterous]

I'm not sure if I am just hard on shoes or if my foot size limits quality options but it was getting to the point where I would get less than a year out of cheap shoes. Now I buy Ecco shoes for my daily wear shoes. They last long enough that I just have a deal alert setup on Slickdeals for "ecco" and can wait till they run one of their 40% off online clearance sales and have a style I like in a size I need. I bought a pair 2 years ago for $60 and a pair two weeks ago for $70. The two year old pair is still relatively good so I figure it will be 2-4 years before I need another pair. I have Vasque hiking boots and ascics running shoes. Expensive shoe tastes but those will also last me several years before I need replacements. I have a deal alert setup for "asics" on slickdeals too and buy from wherever has what I want on sale

[Pigeon]

6pm.com It's the zappos close out site. I buy shoes in brands I like/know work for us, in discontinued years and colors. Much cheaper. I try to stay ahead of replacements, too- there's always extra coupons for Black Friday, so I do shoes for Christmas every year for my husband and I. Then we have them on hand when our old pairs blow out.

I do this too.  My feet are hard to fit and I can't wear really cheap shoes.  There are a few brands (Walking Cradles, Rockport Cobb Hill and Earth Origins) that fit me well in certain styles and are well-made.  I either get them on 6pm.com or Amazon.  Amazon is sometimes cheaper.  I buy a reserve pair if I see something that works on sale.  I used to buy Clarks, as they used to last a long time and be comfortable, but the last couple pairs I bought fell apart after a couple of months, so no more.

The bad thing about 6pm is that unlike Zappos, you have to pay for return shipping, so I only buy things I know will work.

[Enigma]

I use slickdeals.net to send me emails when shoes are onsale.  Then I tend to buy them from the internet when companies are trying to rotate their inventories.  I prefer wearing tennis shoes and that seems to be the norm at my computer job.

[the_fixer]

My work pays for my footwear I buy some really nice Keens that are just under our $200 limit.

 They last a long time so my old ones get moved to weekend / hiking duty and even after several years they are still like new so I have a brand new pair I have yet to use.

Other than that I have a pair of keen sandals that seem to get replaced every 3 or so years that I typically buy at REI when they are on sale. I probably pay a little more than needed by buying them at REI but they have a year return policy and it has saved me a few times.

I joke with my wife that the closet full of work shoes is my retirement shoe fund :)

And it is just about fully funded.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[dcheesi]

I too am a zappos user.  I have big feet, so it makes it hard.  Zappos lets me try on dozens to find the one I like.  I don't go for the very expensive ones, mostly asics for me. 

I like to wait until sale season (like black Friday) and then get the ones I like for cheap.  I am usually in the $30-40 range, full price is usually $70.
LV

More specifically, Wide width feet make shoe shopping 10x harder, especially if you're trying to be frugal. A lot of the cheap/discount shoe makers don't make Wide sizes at all, so I'm pretty much forced to stay with name brands. At that point, the value equation tips more toward quality/BIFL options; however, the pickings are so slim in some parts of the shoe-type spectrum that I'll take whatever is comfortable and looks presentable (also I find that many reviewers are much harder on their shoes than I am).

And even when Wide sizes are available, most B&M stores don't keep them in stock; either they're completely absent, or else it's just one or two random Wide sizes on hand. So it's Zappos and/or Amazon for me.

[PhrugalPhan]

Am I the only one who realized long ago that black running shoes are dress shoes?

Not in my line of business. I would be beaten out the door.

My last two work shoes have been black leather casual/running shoes.  As an IT person, I can get away with them just fine. 

I would add that when I go to estate sales I always check the closets for shoes.  As a male with average size feet it is not uncommon to find shoes (usually sneakers) my size and in great shape.  Its been at least 20 years since I paid more than $10 for a pair of high end sneakers.

[pvnotp]

I use poshmark.com to get used, high quality shoes.  People are always selling barely worn shoes for half off, and I usually haggle down even lower.  Returns are generally not possible, so you really have to do your research in terms of fit.  But I've been lucky so far.

[nwa-non]

It depends on the pair ....

Sneakers (not used for running; just regular wear) - Adidas from Kohls, about $30 and currently going on to 6 years
Regular semi-formal shoes - Skechers from DWS, about $50 and going on to 4 years
Formal shoes - Allen Edmonds, ~$300 and going on to 2 years
Winter boots - Unknown brand from Amazon, $30 lasted for 2 years

[CindyBS]

Tennis shoes from the local independently owned/run shoe store that specializes in running shoes.  I don't run, but have had plantar fasciitis in the past and they really help me get a brand that is good for me.

All other shoes - sandals, dress shoes, boots, etc. - second hand from the thrift store.  I wear tennis shoes 90% of the time. 

[DaMa]

Mostly Zappos.  I wear a women's 12, narrow, and have problems.  I will forever love Zappos, because before the internet shoe shopping was a nightmare.  When I was young and broke I wore cheap, mostly mens, shoes from Target which is the main reason I have so many foot problems.

I wear Asics running shoes or Birkenstocks 95% of the time.  My dress shoes from my working days are Naot, and should last me the rest of my life now that I rarely dress up.

I've also had good luck with Sierra Trading Post, especially finding Birks in my size.

Shoes are the one spot I will not be cheap, but I am frugal.  I only buy them if they are perfect -- exactly what I want with perfect fit -- and then I wear them until they fall apart.

[AlotToLearn]

I use slickdeals.net to send me emails when shoes are onsale.  Then I tend to buy them from the internet when companies are trying to rotate their inventories.  I prefer wearing tennis shoes and that seems to be the norm at my computer job.

Another vote for SlickDeals. Have picked up running shoes over the past couple years from sites who had deals there for 40-50 percent less.

[L8_apex]

I buy Hoka shoes (for hiking/trail running/walking) because I have major orthopedic issues, and the cushion is Amazing.

I'm with you on the Hokas.  They were the first shoe I ever put on that have really soft squishy sole.  I've got bone spurs in both heels, so for me it's a big deal.

Brooks makes at least one model that's just as soft as the softest Hokas (I have the Glycerin model) and I read that New Balance now does too, but I haven't tried them myself. 

For more casual shoes, SoftScience works well for me too. 

As for buying, I check SlickDeals, Amazon, Joe's New Balance Outlet, and the manufacturer's sites.

[Andrew928]

I have a pair of Red Wings boots that were about $300 but I have been wearing them pretty much every day since 2014 and there are no signs of wear on the soles or stitching. Expensive up front but man they are lasting.

[use2betrix]

I bought my first pair of dedicated running shoes at a local running store. They were a tad more money than on amazon, but they had good customer service helping me find the right shoes. I replaced them after about 400 miles and bought the same shoe (different color) an amazon.

For steel toe work boots I have tried tons of cheap and expensive brands over the years. Some have been great, others have really sucked. My last and current pair are thorogoods (made in the USA) and they are the best boot I’ve had so far (for steel toes at least).

For “nice” boots, I have been majorly hooked on Red Wings “Heritage Line” which are also made in the USA. They are cheaper on amazon than anywhere else I have found. Sometimes by a pretty significant amount. I un-mustachingly have 4 very nice pairs of these boots. Two pairs of moc toes and two pairs of iron rangers..

[svosavvy]

Seems that the consensus here is buy a nice pair of shoes that will outlast many pairs of crap shoes.  IMO shoes fall into the everyday use category and therefore worthy of a layout of cash.  My vote is the Vasque "talus trek low".  I am on my second pair of these.  I use them for everything, they are long wearing.  Red Wing owns the Vasque brand now I believe.  I am a nurse that rides my ebike to work so I can literally be on my feet and pumping nonstop from about 5:45am to 4:30pm if I'm lucky or midnight on days when I get mandated which are more and more.  Full price they are like $140.  I can usually find a sale online to get them at like a $100.  They are old school nubuck leather.  Sneaker on the top and hiking boot on the bottom.  I wear them year round through western NY weather (think Buffalo snow).  The waterproof membrane while not "goretex" is really respectable and my feet stay pretty dry be it a rain storm on the bike or showering a patient in a shittily appointed shower room.  I can destroy a pair of nikes in 6 months flat and have a long history of this.  These vasques actually took me 2 years before I wore a hole through the sole (read 4 pair of nikes worth of punishment).  I have a lot of experience with nubuck shoes.  I had a pair of nubuck italian leather hiking boots that lasted me years back in the day (the 90's).  The thing with this leather is it will punish your feet for like a week or two while it "breaks in" read: conforms to your feet.  Once the leather has molded to your feet oil the crap out of it with mink oil to protect it from the elements and they will take care of you.  I have monster bunions and am 6'4" 225lbs. Once this leather wraps around your feet it will feel like a custom shoe.  "Lesser leather never lasted better in wetter weather."

[Fi(re) on the Farm]

I wear a really small size shoe size so it's pretty difficult to find shoes. For sturdy hikers I buy kids keens or merrills. I work in a law office so I need to wear nicer shoes to work. I have been buying my shoes at Payless for the last ten years. They're going out of business so I've picked up a half dozen pairs on sale to last me till I retire. My husband thinks I was excessive with my shoe purchase but payless is way cheaper than anywhere else I can find shoes.

[better late]

I could answer the question and hope that my pricey and fashionable shoes don’t slow me down as I run to avoid the expected face punches.

[Lanthiriel]

Almost all of my non-work shoes are Sketchers. They seem to fit the nexus of price, fashion, and comfort. For hiking boots, I almost always go with Merrell and they usually last 5+ years. For work shoes... who knows. I think my current flats are Cobb Hill and my current ankle boots were some off brand I picked up at Costco. I seem to wear through a pair of black ankle boots every winter regardless of whether I spend $25 on them or $150.

My husband has worn the same style of Columbia trail shoes for the last 10 years, all of them purchased at an outlet store. He also has a pair of Red Wing steel toes for work. Those may be the only two pairs of shoes he owns...

I just realized you asked WHERE we buy. For me, largely Costco and DSW or online at Zappos or 6pm. For husband, Columbia outlet or Big 5.

[soccerluvof4]

I put on about 50-70 miles a week on my old feet walking etc.. and as I have gotten older and feet get tired and sore started buying Orthofeet  shoes on Amazon. There about 50$ less than the fancy name brand walking shoes and come with ortho's that adjust to your feet. Really love them

[BlueMR2]

I buy from a local shop around the corner.   I buy the lower end ASICs, but they still end up being over $100.  I will usually get 1.5-3 years out of a set though depending on exactly how much walking I do and exactly which model I buy.

[ol1970]

I buy them at the market in Shanghai.  I'm pretty basic type guy so I just get a few pair of low-cut Chuck Taylor's in a variety of colors.  They are about $8/pair but only last for about 3 years...pretty decent ROI.