Looking for a few good shoes

November 6, 2009 3:58 PM

What makes a shoe a good shoe?

I have 2 pairs of dress shoes at home which look exactly the same, except for the quality of the leather (and the shoe laces). The cheaper pair cost me 80$; the more expensive pair cost be $250.

Did I get ripped off for the more expensive shoe or is there another difference between the shoes that aren't so obvious, that make the expensive shoe a "better shoe"

What makes a good shoe a good shoe anyways? What do I need to look for when shoe shopping.

FWIW, i'm more concerned about "good shoes" from the standpoint of "better for my feet" as opposed to "durable" or "long lasting"

posted by bitteroldman to clothing, beauty, & fashion (12 comments total)

A solid heel that doesn't have honeycomb air pockets hidden within the rubber.
posted by 517 at 4:02 PM on November 6

I don't care what a shoe costs, so long as it's comfortable to wear for a long time. I've never bought a $250 shoe, but I can't imagine they're that much more comfortable than a $100 shoe.

I wear Rockport shoes and Red Wing boots exclusively.
posted by sanka at 4:13 PM on November 6

1. Fit - More expensive shoes come in a larger variety of sizes, widths, and lasts (shape that the foot is built around), whereas cheap shoes just come in sizes. I have wider feet, so this is a big issue for me.

2. Design - Better shoes, especially men's dress shoes, are made to be sleeker and not quite as bulbous as cheaper shoes. They have more variety of designs (broqued, wingtip, toecaps, open laced, closed laced, ankle boot, chukkas, etc.) whereas a cheaper brand may have two or three "dress shoes". You can choose from three or four different shades of "brown".

3. Construction - Any good shoe can be repaired when the sole wears down, whereas cheaper shoes are glued together and cannot be taken apart without destroying the shoe. Better shoes generally use leather soles instead of rubber, and have metal shanks.

4. Materials - Better quality leather polishes up better and wears out slower. Shell cordovan resists creasing and water.
posted by meowzilla at 4:18 PM on November 6 [3 favorites has favorites]

It's durability rather than comfort. Well made shoes get better with age, rather than falling apart.
posted by fire&wings at 4:19 PM on November 6 [4 favorites has favorites]

If durability and longevity aren't criteria for you (although they probably should be), then the answer to the question 'what makes a shoe a good shoe' is meaningless.

I'll explain. Feet come in all different sizes. And shapes. Frequently, on the same person. There are wide feet with high arches, narrow feet with low arches and everything inbetween. There is no such thing as a 'good shoe', only a 'good shoe for your foot'. Manufacturers of European shoes will often favour narrow lasts; American makers use wider lasts.

Implicit in your question is also the query 'why do some shoes cost a lot more than similar looking shoes'. Country of origin, quality of the leather, construction technique, proportion of hand labour to machine labour, branding, design and fashion. None of which will make any difference if the size and shape of the shoe are not a match for your foot.
posted by tim_in_oz at 4:21 PM on November 6

For me, good shoes are ones that won't fall apart in a shoddy way, such as having the bottom part separate completely from the top randomly. Good shoes may also have the ability to be resoled. (I took a pair of cheapies to a cobbler once and he told me all about how trying to resole cheap shoes is just a bad idea since it doesn't really 'hold' as well.)

As far as something like quality of materials, good shoes will get worn in and still look decent, whereas cheap shoes will get worn in and look like they've had their ass kicked.

Better for your feet means that the shoe fits you better. I've found a great deal of variation can exist in similar pairs of the same sort of cheap shoe. I've spent good money and had two pairs of shoes fitted for my feet and even though they're 4" heels, I can walk around in them all day and not be cursing at the end of it.

(This has a wee bit to do with the fact that I have a strange shoe size with about a quarter of a difference in sizes between my feet. I wear a women's US 11 with feet that are narrow enough that normal width shoes can be a problem sometimes, but not so narrow that narrow shoes fit properly.)
posted by sperose at 4:34 PM on November 6

A good shoe is one that best complements the natural strengths of your foot and which elegantly makes up for it's weak spots. It insulates you from unwanted extremes of temperature, it does not let in the cold water on a rainy day, it allows you to tread on sharp gravel without wincing in pain, it makes your dancing look elegant and your stroll look balanced. It could achieve this while being made from premium grade Italian calf leather or it could be cut from an old car tyre.
posted by rongorongo at 4:59 PM on November 6 [3 favorites has favorites]

I subscribe to Mindy Kaling's point of view:

"I want to make shoes that are like jewels." Christian Louboutin explains. "Shoes are more than just an accessory; they are an extension of a woman."

I love this guy. If I am going to spend more than $500 on a pair of shoes, you better believe it’s gonna be a fucking extension of my womanhood.
posted by snafu at 5:58 PM on November 6

The quality of the leather is a big deal. It'll breathe and fit itself to your foot.

Different components will break down quicker. Those expensive running shoes with the different colors in the midsole probably have midsoles with different densities. Some wear out at different rates. Some will continually hold their shape, but most will break down under your weight.

Some shoes have components that are easy to replace (and worth replacing). Vibram soles, for example, are known for their durability to begin with, but they are easily replaced. Not so with shoes that have plastic heels or others that are molded in weird ways.

There are also parts you don't necessarily see. The liner may be made of leather or synthetic materials. Again, how they fit and feel inside makes just as much difference, if not more. You can also see excess glue marks on some shoes, or feel how stiff they are. And the parts of the shoe may be sewn together in ways that make the seams hit in odd places or be more susceptible to breaking down.
posted by Madamina at 9:08 PM on November 6

I have a pair of Blundstones that I really like. They were a little pricey for me at the time (I think I paid about $180) but it's been years of very frequent use and I'm very, very satisfied with them. They are: waterproof, very comfortable, easy to put on, look nice and plain, and the leather has held up really well- they're a little scuffy on the toes but structurally 100% sound, and all I have to do is polish them to make them look quite nice again. There is no splitting, peeling, bubbling, buckling, uneven wear to the leather, and the heels have barely even worn down, which is amazing as I'm a bit of a heel-grinder.

I also have a pair of Fly Londons I'm very happy with. The leather is strong and smooth and thick, the soles are light and springy, and the shoes get tons of compliments. They should have been about $200 and I snapped them up for a cool $80 on sale- well worth it.

These shoes have taught me that well-made shoes are a worthwhile expenditure. But caveat emptor, since not all expensive shoes are well-made, and not all well-made shoes are expensive.
posted by twistofrhyme at 1:02 AM on November 7

That the shoes look the same is just the outside.

The shoes may be constructed differently - more durable components, better support, small, easy not to notice design and construction elements that make them feel more comfortable.

Check the fit around the back of your ankle. In my experience with men's shoes, the cheap ones often chafe at the back of the ankle while the more expensive ones (retail > $120) should feel soft and comfortable here.

As others have mentioned above, construction shortcuts can make the repair and resoling of cheaper shoes more expensive. I have a beloved pair of ten year old Eccos, my first 'expensive' shoes, that are not really well made for repair. When the soles wear out, it's like a tire blowout - bits of rubber flopping everywhere. The sole is I think bonded to the show in a way that makes repair more expensive than it would be for a shoe that was designed better in this area.

The hidden details can make a difference.
posted by zippy at 1:28 AM on November 7

Quality of leather is a big factor. There's leather and then there's leather. According to a fashion buyer friend, most high-street women's shoes today are made of what I call Frankenleather, which consists of a paper-thin veneer of actual hide, a mid layer of flock (processed bits of fluffy scrap leather) for body and a backing of cheapie-cheap sturdy cowhide or similar, all sandwiched together with copious amounts of glue. This still technically counts as real leather, but it's a far cry from high-grade Napa leather and has the weatherproofness and durability of cardboard.

I don't know if the situation is as bad in men's shoes or not, but even £250 shoes I see in windows these days have the depressingly meretricious sheen of Frankenleather, because stores seem to have decided in the past decade or two that customers prefer shelf appeal over fit, durability and comfort. Which is why I buy a lot of vintage shoes.

One of the best things you can do for your feet is to get fitted for running shoes at a dedicated runner's shop that does foot measuring, gait analysis etc. The staff can usually help you identify your exact fit (size, width etc.) and basic gait issues like overpronation, which you can then keep in mind when shopping for street shoes.
posted by stuck on an island at 5:36 AM on November 7