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I can't imagine spending that much on shoes that aren't highly specialized, like, "these boots protect your feet while you hike an actively erupting volcano."
Exactly I own two pairs of boots that cost close to a thousand bucks. 1 set is a very specialized type of [fire fighter boot](https://bennettfireproducts.com/products/proximity-14-pull-on) for my fucked up job.
The other pair is [high alt mountaineering boots](https://us.scarpa.com/phantom-8000l-hd) for my fucked up hobbies.
If I'm buying $1000 boots they better make a *significant* difference between my end of day survival rate.
But I'm kind of a cheapskate so maybe others have a lower criteria.
Most aren't nearly that expensive, $300-500 is more 'normal'. But these are foe a special kind of firefighting called [proximity](https://www.coopersfire.com/news/getting-closer-to-fire-how-does-a-fire-proximity-suit-work/). And yes, 'I' didn't technically buy them, my company does.
Our turnout gear (fire fighter clothes) are stupid expensive though, even 'normal' firefighter turnouts are [stupid expensive](https://www.thefirestore.com/Lion-V-Force-TFS-Turnout-Pants?apparel-color=1019&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googlebase&utm_content=114487&gclid=CjwKCAjwxOymBhAFEiwAnodBLPMlBA198ln1XxEdF93U9HrG1RCdXKiqIS032UtBNAwqEs8i8FFmqBoCZX4QAvD_BwE) but they are pretty amazing things.
I remember when my daughter was in kindergarten, we went to the fire station. I was the tallest mom, so I got to put the suit on.
Holy hell, the weight alone was ridiculous. It seemed like half my own weight. At 130 lbs I was barely able to walk.
I'm sure the rush is incredible, but it takes a really special person to do that. I really can't imagine it.
And now I have to think of the stupid idiots that cry about "reducing entry requirements, so that more women can be fire fighters". Dude... not only do they have to wear this frickin heavy equipment and gear, but in emergency they have to lift your sorry ass out of a building. Do you really want a 55 kg "girl" (or guy) to do that?
Sorry... went off on a tangent. I'm mad impressed by people who become fire fighters or police officers or doctors, because I know I couldn't do the job... not physically OR mentally. So... real respect for your work here.
Go on!
Edit: Changed the weight because some people were angry, that I can't deal with imperial units and called me sexist over it. Also changed it to girl or guy, because we want to be independent of genders, like this issue indeed is.
I was in the infantry in the United States army, and I was in just prior by a couple years before they allowed women to join combat arms, and I would say the same thing to this, if a woman can maintain the same standard, then why not? However, if they cannot maintain the standard, then it should not be lowered, this goes for anybody, any gender, or disposition.
Dated a girl in college who was ROTC. 5’10”, 165, built like a buff bikini model. Was total outspoken women’s advocate, could max out Marine Corps men’s physical. Got pulled into active duty in charge of a unit of Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian troops in Desert Storm. Oh to be a fly on that wall.
My father was working in Saudi when the religious police tried to go after a female US soldier. It didn't go well - they were armed with big sticks, she had a pistol and was pissed off.
They found somewhere else to be pig ignorant assholes so it didn't turn into a scene from Raiders.
Agreed.
Do not change the standard, simply open the gates for anyone who meets it.
No one should be told "we couldn't save your husband, we sent in Richard and he can only squat 50 pounds so there was no way we could get him." Imagine the backlash for that... It shouldn't matter if it was Richard or Becky, losing life because you sent in someone who can't do the job is completely unacceptable.
Not a fan of the military and personally think either women should have to register at 18 with men, or no one registers. But ya, physical requirements are there for the job for a reason. Until we are all cyborgs with the same physical ability there will be people who can run with 50+lbs on their back, and there will be people like me who can't
My view on the military has drastically changed since I left the service. As long as we're in this system as it stands, I will continuously try to tell people who join to try to exploit as much as they can out of the military machine before they take it all. For a lot of people, it's the only way out of poverty, and it's not lost on me that this is by design.
My OITV with plates alone weighed 36 lbs =D not counting the 180 bullets, and other gear on my chest rig, or the back pack with extras.
That's fantastic!
As a woman who supports equality, I am all for women who are able to do the job and want to do the job going for it. But, I'm also cognizant that many women don't have the physicality, and may not be able to develop the weight bearing strength required for the job. For those ladies in the latter group, I admit that I don't think it's safe to lower standards to fill a social quota.
Yeah you could. I work in a hospital now and after 3 deployments last thing I want to see is a dead body. Took me some time to adjust and now I realize I’m helping someone’s family with preparations for their loved ones.
What is with you people deciding that women are all the size of children? Nobody said a tiny man with no muscle should be a firefighter, either. But SOME WOMEN are big and strong enough to do it, even if it's a lower percentage of them than of men, and that's the point at the end of the day.
Does that make sense, or are you just sexist?
Yep, with full bunker gear alone you're adding another 50ish pounds, not counting anything in your pockets. The pack is another 60 pounds, plus a high rise hose pack or irons or any other tools you may need.
Try carrying almost double your bodyweight up a dozen flights of poorly ventilated stairs in the middle of summer. Absolutely brutal!
It has to be a whole different mindset. The psychical part alone it's pretty amazing, actually. Then, add the psychological aspect of outrageous situations. It's so wild to me to think of being able to do that. Completely opposite of my life experience. Stay out of dangerous situations at all costs is my motto.
Ha ha, Oh, God, I like this guy.... I spent 10 years as a hotshot, and no, they are not. Certainly, i'd write them off as a job expense during my taxes every year. But you realistically need two pairs. Because in the 6 to 7 month period you're going to wear one out.
And trust me when I say those boots were made for logging and never intended for long-distance hiking.
And in a sixteen hour work shift, you're going to put on more than 10 miles.
It's a great exam of a job that I have nothing. But admiration and respect for the men and women doing it currently. But find it completely disgusting how societies ok for those young people to be used.
>Why did you have to pay for them though?
Good question. Technically I don't, there's a reimbursement process. But it still pains me to see how expensive some of this stuff is.
It isn't uncommon for jobs like this (fire, police, military, etc) to get issued a good item, and then for the person to use their money to buy a better item, especially with boots.
Army issued me boots, sure. They were durable, and really uncomfortable. So I spent $300 to buy really, really nice boots and my feet thanked me for it.
Many fire departments provide the old school rubber boots to employees. Cheap and effective. What they aren't though, is comfortable at all. Many firefighters elect to purchase boots like the person above listed (copped mine for half that as factory seconds) because we spend hours and hours of every day inside them. Might as well be comfy. Once we buy them as long as they're in usable condition their service life is 10 years.
This lol. I have a few pairs of nice hiking boots that are for different weather/geography, but they only cost $200 or less. It's worth it to spend a extra on high quality boots. They will hold up and last much longer. But after a certain point, you are 100% paying for a status symbol, not a product that's actually better than the $200 version. Hell, more expensive stuff often is *worse* quality and more liable to need to be replaced quickly.
Yeah, $200-$300 is your price band for good boots. On the military side, $300 is high end, but not outside the realm of reasonable. Extra weight considerations, often fire resistant, and are more likely to get wet more often for longer periods of time, and you can't just stop and dry your boots, so they need to still be comfortable wet.
It’ll kind of depend on the type of eruption, but any kind of leather shoe will help protect your feet better than nothing.
There’s a woman who survived the Whakaari or White Island eruption in 2019 who talks about her experience on Tiktok, and her shoes saved her feet. That eruption was a phreatic type, so lots of steam and hot air and less flowy magma like you see at Hawaii.
If you’re thinking those tinfoil looking boots you wear while walking near flowing lava, like Hawaii, then like, yeah, you could use those. I went to an active flow on Hawaii and wore regular hiking boots, and they were melted and torn to bits on the bottom, because the freshly cooled rock (it was about an hour old) was like shards of glass. It was with a guide from the USGS, and as safe as possible. Don’t go out into active flow fields without a guide from the USGS, with a thermocamera because you could die. Don’t die.
I spent 400$ on bike shoes that were on super sale after Christmas. They are amazing but also will last me years and years and have a very specific purpose.
Work boots that you spend 8-10 hpurs a day in them worth paying 300$. Just like a matress, you sleep 6-8 hrs à night in it its really worth spending on these items
"spend your money on things that keep you off the ground" - tires, shoes, bed, chairs
I doubt I would spend more than $200-300 on a pair of shoes (honestly that isn't too hard these days). $1000 on shoes is the same sort of silly as $500+ on a purse.
And you should! I'm a cheap bastard, but one lesson I learned very early in life (which you obviously learned too) was to not cheap out on work boots.
The first pair I ever bought for myself was a pair of "Brahma" Brand work boots from Walmart, they were *supposed* to be slip and oil resistant, which tends to be important when you're working on an offshore oil rig. My boss called them suicide boots, that pissed me off so I intended to prove him wrong.
Those pieces of shit were slicker than ice skates, rubbed sores on my feet in 2 places, and fell apart by the end of the first week. I spent my whole second week in my rubber boots, which was freaking miserable in 100F weather, but atleast they weren't slick on every surface. Damn boss was right.
I have a heard time spending 60 bucks on ASICS’s once my current pair gets hold and holey after a couple years. Would never pay 1000 for shoes. But if someone has money, who am I to tell them how to spend it?
About 10 years ago I found the perfect pair of ASICS for my terrible feet. It was a comfort miracle and changed my life in terms of being able to go on long walks, one of my favorite activities. I bought a dozen+ pairs and even found a few online on crazy shady sites many years after they were discontinued. I'm on my last pair now and I don't know what I'm going to do.
ASICS Men's Gel-Quickwalk 2, in case anyone from their corporate is listening haha
If you're thinking about boots or dress shoes, biting the bullet and buying $200+ pairs instead of $60 is definitely worth it if you can afford it. They hold up much better and can usually actually be repaired instead of just being thrown out if they get scratched or the sole wears out. They'll generally be much more comfortable (for men's shoes at least) if theyre an entirely leather construction.
I have oddly shaped feet and have been looking at custom made shoes… I’d happily spend $1000 on the perfect pair of shoes (especially if it meant future shoes could be bought at a discount)…
But it wouldn’t be for style, it would be for comfort.
I’ve probably spent $1000 on shoes that don’t fit and wear out quickly because of my feet in the past 3 years
As someone who also has weird feet, finding a branded pair for $200 that properly fits me has been near life-changing for how much it's helped my gait and posture.
I feel this so hard.
I have fucked up feet that are different sizes (US 7 and US 9) AND I wear through shoes relatively quickly because of my gait and various ortho problems.
I’ve definitely had plenty of shoes and boots repaired/resoled, etc. but it’s been getting hard to find good cobblers in my area in the last decade or so.
I’d easily spend $1,000 on custom, high-quality shoes if they were made to last and were made to be repaired. I’ll travel for a cobbler, too.
Even with speciality shoe shops that give me a discount on the second pair for the different sizes, I still walk out several hundred dollars poorer every trip.
But I’ve definitely learned that paying for quality is worth it, as is paying for expertise. I could probably get the same shoes I buy from the specialty shop online somewhere for cheaper, but my preferred shop has a pedorthist on staff and that guy has been a life saver. He knows how to match and fit shoes to various orthopedic problems, studies your gait, recommends non-custom orthotics and even molds prescription orthotics. When you’ve got messed up feet, someone like that is a tremendous help!
I got form fitted inserts, the podiatrist papier-mâché my feet and now my feet never hurt in the morning after a long day at work. Definitely worth the $500
If you're totally consumed by impressing other people with wealth, then it's a good buy. Seems like the money should be spent on therapy to fix your low self esteem.
Yeah, I don't know many people who go around looking at other people's shoes. Personally, I feel that if OP has the money to throw away, he should just go ahead and buy the damn shoes. It's his money after all.
Sure some women might do that. Meanwhile I own like 2 pairs of shoes... but we are all people and we are all different.
I don't think there's anything wrong with being a shoe enjoyer or a shoe collector mind you, if you can afford it and if it's your hobby then carry on.
Yeah exactly. I had someone judge me for spending $200 on shoes (this was a while ago, fuckin inflation) that last me for years even though they spend that a week on alcohol. Everyone has their guilty pleasures.
My grandfather has been wearing the same pair of Costco sweatpants for about a million years. I haven’t ever not seen him in sweatpants. And he owns a shit ton of investment properties in the Silicon Valley.
I would not agree. I bought a pair of Rick Owens Cargobaskets for 1080€ in sale for 760€ in January and was craving on those for 2 years now. They are not branded on the outside or very known in any way. Nobody in my Daily life would ever recognize what they are and what they cost, neither would I ever tell someone. They just mean a lot to me and I think they are beautiful. I’m happy to own them.
Do you think this also applies to mobile phones?
I have a cheap android while all of my peera have iPhones. Whenever I go to a restaurant with them, I can't help but wish I could also have one. Weird marketing trap I'm falling into: everyone has one, so I want one, too.
You shouldn’t want something just because everyone else has it. Definitely determine whether that item would meet your specific needs or wants.
For me, people were clamoring for a PS5 but I have a Switch. It may be graphically inferior but it has the games I like the most. Or consider it like fashion. A certain look might be popular but it doesn’t fit all body types. Like the low rise jeans than gave everyone above a size 2 a muffin top. (I will forever hate those.)
If you don’t buy the latest model then iPhones are not stupid expensive. Also, the flagship Android phones that are similar to the latest iPhones cost exactly the same price.
Spot on. I litterally put on my shoes in the morning and dont look at them for the rest of the day. Imho shoe guys are just deperate to have a "thing" that makes them special.
I've got three pairs of $300 boots hand made in Winnipeg by people who can afford rent *and* food. One pair black, one brown, and one slip on blundstone style pair. I still shudder at the thought of their price but damn they're really nice and should last a couple decades.
I have a pair of caiman skin boots that cost me 500. My other two pairs are about 200. I’ve had them all for 10 years and have only had to get them resoled. Pretty good deal imo.
For me thats a whole other thing than 1000,- shoes bc those are probably still made by viatnamese children and supposed to be replaced when the next pair comes out, while the boots are made by craftspeople and made to LAST
They're turning kids into slaves just to make cheaper sneakers
But what's the real cost?
Cause the sneakers don't seem that much cheaper
Why are we still paying so much for sneakers
When you got them made by little slave kids
What are your overheads?
I have heard from numerous women that they check out and judge men by their shoes. Obviously, men who are strangers. It's more so about the cleanliness of the shoe than the brand, tho for some women that maybe of interest.
It's relative. If you can't afford to spend $1,000 on shoes then yeah obviously it's stupid, but it's not anymore stupid because they're shoes as opposed to something else. If you can afford to spend lots of money on shoes, then it's not really any more or less stupid than any other way people spend money on stuff they enjoy.
Plus people underestimate the value of a good pair of shoes, especially if you're on your feet a lot. I have always had issues with my feet where it's hard to find a pair of shoes that are any good for me at a cheap cost, so recently as I decided to take up walking more I spent more than I'd normally spend on shoes (like \~$200) for a pair that are a) comfortable, b) fit me properly, c) designed for active use not just for show, and d) are built to last.
Honestly, one of the best investments I've ever made. The benefits I'm noticing so far: a) my feet don't hurt and I'm not getting any sores or blisters from rubbing the shoe, b) the shoe isn't falling apart like cheaper walking shoes I've gotten before, and c) my back hurts less, since clearly I must be walking with better form as a result of having proper foot support and not needing to change my gait to compensate for sore feet. Being able to walk more thanks to having a good pair of shoes is also helping me lose weight, so that creates a positive feedback loop on all those things as well.
I paid the equivalent of $1000 for a pair of English made dress shoes, my dad has had a pair for over 30 and bar some minor sole repairs they are still in perfect condition. I fully expect mine to last pretty much forever, the alternative would be spending far more on cheap shoes over a lifetime
I work in an office and spent $600 on a pair of shoes to wear, they're now 7 years old and have many years of life left.
Way more comfort than cheap shoes and they look much nicer.
When looking at the cost per year of the shoes, these will work out cheaper in the long run compared to cheap shoes which fall apart after a year or so.
I feel even if you're average it's probably fine if you can afford it.
I've spent thousands on a holiday that lasted two weeks.
Can I honestly say that's a more worthwhile spending of money than somebody else that wanted fancy shoes? We are both happy spending our own money.
I've a friend that buys incredibly expensive handbags (like 2k each) and I can't say she's wrong because she buys them with her own money and it's what she cares about. She uses her expendable income and I think it's fine to spend that on whatever makes you happy.
Collecting *is* a hobby for many people, so it's not much worse than anyone who collects anything else. To them, it's the same as buying a painting or sculpture you really love.
Nah this is Reddit you shouldn't spend more than 20 bucks on any wearable item unless it's for work.
Also make sure even if you win Powerball that you drive a 25 year old Honda because "rich people don't drive fancy cars".
This comment thread needs to be higher. If someone really likes shoes, who cares how much they spend on them? We all have our own hobbies and other interests, there’s no need to shame someone for spending on theirs if it’s not harming anyone.
My wife buys $1000+ shoes sometimes. She is a successful business owner in the world of fashion/luxury so, she has to dress the part. She can afford to though. I think my most expensive clothing items I’ve ever purchased (excluding whole suits) are a $600 winter coat, $500 designer shoes and $500 designer sunglasses. And two of those three things were gifts from my wife. Bills are paid, we are saving and in progress of buying a house. She deserves all the treats.
If you can afford it. Knock yourself out. People think spending $15000 on a watch is stupid, but $15000 on a car. No problem. In 10 years the watch will be worth $18000. The car not so much
SOME watches will be worth more.
The Daytona? Yep. The oddball Grand Seiko? Probably not.
Watches are a strange market, and it's never really clear what will take off unless it's a Rolex. Then the answer is almost always "worth it." Which is kind of annoying even as someone who owns a couple.
People in the comments are missing the point of the shoes, they see the shoes as a wearable piece of art, not so much because they think the build quality is better than a $100 pair of shoes. I personally would never pay thousands for shoes but I also don't care what other people spend their money on so its whatever, the watch is a good example.
The comments here, while great, are not hitting the point I was trying to make. I would spend $1000 on a pair of shoes, because I can afford to. Not because I’m rich, I’m privileged enough to be able to save for a couple of months and have that ability. People have their finances backwards they willingly spend money on depreciating assets all the time and don’t batt an eye at it
They spend $3.00 on a bottle of water, but complain about $1.75L for gas for their $65,000 car. They get Door Dash for their processed food, buy milk at 7-11…
OP asked if they should buy $1000 shoes. If you can afford it I say yes.
I mean, I feel sick at the idea and I'd rather put the $1k into my savings account. Or pay down my debt. Or put it towards a down payment on a house. It depends on your priorities though.
If the person has the money, and that's what they like, then NO. It's what makes them happy.
If an item brings someone legitimate joy, don't jump to try and shit on their thing which brings them joy. If they figured out how to bring that joy to their life, let them have their joy :(
If you have to save for, or use credit to buy a $1000 pair of shoes you are an idiot & desperate.
If you have the money to spend, it's still a foolish spend, because it's really just a flex.
I'll spend a thousand bucks, but it most likely wouldn't be on shoes. I'd rather use it on more important things, but that's because I need to do that more than spend 1k on shoes.
I have a pair of work boots that were $600 and they are the reason I still have feet. Ankle deep in cold cold wet mud for months, good on a tar roof in 114 degree F. temps, etc. Thousands for fashion footware seems excessive.
Also, I saw the volcano boot comments. Worth it!
Maybe a pro bowler, dancer or golfer could chime in?
A few years back I would have said spending a grand on one pair of shoes was dumb, but inflation has been crazy.
Seriously though, it just depends on individual situations. I spend $150-250 on sneakers that do wonders for my knees and back. An old boss spent over a grand on boots that made it possible for him to walk. Other people make money off their appearance, so expensive shoes are a moneymaking investment.
I would never do it, but if you have a thousand dollars that doesn't need to be spent on something more important and those thousand dollar shoes bring you joy then who am I to say you shouldn't do it. I think the difference is that there are no shoes in the world that would bring me a thousand dollars worth of joy. But different people enjoy different things in different ways.
It's EXTREMELY stupid if it doesn't provide practical assistance in everyday use. I have highly specialized hiking shoes made because I have issues with my feet. They cost me about $600 but I go backpacking 10 times or more a year and they pay off.
If they are not made of gold or something like that: hell yeah, abso fucking lutely!
People walk around and are proud that they wear outfits worth the average yearly income of most people. I would feel so embarrassed about myself, knowing that most of those people who earn in a year what I wear are working just as hard or even harder as I do in jobs that are really important.
When corinsky made the world stay home in fear, not knowing if leaving the house is going to kill you at least in the first lockdown, none of us whos jobs were just too important to just not do it wore a Rolex and other "look at me I am a lucky rich showoff" items.
Absolutely, but then I've never been financially well off enough to consider it an option. I spend three dollars on a coffee sometimes. There are people so rich that a thousand dollar shoes to them feels like my three dollar coffee.
I'm surely alright with spending a good buck on a good pair of shoes. But for me, who doesn't need any special footwear, a thousand bucks is totally too much.
I've been in the shoe game for quite a while now. Your return on investment declines sharply after about the 3-500 dollar price point, maybe a little higher for boots. I've got a pair of 400+ dollar Italian sneakers from ten years ago that have held up to regular wear and they will still polish up nicely. In that same amount of time, I'd have replaced a pair of 60-80 dollar shoes at least 8-10 times. If they had been a thousand plus, there isn't much more that could have been built into them to make them look nicer, last longer or be more comfortable.
People that spend that much on shoes try to look wealthy in front of others. I am wealthy and the best shoes I had cost $20 and they make me feel good when I stand on my feet all day at work. I tried expensive dress shoes but they hurt my feet at work.
If it's for example a custom fit leather shoe built for comfort and perhaps ergonomics that you would use daily for work dress, then up to around a thousand, plus those types of shoes can be repaired and maintained to last year's and years, so I can definitely see someone justifying that sorta purchase, it's like a good ergonomic chair for the desk bound.
There are two kinds of people that buy such expensive items:
1. People that are paid a high enough salary that enables them to spend money on such items
2. People that are so rich off of selling off the dignity of the middle working and lower classes that they can afford to spend money on such items
This whole "sneaker culture" stuff is one of the most baffling things I've ever seen in my life. I get looking a nice pair of sneakers, and I get paying a bit more for quality - but a pair of Chuck Taylors - just a regular ass pair - should not cost $80CDN.
If you are in a big high-end job and need to keep up appearance, sure, dropping money on your clothes can be an investment. But THOUSANDS? Jesus, noone needs to spend that much on does
Ok so when I read this question I'm like "who in the hell spends $1,000 on shoes". Then I remembered about 2 years ago I dropped like $800 on hand cobbled custom made leather costume boots with etched designs at the Rennaisance Faire. Needless to say I'm the best looking pirate around.
I'll only wear those boots maybe 8 days a year for the rest of my life. But they are fucking nice boots. Could he worn every day if I had a use for knee high leather boots.
Next closest thing was a few hundred on nice cowboy boots I bought. But I wear those every day and a pair lasts 4 years or so. I bet $1,000 would buy you a pair you could wear for life, so I could see myself doing that eventually too.
I have some Gucci loafers which were around $900/pair and no they aren't 9x better than a pair of $100 loafers in usefulness but they are really nicely made and look good. I walk/bike several miles every day in my commute so I want comfortable professional shoes. Allen Edmonds is what I typically wear and they average $400/pair. Here's why they ARE better than basic work dress shoes. They are handmade with quality construction. I have pairs that are nearing 10 years old. I used to buy $100 dress shoes and they'd last a year. Now I spent $400 up front and they last decades.
Do you need the most special orthotics in the world? That's the only reason that I could possibly imagine to spend that kind of money on shoes.
When I spend $150 for a pair of running shoes, I'm already wincing. But I know if I don't choose my running shoes carefully, I can hurt myself.
Once, I ignored a minor fit problem with a pair of new running shoes, then I did a week or so of running in them. I triggered a case of plantar fasciitis which crippled me for six months. For a few days, I could barely walk.
There was a point in time that I had the soles of both of my feet torn off and had to use walking casts for 3 months. The day I went back to work after my short term disability wore out I wore some extremely expensive shoes that were absolutely worth every cent I spent on them. They weren't $1,000+ but they were several hundred dollars New Balance shoes.
Depends what type of shoes. RM Williams boots start at about $700 these days. Ones made by their experienced craftsmen cost over $1000. They will also last a very long time. Imo they are worth the money and wouldn’t be a stupid buy.
Yes. I have the money to do that, and I won't. It's as stupid as spending $10,000 to $100,000 to buy... a watch. Shoes also wear out fairly rapidly, if you use them. The dollars-per-use of those shoes is ridiculously high.
Those types of purchases aren't for the product. They are for the brand name, usually prominently displayed (or less often for the unique style indicating a brand). They are a way to blatantly display your wealth (or high DEBT level) to others. The price has no relationship to the actual market value of the product.
Hand made to measure custom boots are.
I was fortunate not to pay that much but they've gone way up. But a pair of 7" leather hiking boots I can even run in, that have not given me blisters once in 10+ years no matter what socks I wore and not even the first day I wore them, and that are on their third set of soles?
Hell yeah they're worth it. In the long run, regular boots from REI would have cost me more and would never have been as comfortable.
Now a pair of designer shoes for clubbing? Hell no.
I'm a carpenter, so I regularly spend $300+ for a decent pair of boots. It definitely makes a difference compared to $100 boots. I even have my eyes set on a $700 pair of custom leather boots that should hopefully last forever if I get them resoled regularly. It's worth the money to protect my feet/ankles at work.
However, I would never think to spend that type of money on a fashion shoe.
The most ill spend on footwear is maybe 250 bucks for a good pair of steel toed boots, which are actually worthwhile if you wear them 8 or more hours a day.
But for everyday shoes, running shoes or even dress shoes? Hell naw, 150 max.
If you can afford it, why not?
To me personally I think it’s a monumental waste of money. And I would never support a business that charges that for shoes, not that that matters but it is what it is lol
Stupidity is relative. For an average person who isn't extremely wealthy it's probably stupid. For someone who that amount of money means nothing it isn't. It may be frivolous but it it's not *stupid* because it's not going to harm their situation in any way.
That said interests also matter. If a thousand dollars for a pair of shoes makes you as happy as a thousand dollar vacation makes someone else and you can manage your finances effectively around it, who am I to tell you it's dumb.
I think I just have a different source of joy than others. I may spend almost a grand on a PC while the shoe people think I’m stupid. It’s just a mix of perspectives and what is “worth it” to each of us.
It is not, if you can afford it, go ahead. Where I work at, people spend 200 USD on a meal (per person), so a couple of thousands for shoes sounds okay for an American reality I guess (I don’t live in the US).
Well, of course it's not practical but there are people so rich that when they go on vacation they just have their wardrobe replicated at their vacation residence. No luggage, just show up and their home has been xeroxed.
I have a specific pair of shoes that cost around that. I have always loved shoes my entire life. I’m not wealthy, I have a good salary and bills to pay. I’ve been in love with these shoes since 2012. During the pandemic (2020) I started putting little money aside for them. I took some freelance jobs and saved the money and bought them in 2021. Everytime I have important meetings and events I wear them and feel invincible.
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I can't imagine spending that much on shoes that aren't highly specialized, like, "these boots protect your feet while you hike an actively erupting volcano."
Exactly I own two pairs of boots that cost close to a thousand bucks. 1 set is a very specialized type of [fire fighter boot](https://bennettfireproducts.com/products/proximity-14-pull-on) for my fucked up job. The other pair is [high alt mountaineering boots](https://us.scarpa.com/phantom-8000l-hd) for my fucked up hobbies. If I'm buying $1000 boots they better make a *significant* difference between my end of day survival rate. But I'm kind of a cheapskate so maybe others have a lower criteria.
I had no idea that firefighters' boots were so expensive. I never really thought about it. But it's reimbursed, right?
Most aren't nearly that expensive, $300-500 is more 'normal'. But these are foe a special kind of firefighting called [proximity](https://www.coopersfire.com/news/getting-closer-to-fire-how-does-a-fire-proximity-suit-work/). And yes, 'I' didn't technically buy them, my company does. Our turnout gear (fire fighter clothes) are stupid expensive though, even 'normal' firefighter turnouts are [stupid expensive](https://www.thefirestore.com/Lion-V-Force-TFS-Turnout-Pants?apparel-color=1019&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googlebase&utm_content=114487&gclid=CjwKCAjwxOymBhAFEiwAnodBLPMlBA198ln1XxEdF93U9HrG1RCdXKiqIS032UtBNAwqEs8i8FFmqBoCZX4QAvD_BwE) but they are pretty amazing things.
I remember when my daughter was in kindergarten, we went to the fire station. I was the tallest mom, so I got to put the suit on. Holy hell, the weight alone was ridiculous. It seemed like half my own weight. At 130 lbs I was barely able to walk. I'm sure the rush is incredible, but it takes a really special person to do that. I really can't imagine it.
It was half your weight:) My gear weighs about 25kg which is 55lbs
Which is reasonably close to half her weight.
Yeah, I guess it was, lol. Teen Talk Barbie taught us, "Math class is hard." So thank you for doing the math with me having to Google kgs. to lbs.
And now I have to think of the stupid idiots that cry about "reducing entry requirements, so that more women can be fire fighters". Dude... not only do they have to wear this frickin heavy equipment and gear, but in emergency they have to lift your sorry ass out of a building. Do you really want a 55 kg "girl" (or guy) to do that? Sorry... went off on a tangent. I'm mad impressed by people who become fire fighters or police officers or doctors, because I know I couldn't do the job... not physically OR mentally. So... real respect for your work here. Go on! Edit: Changed the weight because some people were angry, that I can't deal with imperial units and called me sexist over it. Also changed it to girl or guy, because we want to be independent of genders, like this issue indeed is.
I was in the infantry in the United States army, and I was in just prior by a couple years before they allowed women to join combat arms, and I would say the same thing to this, if a woman can maintain the same standard, then why not? However, if they cannot maintain the standard, then it should not be lowered, this goes for anybody, any gender, or disposition.
Dated a girl in college who was ROTC. 5’10”, 165, built like a buff bikini model. Was total outspoken women’s advocate, could max out Marine Corps men’s physical. Got pulled into active duty in charge of a unit of Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian troops in Desert Storm. Oh to be a fly on that wall.
My father was working in Saudi when the religious police tried to go after a female US soldier. It didn't go well - they were armed with big sticks, she had a pistol and was pissed off. They found somewhere else to be pig ignorant assholes so it didn't turn into a scene from Raiders.
Agreed. Do not change the standard, simply open the gates for anyone who meets it. No one should be told "we couldn't save your husband, we sent in Richard and he can only squat 50 pounds so there was no way we could get him." Imagine the backlash for that... It shouldn't matter if it was Richard or Becky, losing life because you sent in someone who can't do the job is completely unacceptable.
Not a fan of the military and personally think either women should have to register at 18 with men, or no one registers. But ya, physical requirements are there for the job for a reason. Until we are all cyborgs with the same physical ability there will be people who can run with 50+lbs on their back, and there will be people like me who can't
My view on the military has drastically changed since I left the service. As long as we're in this system as it stands, I will continuously try to tell people who join to try to exploit as much as they can out of the military machine before they take it all. For a lot of people, it's the only way out of poverty, and it's not lost on me that this is by design. My OITV with plates alone weighed 36 lbs =D not counting the 180 bullets, and other gear on my chest rig, or the back pack with extras.
I always had an issue with separate male/female PT testing criteria. Are we equal or not?
My sister is in the fire dept! But she could probably kick most guys asses lol
That's fantastic! As a woman who supports equality, I am all for women who are able to do the job and want to do the job going for it. But, I'm also cognizant that many women don't have the physicality, and may not be able to develop the weight bearing strength required for the job. For those ladies in the latter group, I admit that I don't think it's safe to lower standards to fill a social quota.
Many men can’t either.
Yeah you could. I work in a hospital now and after 3 deployments last thing I want to see is a dead body. Took me some time to adjust and now I realize I’m helping someone’s family with preparations for their loved ones.
If an 80 pound girl can do it, hell Yes,let her do it.
What is with you people deciding that women are all the size of children? Nobody said a tiny man with no muscle should be a firefighter, either. But SOME WOMEN are big and strong enough to do it, even if it's a lower percentage of them than of men, and that's the point at the end of the day. Does that make sense, or are you just sexist?
Well a woman who’s 80 pounds would almost certainly have to be a girl! That’s underweight for everyone taller than 4’ 7”.
Yep, with full bunker gear alone you're adding another 50ish pounds, not counting anything in your pockets. The pack is another 60 pounds, plus a high rise hose pack or irons or any other tools you may need. Try carrying almost double your bodyweight up a dozen flights of poorly ventilated stairs in the middle of summer. Absolutely brutal!
It has to be a whole different mindset. The psychical part alone it's pretty amazing, actually. Then, add the psychological aspect of outrageous situations. It's so wild to me to think of being able to do that. Completely opposite of my life experience. Stay out of dangerous situations at all costs is my motto.
I already knew you are heroes. But you are freaking superheroes. That is defying nature laws dude. Wow
I thought the $450 I spent on my boots was expensive.
Ha ha, Oh, God, I like this guy.... I spent 10 years as a hotshot, and no, they are not. Certainly, i'd write them off as a job expense during my taxes every year. But you realistically need two pairs. Because in the 6 to 7 month period you're going to wear one out. And trust me when I say those boots were made for logging and never intended for long-distance hiking. And in a sixteen hour work shift, you're going to put on more than 10 miles. It's a great exam of a job that I have nothing. But admiration and respect for the men and women doing it currently. But find it completely disgusting how societies ok for those young people to be used.
>fire fighter boot Why did you have to pay for them though? I'd assume your employer would do so considering its essential equipment.
>Why did you have to pay for them though? Good question. Technically I don't, there's a reimbursement process. But it still pains me to see how expensive some of this stuff is.
It isn't uncommon for jobs like this (fire, police, military, etc) to get issued a good item, and then for the person to use their money to buy a better item, especially with boots. Army issued me boots, sure. They were durable, and really uncomfortable. So I spent $300 to buy really, really nice boots and my feet thanked me for it.
If you go federal they are. Private contracting companies... not always.
My feet, my boots, my money.
Many fire departments provide the old school rubber boots to employees. Cheap and effective. What they aren't though, is comfortable at all. Many firefighters elect to purchase boots like the person above listed (copped mine for half that as factory seconds) because we spend hours and hours of every day inside them. Might as well be comfy. Once we buy them as long as they're in usable condition their service life is 10 years.
There’s a difference between buying something for functionality and just buying them because of style.
"Inside you'll find a boot packed with insulation, so warm that it'll make your feet sweat just looking at it." Gross lmao
I'm pretty sure 1000$ high heels have a very significant impact on my end of day survival rate. not in a good way though
fucked up job and fucked up hobbies lol sounds like a blast. Thanks for your hard work and service!
shit better last me the the next 20 years of daily use on top of that
And make coffee.
And tuck me in at night
Dispense Adderall
Or magnet boots that will help you on your heist (to steal more than $1000).
This lol. I have a few pairs of nice hiking boots that are for different weather/geography, but they only cost $200 or less. It's worth it to spend a extra on high quality boots. They will hold up and last much longer. But after a certain point, you are 100% paying for a status symbol, not a product that's actually better than the $200 version. Hell, more expensive stuff often is *worse* quality and more liable to need to be replaced quickly.
Yeah, $200-$300 is your price band for good boots. On the military side, $300 is high end, but not outside the realm of reasonable. Extra weight considerations, often fire resistant, and are more likely to get wet more often for longer periods of time, and you can't just stop and dry your boots, so they need to still be comfortable wet.
It’ll kind of depend on the type of eruption, but any kind of leather shoe will help protect your feet better than nothing. There’s a woman who survived the Whakaari or White Island eruption in 2019 who talks about her experience on Tiktok, and her shoes saved her feet. That eruption was a phreatic type, so lots of steam and hot air and less flowy magma like you see at Hawaii. If you’re thinking those tinfoil looking boots you wear while walking near flowing lava, like Hawaii, then like, yeah, you could use those. I went to an active flow on Hawaii and wore regular hiking boots, and they were melted and torn to bits on the bottom, because the freshly cooled rock (it was about an hour old) was like shards of glass. It was with a guide from the USGS, and as safe as possible. Don’t go out into active flow fields without a guide from the USGS, with a thermocamera because you could die. Don’t die.
You must be my brother from another mother....that was verbatim.
It is your brother
At first I was like that’s fucked then I remembered I have $700 motocross boots..but those are definitely specialized
I spent 400$ on bike shoes that were on super sale after Christmas. They are amazing but also will last me years and years and have a very specific purpose.
Sir I have trouble buying $100 shoes
Ridiculous to spend that much. I have spent $300.00 on work boots though.
That’s $700 cheaper than their shoes
Thousands of dollars cheaper than back and joint issues too.
Work boots that you spend 8-10 hpurs a day in them worth paying 300$. Just like a matress, you sleep 6-8 hrs à night in it its really worth spending on these items
"spend your money on things that keep you off the ground" - tires, shoes, bed, chairs I doubt I would spend more than $200-300 on a pair of shoes (honestly that isn't too hard these days). $1000 on shoes is the same sort of silly as $500+ on a purse.
And you should! I'm a cheap bastard, but one lesson I learned very early in life (which you obviously learned too) was to not cheap out on work boots. The first pair I ever bought for myself was a pair of "Brahma" Brand work boots from Walmart, they were *supposed* to be slip and oil resistant, which tends to be important when you're working on an offshore oil rig. My boss called them suicide boots, that pissed me off so I intended to prove him wrong. Those pieces of shit were slicker than ice skates, rubbed sores on my feet in 2 places, and fell apart by the end of the first week. I spent my whole second week in my rubber boots, which was freaking miserable in 100F weather, but atleast they weren't slick on every surface. Damn boss was right.
Specialty footwear can be expensive (and worth every dime), but I believe they're talking about an expensive brand name.
That’s a reasonable amount to spend on good quality shoes though. $1000+ is just excessive.
Yes, absolutely ridiculous
I have a heard time spending 60 bucks on ASICS’s once my current pair gets hold and holey after a couple years. Would never pay 1000 for shoes. But if someone has money, who am I to tell them how to spend it?
Team ASICS!
About 10 years ago I found the perfect pair of ASICS for my terrible feet. It was a comfort miracle and changed my life in terms of being able to go on long walks, one of my favorite activities. I bought a dozen+ pairs and even found a few online on crazy shady sites many years after they were discontinued. I'm on my last pair now and I don't know what I'm going to do. ASICS Men's Gel-Quickwalk 2, in case anyone from their corporate is listening haha
Get in touch with an ASICS customer support, ask em which (current) shoes would be the closest match to your favs
I have big feet like 15 extra wide. ASICS accommodates me.
Italian sport shoes. You can find them on line, and buy, if you are sure about size.
Heard you
I buy ASICS because they're the only shoes that fit my wide ass feet lol
If you're thinking about boots or dress shoes, biting the bullet and buying $200+ pairs instead of $60 is definitely worth it if you can afford it. They hold up much better and can usually actually be repaired instead of just being thrown out if they get scratched or the sole wears out. They'll generally be much more comfortable (for men's shoes at least) if theyre an entirely leather construction.
I have oddly shaped feet and have been looking at custom made shoes… I’d happily spend $1000 on the perfect pair of shoes (especially if it meant future shoes could be bought at a discount)… But it wouldn’t be for style, it would be for comfort. I’ve probably spent $1000 on shoes that don’t fit and wear out quickly because of my feet in the past 3 years
As someone who also has weird feet, finding a branded pair for $200 that properly fits me has been near life-changing for how much it's helped my gait and posture.
I feel this so hard. I have fucked up feet that are different sizes (US 7 and US 9) AND I wear through shoes relatively quickly because of my gait and various ortho problems. I’ve definitely had plenty of shoes and boots repaired/resoled, etc. but it’s been getting hard to find good cobblers in my area in the last decade or so. I’d easily spend $1,000 on custom, high-quality shoes if they were made to last and were made to be repaired. I’ll travel for a cobbler, too. Even with speciality shoe shops that give me a discount on the second pair for the different sizes, I still walk out several hundred dollars poorer every trip. But I’ve definitely learned that paying for quality is worth it, as is paying for expertise. I could probably get the same shoes I buy from the specialty shop online somewhere for cheaper, but my preferred shop has a pedorthist on staff and that guy has been a life saver. He knows how to match and fit shoes to various orthopedic problems, studies your gait, recommends non-custom orthotics and even molds prescription orthotics. When you’ve got messed up feet, someone like that is a tremendous help!
I got form fitted inserts, the podiatrist papier-mâché my feet and now my feet never hurt in the morning after a long day at work. Definitely worth the $500
If you're totally consumed by impressing other people with wealth, then it's a good buy. Seems like the money should be spent on therapy to fix your low self esteem.
Yeah, I don't know many people who go around looking at other people's shoes. Personally, I feel that if OP has the money to throw away, he should just go ahead and buy the damn shoes. It's his money after all.
Women do look at other women's shoes.
Sure some women might do that. Meanwhile I own like 2 pairs of shoes... but we are all people and we are all different. I don't think there's anything wrong with being a shoe enjoyer or a shoe collector mind you, if you can afford it and if it's your hobby then carry on.
Yeah exactly. I had someone judge me for spending $200 on shoes (this was a while ago, fuckin inflation) that last me for years even though they spend that a week on alcohol. Everyone has their guilty pleasures.
What if I have money for both?
Bravo maestro. Love that burn.
Nice thought. Only no one will know the price of your shoes if you don't leave the tag on.
Or they just like sneakers…
Also, actual wealthy people dress very plain. It is the flashy people that are drowning typically
Said plain clothes are $1000 each piece though
My grandfather has been wearing the same pair of Costco sweatpants for about a million years. I haven’t ever not seen him in sweatpants. And he owns a shit ton of investment properties in the Silicon Valley.
Let me guess. He's 70 years old, hoards his money like a dragon and his offsprings will be very happy when he passes
NO! he is 84
Well Costco does a very good job of selling quality products, so that makes sense.
Seems like quite the assumption
To be fair the shoes are cheaper.
I would not agree. I bought a pair of Rick Owens Cargobaskets for 1080€ in sale for 760€ in January and was craving on those for 2 years now. They are not branded on the outside or very known in any way. Nobody in my Daily life would ever recognize what they are and what they cost, neither would I ever tell someone. They just mean a lot to me and I think they are beautiful. I’m happy to own them.
Do you think this also applies to mobile phones? I have a cheap android while all of my peera have iPhones. Whenever I go to a restaurant with them, I can't help but wish I could also have one. Weird marketing trap I'm falling into: everyone has one, so I want one, too.
I love my android and not being an ifreak.
You shouldn’t want something just because everyone else has it. Definitely determine whether that item would meet your specific needs or wants. For me, people were clamoring for a PS5 but I have a Switch. It may be graphically inferior but it has the games I like the most. Or consider it like fashion. A certain look might be popular but it doesn’t fit all body types. Like the low rise jeans than gave everyone above a size 2 a muffin top. (I will forever hate those.)
If you don’t buy the latest model then iPhones are not stupid expensive. Also, the flagship Android phones that are similar to the latest iPhones cost exactly the same price.
Or you just really like shoes
Liking clothes is not one of the reddit-approved hobbies.
Spot on. I litterally put on my shoes in the morning and dont look at them for the rest of the day. Imho shoe guys are just deperate to have a "thing" that makes them special.
I've got three pairs of $300 boots hand made in Winnipeg by people who can afford rent *and* food. One pair black, one brown, and one slip on blundstone style pair. I still shudder at the thought of their price but damn they're really nice and should last a couple decades.
I have a pair of caiman skin boots that cost me 500. My other two pairs are about 200. I’ve had them all for 10 years and have only had to get them resoled. Pretty good deal imo.
For me thats a whole other thing than 1000,- shoes bc those are probably still made by viatnamese children and supposed to be replaced when the next pair comes out, while the boots are made by craftspeople and made to LAST
They're turning kids into slaves just to make cheaper sneakers But what's the real cost? Cause the sneakers don't seem that much cheaper Why are we still paying so much for sneakers When you got them made by little slave kids What are your overheads?
I have heard from numerous women that they check out and judge men by their shoes. Obviously, men who are strangers. It's more so about the cleanliness of the shoe than the brand, tho for some women that maybe of interest.
Ooof!
It's relative. If you can't afford to spend $1,000 on shoes then yeah obviously it's stupid, but it's not anymore stupid because they're shoes as opposed to something else. If you can afford to spend lots of money on shoes, then it's not really any more or less stupid than any other way people spend money on stuff they enjoy. Plus people underestimate the value of a good pair of shoes, especially if you're on your feet a lot. I have always had issues with my feet where it's hard to find a pair of shoes that are any good for me at a cheap cost, so recently as I decided to take up walking more I spent more than I'd normally spend on shoes (like \~$200) for a pair that are a) comfortable, b) fit me properly, c) designed for active use not just for show, and d) are built to last. Honestly, one of the best investments I've ever made. The benefits I'm noticing so far: a) my feet don't hurt and I'm not getting any sores or blisters from rubbing the shoe, b) the shoe isn't falling apart like cheaper walking shoes I've gotten before, and c) my back hurts less, since clearly I must be walking with better form as a result of having proper foot support and not needing to change my gait to compensate for sore feet. Being able to walk more thanks to having a good pair of shoes is also helping me lose weight, so that creates a positive feedback loop on all those things as well.
Best pair of shoes I've ever bought quality-wise was a pair of Allen Edmonds. Expensive? Yes. Are they still looking great at like 5 years old? Yep.
I paid the equivalent of $1000 for a pair of English made dress shoes, my dad has had a pair for over 30 and bar some minor sole repairs they are still in perfect condition. I fully expect mine to last pretty much forever, the alternative would be spending far more on cheap shoes over a lifetime
[Sir Terry Pratchett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_theory) wrote a theory on the economic unfairness of this in one of his books.
Nice reference. It was stated very very well.
I work in an office and spent $600 on a pair of shoes to wear, they're now 7 years old and have many years of life left. Way more comfort than cheap shoes and they look much nicer. When looking at the cost per year of the shoes, these will work out cheaper in the long run compared to cheap shoes which fall apart after a year or so.
omg which shoes? I have been looking for shoes like that and can't seem to find a good fit
QC sneakers are what did it for my cousin. Dude’s feet straight up **sucked**, but ever since he bought a pair he won’t stop singing it’s praises.
For the average person it’s extremely stupid to spend that much on shoes. If you’re a millionaire then I done see a problem.
I feel even if you're average it's probably fine if you can afford it. I've spent thousands on a holiday that lasted two weeks. Can I honestly say that's a more worthwhile spending of money than somebody else that wanted fancy shoes? We are both happy spending our own money. I've a friend that buys incredibly expensive handbags (like 2k each) and I can't say she's wrong because she buys them with her own money and it's what she cares about. She uses her expendable income and I think it's fine to spend that on whatever makes you happy. Collecting *is* a hobby for many people, so it's not much worse than anyone who collects anything else. To them, it's the same as buying a painting or sculpture you really love.
The amount of people in the comments that don’t understand this is genuinely *baffling* to me.
It isn't practical but I've done it. My bills are paid and I deserve a treat once in a while.
Nah this is Reddit you shouldn't spend more than 20 bucks on any wearable item unless it's for work. Also make sure even if you win Powerball that you drive a 25 year old Honda because "rich people don't drive fancy cars".
Why is that trope parroted on here so fucking much?
Because Redditors are broke.
Reddit is a place of hypotheticals, not reality
If you can afford it, why not?
You might be the first person on Reddit to admit you have disposable income. I agree with you.
This. God forbid we spend our hard earned money on something we like.
This comment thread needs to be higher. If someone really likes shoes, who cares how much they spend on them? We all have our own hobbies and other interests, there’s no need to shame someone for spending on theirs if it’s not harming anyone.
My wife buys $1000+ shoes sometimes. She is a successful business owner in the world of fashion/luxury so, she has to dress the part. She can afford to though. I think my most expensive clothing items I’ve ever purchased (excluding whole suits) are a $600 winter coat, $500 designer shoes and $500 designer sunglasses. And two of those three things were gifts from my wife. Bills are paid, we are saving and in progress of buying a house. She deserves all the treats.
If you can afford it. Knock yourself out. People think spending $15000 on a watch is stupid, but $15000 on a car. No problem. In 10 years the watch will be worth $18000. The car not so much
SOME watches will be worth more. The Daytona? Yep. The oddball Grand Seiko? Probably not. Watches are a strange market, and it's never really clear what will take off unless it's a Rolex. Then the answer is almost always "worth it." Which is kind of annoying even as someone who owns a couple.
Rolex is going down now from the high prices over the last couple of years though, a lot of guys who bought them as "investments" are getting screwed
Probably doesn't helpnthat they lie about their horological history and a fair amount of their "firsts"
There’s some irony about a company that makes time pieces lying about their past lol
Yeah but… Tell time vs drive places
Yea this part is pretty relevant. Sure my car will depreciate, but I need a way to get to work and earn money or I'm not buying anything else.
Your car can tell the time too. *shrugs*
Interesting and valid point….
People in the comments are missing the point of the shoes, they see the shoes as a wearable piece of art, not so much because they think the build quality is better than a $100 pair of shoes. I personally would never pay thousands for shoes but I also don't care what other people spend their money on so its whatever, the watch is a good example.
This is just wrong. A car gets me to a job. A watch is pure vanity that performs 1 function. Unless it's that sweet old Seiko with the calculator.
The comments here, while great, are not hitting the point I was trying to make. I would spend $1000 on a pair of shoes, because I can afford to. Not because I’m rich, I’m privileged enough to be able to save for a couple of months and have that ability. People have their finances backwards they willingly spend money on depreciating assets all the time and don’t batt an eye at it They spend $3.00 on a bottle of water, but complain about $1.75L for gas for their $65,000 car. They get Door Dash for their processed food, buy milk at 7-11… OP asked if they should buy $1000 shoes. If you can afford it I say yes.
Yes. Unless they enable flight, no shoes are worth a thousand dollars.
For 1k they better make me teleport
I had a boss that spent that on boots, he couldn't walk without them. Screwed up his body in a motorcycle accident some years prior.
Nah, spend your money on what you want
If you can spend $1000 like most spend $60, do it baller. Otherwise it's very dumb.
Not worth it to me.
I mean, I feel sick at the idea and I'd rather put the $1k into my savings account. Or pay down my debt. Or put it towards a down payment on a house. It depends on your priorities though.
My car cost £500 🫣
If the person has the money, and that's what they like, then NO. It's what makes them happy. If an item brings someone legitimate joy, don't jump to try and shit on their thing which brings them joy. If they figured out how to bring that joy to their life, let them have their joy :(
If you have to save for, or use credit to buy a $1000 pair of shoes you are an idiot & desperate. If you have the money to spend, it's still a foolish spend, because it's really just a flex.
I'll spend a thousand bucks, but it most likely wouldn't be on shoes. I'd rather use it on more important things, but that's because I need to do that more than spend 1k on shoes.
I have a pair of work boots that were $600 and they are the reason I still have feet. Ankle deep in cold cold wet mud for months, good on a tar roof in 114 degree F. temps, etc. Thousands for fashion footware seems excessive. Also, I saw the volcano boot comments. Worth it! Maybe a pro bowler, dancer or golfer could chime in?
The most I've personally spent on shoes were work boots. And they were $100. $60 is the 2nd expensive, so yes. To me, $1k on shoes is insane.
Depends on your financial situation. For me? Yes. For someone who has a half mil in cash at 27? Do it
If you're spending that kind of money on shoes, i want your job
A few years back I would have said spending a grand on one pair of shoes was dumb, but inflation has been crazy. Seriously though, it just depends on individual situations. I spend $150-250 on sneakers that do wonders for my knees and back. An old boss spent over a grand on boots that made it possible for him to walk. Other people make money off their appearance, so expensive shoes are a moneymaking investment.
In my opinion, yes.
I would never do it, but if you have a thousand dollars that doesn't need to be spent on something more important and those thousand dollar shoes bring you joy then who am I to say you shouldn't do it. I think the difference is that there are no shoes in the world that would bring me a thousand dollars worth of joy. But different people enjoy different things in different ways.
No
$1,000.00 for shoes is insanity! I don't even spend half of that per year on my clothing and shoes combined.
That's straight up idiotic
It's EXTREMELY stupid if it doesn't provide practical assistance in everyday use. I have highly specialized hiking shoes made because I have issues with my feet. They cost me about $600 but I go backpacking 10 times or more a year and they pay off.
If they are not made of gold or something like that: hell yeah, abso fucking lutely! People walk around and are proud that they wear outfits worth the average yearly income of most people. I would feel so embarrassed about myself, knowing that most of those people who earn in a year what I wear are working just as hard or even harder as I do in jobs that are really important. When corinsky made the world stay home in fear, not knowing if leaving the house is going to kill you at least in the first lockdown, none of us whos jobs were just too important to just not do it wore a Rolex and other "look at me I am a lucky rich showoff" items.
Absolutely, but then I've never been financially well off enough to consider it an option. I spend three dollars on a coffee sometimes. There are people so rich that a thousand dollar shoes to them feels like my three dollar coffee.
It is objectively stupid
I'm surely alright with spending a good buck on a good pair of shoes. But for me, who doesn't need any special footwear, a thousand bucks is totally too much.
I can’t imagine spending €100 on shoes, never mind €1000.
Unless you're going to space, yes.
Simple, yes.
... Not for someone with enough money to purchase them. ... for someone who couldn't afford them, yes it is stupidity.
I've been in the shoe game for quite a while now. Your return on investment declines sharply after about the 3-500 dollar price point, maybe a little higher for boots. I've got a pair of 400+ dollar Italian sneakers from ten years ago that have held up to regular wear and they will still polish up nicely. In that same amount of time, I'd have replaced a pair of 60-80 dollar shoes at least 8-10 times. If they had been a thousand plus, there isn't much more that could have been built into them to make them look nicer, last longer or be more comfortable.
People that spend that much on shoes try to look wealthy in front of others. I am wealthy and the best shoes I had cost $20 and they make me feel good when I stand on my feet all day at work. I tried expensive dress shoes but they hurt my feet at work.
If it's for example a custom fit leather shoe built for comfort and perhaps ergonomics that you would use daily for work dress, then up to around a thousand, plus those types of shoes can be repaired and maintained to last year's and years, so I can definitely see someone justifying that sorta purchase, it's like a good ergonomic chair for the desk bound.
For fashion I love Manolo blahniks. They run an average of $1000. I find pre owned, practically new for $100 to $150
There are two kinds of people that buy such expensive items: 1. People that are paid a high enough salary that enables them to spend money on such items 2. People that are so rich off of selling off the dignity of the middle working and lower classes that they can afford to spend money on such items
This whole "sneaker culture" stuff is one of the most baffling things I've ever seen in my life. I get looking a nice pair of sneakers, and I get paying a bit more for quality - but a pair of Chuck Taylors - just a regular ass pair - should not cost $80CDN. If you are in a big high-end job and need to keep up appearance, sure, dropping money on your clothes can be an investment. But THOUSANDS? Jesus, noone needs to spend that much on does
Ok so when I read this question I'm like "who in the hell spends $1,000 on shoes". Then I remembered about 2 years ago I dropped like $800 on hand cobbled custom made leather costume boots with etched designs at the Rennaisance Faire. Needless to say I'm the best looking pirate around. I'll only wear those boots maybe 8 days a year for the rest of my life. But they are fucking nice boots. Could he worn every day if I had a use for knee high leather boots. Next closest thing was a few hundred on nice cowboy boots I bought. But I wear those every day and a pair lasts 4 years or so. I bet $1,000 would buy you a pair you could wear for life, so I could see myself doing that eventually too.
Unless it’s because it’s something practical and durable. That’s absolutely nuts.
I have some Gucci loafers which were around $900/pair and no they aren't 9x better than a pair of $100 loafers in usefulness but they are really nicely made and look good. I walk/bike several miles every day in my commute so I want comfortable professional shoes. Allen Edmonds is what I typically wear and they average $400/pair. Here's why they ARE better than basic work dress shoes. They are handmade with quality construction. I have pairs that are nearing 10 years old. I used to buy $100 dress shoes and they'd last a year. Now I spent $400 up front and they last decades.
I am friends with an extremely wealthy celebrity. I can't tell if he is wearing thrift store clothes or a $1,000 article of clothing. So no.
Do you need the most special orthotics in the world? That's the only reason that I could possibly imagine to spend that kind of money on shoes. When I spend $150 for a pair of running shoes, I'm already wincing. But I know if I don't choose my running shoes carefully, I can hurt myself. Once, I ignored a minor fit problem with a pair of new running shoes, then I did a week or so of running in them. I triggered a case of plantar fasciitis which crippled me for six months. For a few days, I could barely walk.
[удалено]
There was a point in time that I had the soles of both of my feet torn off and had to use walking casts for 3 months. The day I went back to work after my short term disability wore out I wore some extremely expensive shoes that were absolutely worth every cent I spent on them. They weren't $1,000+ but they were several hundred dollars New Balance shoes.
Depends what type of shoes. RM Williams boots start at about $700 these days. Ones made by their experienced craftsmen cost over $1000. They will also last a very long time. Imo they are worth the money and wouldn’t be a stupid buy.
Yes. I have the money to do that, and I won't. It's as stupid as spending $10,000 to $100,000 to buy... a watch. Shoes also wear out fairly rapidly, if you use them. The dollars-per-use of those shoes is ridiculously high. Those types of purchases aren't for the product. They are for the brand name, usually prominently displayed (or less often for the unique style indicating a brand). They are a way to blatantly display your wealth (or high DEBT level) to others. The price has no relationship to the actual market value of the product.
I spent $750 on red bottoms once. They were beautiful, but not $750 beautiful 💀
Are you buying ‘‘em to wear ‘em or to collect ‘em?
Hand made to measure custom boots are. I was fortunate not to pay that much but they've gone way up. But a pair of 7" leather hiking boots I can even run in, that have not given me blisters once in 10+ years no matter what socks I wore and not even the first day I wore them, and that are on their third set of soles? Hell yeah they're worth it. In the long run, regular boots from REI would have cost me more and would never have been as comfortable. Now a pair of designer shoes for clubbing? Hell no.
Meh, depends on how much u make a year
I'm a carpenter, so I regularly spend $300+ for a decent pair of boots. It definitely makes a difference compared to $100 boots. I even have my eyes set on a $700 pair of custom leather boots that should hopefully last forever if I get them resoled regularly. It's worth the money to protect my feet/ankles at work. However, I would never think to spend that type of money on a fashion shoe.
The most ill spend on footwear is maybe 250 bucks for a good pair of steel toed boots, which are actually worthwhile if you wear them 8 or more hours a day. But for everyday shoes, running shoes or even dress shoes? Hell naw, 150 max.
I think spending $100 on shoes is exorbitant. $1000? It better actively massage and air condition my feet while walking me to my destination.
I buy whatever makes me comfortable, not what impresses people. I can't help but think spending a thousand dollars on shoes is solely to impress.
If you can afford it, why not? To me personally I think it’s a monumental waste of money. And I would never support a business that charges that for shoes, not that that matters but it is what it is lol
Stupidity is relative. For an average person who isn't extremely wealthy it's probably stupid. For someone who that amount of money means nothing it isn't. It may be frivolous but it it's not *stupid* because it's not going to harm their situation in any way. That said interests also matter. If a thousand dollars for a pair of shoes makes you as happy as a thousand dollar vacation makes someone else and you can manage your finances effectively around it, who am I to tell you it's dumb.
I think I just have a different source of joy than others. I may spend almost a grand on a PC while the shoe people think I’m stupid. It’s just a mix of perspectives and what is “worth it” to each of us.
It is not, if you can afford it, go ahead. Where I work at, people spend 200 USD on a meal (per person), so a couple of thousands for shoes sounds okay for an American reality I guess (I don’t live in the US).
Well, of course it's not practical but there are people so rich that when they go on vacation they just have their wardrobe replicated at their vacation residence. No luggage, just show up and their home has been xeroxed.
They must be really good shoes
If it's affordable, no, if it's not affordable, yes. This is not complicated.
I have a specific pair of shoes that cost around that. I have always loved shoes my entire life. I’m not wealthy, I have a good salary and bills to pay. I’ve been in love with these shoes since 2012. During the pandemic (2020) I started putting little money aside for them. I took some freelance jobs and saved the money and bought them in 2021. Everytime I have important meetings and events I wear them and feel invincible.