Never thought I'd be asking about boots.

October 23, 2008 8:50 PM

Help me help my wife. She has a crush. More like an obsession. With a pair of boots.

She found this pair online but the price is a bit steep.

So, we're looking for something similar but maybe a little more reasonably priced (or the same at a significant discount!). Any help would be desperately appreciated. ;)

Here are a few more images:

1, 2, 3

posted by purephase to Shopping (25 answers total)

Those are nice boots. But other than the heel, I fail to see what really draws her to them. Whatever you do, keep her away from here.

But if my advice goes unheeded. Ebay can be your friend.
posted by ktrey at 9:04 PM on October 23, 2008 [2 favorites]

Slightly different style of heel, but this pair of Camper boots runs just under $200.
posted by crazycanuck at 9:12 PM on October 23, 2008

Response by poster: She contends that the pictures don't do them justice. In her words:

"The heel is the perfect height. They feel like the perfect pair of gloves."

I forgot to mention that there is a local store that sells them but their price is much higher than list on the Camper site. Thanks for the eBay suggestion. We checked, but no such luck. She agrees with your position on Fluevog.
posted by purephase at 9:15 PM on October 23, 2008

She should look for something similar here. Found on the blue.
posted by Airhen at 9:23 PM on October 23, 2008

Modvista (via this post on the blue, by way of this post on projects) or Like/Riya might help point you find similar boots.
posted by necessitas at 9:27 PM on October 23, 2008

Best answer: What is a "bit steep" to you?

Zappos has these by Nine West (the heel is bigger but not super high).

And these but also different heel (platform). And these, which might be near the price of the Campers.

Also, check out Miz Mooz...I've heard good things but can't speak from my own experience.

(I am still searching for the perfect boot...heel not too high/good comfort/reasonable price. Its very sweet that you are helping)
posted by hazel at 9:29 PM on October 23, 2008

Hmm, that should have been "might help you" or "might point you in the right direction"
posted by necessitas at 9:29 PM on October 23, 2008

I would just buy the Campers. It is very hard to find a pair of great fitting boots. They are practical too, heel, style, and colour-wise.
posted by Acer_saccharum at 9:38 PM on October 23, 2008 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Honestly, just buy the Campers if she loves them that much. I had a short pair of Camper boots (flat, no heel) that looked just like that, and they were my **favorite** pair of footwear. I just had them resoled and relined, and they're not the same :-( Maybe a heeled pair isn't as practical and thus she won't wear them as often, but if she gets use out of boots like that, just bite the bullet. Perfect shoes are worth it if it's a rare occasion.
posted by barnone at 9:48 PM on October 23, 2008

Best answer: Buy her the boots! Do you love her? Won't you love some other useless thing sometime in the future like a plasma tv or whatever that you will want her to support you on purchasing? If this will bust you then that is different, but if this is just a splurge, well, you need to let your wife splurge every now and then. Ignore this advice at your peril.
posted by caddis at 9:59 PM on October 23, 2008 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Campers are so well made and so much healthier for your feet than most of the alternatives suggested that I'd just buy them online at the cheapest price you can find. They are last years style btw, so you should be able to get something.
posted by fshgrl at 10:38 PM on October 23, 2008

Not to encourage you to spend more money in these difficult times, but I've never, ever regretted buying a pair of expensive shoes. They're always worth it.
posted by timoni at 11:08 PM on October 23, 2008

yup, each pair of footwear one buys means less wear & tear on the rest!
posted by troy at 11:34 PM on October 23, 2008 [1 favorite]

I have larger than average calves and high boots are the Golden Grail.
Just buy them, love them, resole them when necessary. They look very practical and versatile.
posted by like_neon at 3:12 AM on October 24, 2008

Best answer: Never, ever buy a cheap alternative to something quality that you really want. I once heard Vivienne Westwood being asked why her clothes were so expensive. She explained that they were well made and that a lot of time and energy went into their design and production. She hoped that customers could save up for something beautiful, desirable and high quality and then wear the item with a special feeling for many years to come, rather than cycle through several cheaply made imitations that will never be the real thing in the same time period. When you see the "right" thing you either have to go out and get it, or forget it completely. Your wife will be sitting there in her polyutherane knock-offs and she'll still be pining over the Camper website, so just try and get the real thing. Camper shoes are very good value.
posted by fire&wings at 3:15 AM on October 24, 2008 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Pile-on! I spent $200 on a pair of black leather boots two years ago and I wear them nearly every day all fall and winter. They have a heel and yet they're incredibly comfortable (and I have very difficult feet to fit) and I have never ever regretted paying what I did for them. Merry Christmas, Mrs Purephrase!
posted by kate blank at 5:59 AM on October 24, 2008

Also -- I notice you're in Canada. Are you looking only for sources within Canada or are you willing to ship from the US?
posted by kate blank at 6:07 AM on October 24, 2008

Best answer: Yeah, I wear Campers as my primary winter boot (in New York where all the walking kills normal shoes). They last me two to three years a pair. Get her the boots.
posted by dame at 6:21 AM on October 24, 2008

I Nth buying them (provided it won't break the bank, obviously). If she really loves them, they'll last years. I too have never regretted buying expensive boots.
posted by neblina_matinal at 6:53 AM on October 24, 2008

If they're $500, look for alternatives, but if it's $200, just suck it up and buy them (I mean, if that's remotely within your budget for extremely good quality shoes that will last for years).
posted by bettafish at 7:51 AM on October 24, 2008

Best answer: I (also in Canada) just bought shoes from camper.com. The duty was a pain, but they took three days to get here and they're very, very nice shoes. Cheap, no, but excellent in the value-for-money department. It's not like plain black leather boots are going to go out of style anytime soon; buy the Campers.
posted by kmennie at 8:33 AM on October 24, 2008

If it were me, I would decide what I was willing to spend, say $200CDN.

These boots are $310USD.

Then if I really loved these and they were both comfortable and likely to be used a lot, I would figure out a way to save the difference over the next four weeks, and promise myself to take the necessary steps (brown bag it, etc.).

Then I would buy the lovely boots and be a good budgeter until the purchase is justified.
posted by girlpublisher at 9:14 AM on October 24, 2008

I also say if she loves the boots, buy the boots.

but Eddie Bauer of all places has a similar style, that while not quite as sleek, has a very similar heel to it.
posted by kumquatmay at 10:56 AM on October 24, 2008

Best answer: If she loves the boots, and you can scrape the money together to buy the boots, buy the boots. I just went through this with my wife with a pair of boots. Even though they were way to expensive for us, they made her happy. We will never be able to afford (nor want to really when it comes down to it) to live a high fashion lifestyle, but she will always have those boots.
posted by Silvertree at 11:40 AM on October 24, 2008

Response by poster: I think the consensus is in (not that it's surprising). We're going back to the store tomorrow so she can try them on again. Just to be sure.

Thanks for all the help (and links to other sites, you've given her a lot more sites to drool over).
posted by purephase at 6:40 PM on October 24, 2008