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You make some valid points, but I am not so sure "Planned Obsolesce" is so much about planned failure about exact places of weakness, as much as it is in knowing they could do more to fortify the shoe... or product... and just don't. In that way, "planned" is kind of an arbitrary word, kind of like how someone might say "passive-aggressive". It is more of a case of, only 10% of the produced product fails so they do not do anything about redesigning it, but if 75% fail, then to prevent costly returns, they will. The Pinto was the classic case for this. It was originally going to be the safest car because it was designed with a gelled gas tank, kind of like how WWII planes had, or stock cars, but they took it out of production due to production costs.

Although planned obsolescence is a known and perhaps prevalent business strategy, I do not believe it applies in the instant case, strictly speaking. By its very nature, the entire fashion industry is constantly changing, so that my shoe failure was just an ancillary incident, having nothing to do with Nine West's business model. Let's face it--the shoes were already several seasons out of style when they broke. Furthermore, I would also be willing to bet that my particular failure is very uncommon, as very few people put high heels through the stresses that I do. Even further-than-that-more, it would be impossible for Nine West to predict when failure was going to occur, or indeed if it was going to occur at all, and therefore my shoes breaking is not really an effective way for them to maintain or increase future profits. I'm going to go out on a limb here, because I am relying only on my memory, but I'm going to say that I've never actually broken a pair of shoes that I use only for incidental wear. By incidental wear, I'm thinking of all the @Jkrenzer approved stiletto pumps that I wear only for dressy occasions, and don't actually pound the pavement in. They get worn to church, maybe to the grocery store, or maybe out to dinner on the few occasions that we eat out. I have had a high shoe failure rate with my walking shoes, but to be fair, the designers of such shoes never imagine that they'd be used in that manner. Somehow I doubt Steve Madden did any kind of durability/wear testing before releasing this spring's line.

Yes material failure seems a good bet. And I take your point regarding the repair. Ive got a bit of a repair/cleaning issue. I was wearing some nice dark grey nubuck suede OTK boots while cooking and spilled a couple drops of olive oil on the top of the shaft. Not hugely noticeable to be sure but I want the marks gone. Naturally it would have to be the suede boots … Yes material failure seems a good bet. And I take your point regarding the repair. Ive got a bit of a repair/cleaning issue. I was wearing some nice dark grey nubuck suede OTK boots while cooking and spilled a couple drops of olive oil on the top of the shaft. Not hugely noticeable to be sure but I want the marks gone. Naturally it would have to be the suede boots …

June 2008 i joined , so on the late end of the time frame mentioned in first post. But wow, been on here 17 years, seems a long time 🤣

A very simple, but true story. Attending a conference with my coworkers, I wanted to make a statement with my professional attire. I decided to wear my prized Christian Louboutin Hot Wave heels, the iconic peep-toe Hot Chick. Knowing the allure these shoes hold, I aimed to turn heads. As I sat in the lobby of the Marriott Marquis, I dangled my foot, arching it just right to create an enticing display. Many men glanced my way (dozens), but one in particular stood out. In a rush, he excitedly pointed at my shoes and exclaimed, “I have them too!” He quickly flashed his own red-bottom dress shoes, also by Louboutin, before tripping over himself and hurrying off. Later that evening, during the inevitable happy hour, I was still rocking my 130mm Hot Waves. Seated at the bar, enjoying a bourbon, I crossed my legs to showcase the heels. Off to the side, a man was staring intently, clearly captivated. I continued to flaunt the shoes, emphasizing the arch and silhouette of the 130mm heel. He was so distracted that he barely paid attention to his colleagues. Before leaving with his group, he approached me and said, “Nice Hot Chicks.” Though he got the name slightly wrong, it was clear he was enamored with the shoes. Unfortunately, it was a missed connection. I never saw him again and have no idea who he might be. Yet, with his evident interest in these rare heels, I suspect he frequents the same communities and forums as I do (HHPlace, Reddit, etc.).

I decided to pick up a pair of ILIAS LITTLE SHOE BOX ballet heels. They're incredibly stable. I love them. I do want to move onto a more of a stiletto at some point, with a similar toe box construction though. Any suggestions here?