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Louboutin vs. Payless


BobHH

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I don't do much for fashion as a guy, but I'm sure one of the reasons for buying designer items (clothes or shoes) is image. Part of that is recognition of the image, which typically people in our same social circles tend to have. I've never seen a pair of Louboutin's in person (and no one I hang out with wears them), so like the 40% of people 'on the street', I'm not a good person to pick out the real ones. However, I'm sure there are people here (some of which who do own them) who could pick them out in a second. It reminds me of the commercial from the 70's/80's, where they showed select car pictures (hood, back seat, wheels) for the purpose of convincing people "you can't distinguish a Mercedes from a Ford" Had to be a complete insult to actual Mercedes owners. In terms of the walking test, I'm not sure that's a valid test. Walking 1 mile in ANY 4" heels could have been uncomfortable. Plus, if the twins weren't regular high heel wearers, it could be that much worse. I thought they said the Payless shoes dug into the back of the wearer's foot. It's possible that for more typical wear (sitting, standing, light walking) the Louboutin's could be more comfortable, but after the 1m walk, lose all comfort. Lastly, the 'all' ($600) or 'nothing ($20) test I'd consider to be incomplete. If the more general question is, "Are there options other than the $600 Louboutins?", then I'd also add in an intential Louboutin knockoff (which goes for the look without the price), and an in-between pair of black pumps (say Nine West, or a higher brand), which might be made of leather, to provide a better feel than the vinyl and cardboard Payless shoes. An interesting segment though.

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Just my thoughts from buying shoes and things in general. There is the bottom, mid range, top end. Very often the is a BIG difference between bottom, and mid range. There is less difference between mid-range and top end, you are paying more for product name than improvement in product. In shoes I find a very large difference in quaility between $20 shoes and $150 shoes. I do not have any $600 shoes as I have found none worth it for me. I might pay $600 for a pair of shoes that are customise for my foot problems and the shoes also help fix my leg length differences. I would then be in less day-to-day pain and THAT would be worth it. $600 just to say I have Louboutin no. -- Brandy

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Interesting story but seriously flawed comparison... Identical twins, yes...Identical feelings and sensation - Probably not... What I feel they should have done was have each of them wear one of each manufacturer's items for a real-world, direct comparison. Expensive on one foot and cheap on the other. Side by side. THAT would have been a valid research project in my mind...

"Heels aren't just for women anymore!!" Happy Heeling! Shoeiee

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Interesting story but seriously flawed comparison... Identical twins, yes...Identical feelings and sensation - Probably not... What I feel they should have done was have each of them wear one of each manufacturer's items for a real-world, direct comparison. Expensive on one foot and cheap on the other. Side by side. THAT would have been a valid research project in my mind...

"Heels aren't just for women anymore!!" Happy Heeling! Shoeiee

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I was thinking at the half-way point, they'd switch shoes, but I realized that wouldn't have done much, since at that point if their feet were in pain from the first pair, switching to the other pair wouldn't have made much difference. If the heel heights were practically identically, then wearing a shoe from each pair would have been a much better test.

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Interesting story but seriously flawed comparison...

Identical twins, yes...Identical feelings and sensation - Probably not...

What I feel they should have done was have each of them wear one of each manufacturer's items for a real-world, direct comparison. Expensive on one foot and cheap on the other. Side by side.

THAT would have been a valid research project in my mind...

I totally agree, the "test" was a bust because there never really was a comparison of the shoes. It would have been just as meaningful to have 2 different guys drive, say, a Cadillac and a Neon around, but never put the same guy in both cars. Unless each of the girls tried wearing each pair of shoes for some specified distance, there's no comparison at all.

Then too, there's the old adage that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I found the tear-down of the shoes interesting, and I'll admit that the more expensive shoes seemed to have a better quality of construction, but that still doesn't make them worth $600. That only happens when someone actually forks over the $600 for 'em.

Keep on stepping,

Guy N. Heels

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Whats matters is the price it took to make the shoes, not the sales prices. A shoe that costs 5 dollars to make will in no way match the quality of a shoe that took 100 dollars to make (taking into account that the shoes were made in the same country).

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Interesting study that definitely has something to it ... but at the same time, it has very obvious flaws, as many here mentioned already. Problem with the newsmedia is that they first come up with a message they want to convey and then fit the "scientific study" so that it matches their message. The opposite should be the case, of course. I am surprised nobody here said anything about the "1 mile" thing: when I go out heeling with 4" minimum heel height, I often go to a website afterwards to measure how many miles I actually walked. I honestly think that 1 mile is nothing! I often walk 2-3 miles, sometimes more, and maybe when hitting the 3 mile marker, my feet start to hurt a bit. That being said, I really don't wear heels very often, but only very occasionally. So, for a girl who probably wears heels much more, this should be a very easy task to complete without any problem. Then of course, I totally agree with the point that the study doesn't say anything about how heel-experienced these twin girls are and if they have at least the same heeling background/experience. With respect to cheap Payless heels vs designer heels, I always try to buy the cheapest possible heels for myself but much better ones for my wife. However, "better" means leather sole and material, etc, not a specific name. I don't think there is a big quality difference between Via Spiga or Stewart Weitzman heels and Louboutins. At that level, it only comes down to the name and the status.

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There are a few other things this study did not take into account. Besides the fact that walking in any 4-inch heels for a mile would be uncomfortable, a lot of brand new shoes are uncomfortable period. The difference is that with the Louboutins (as with other high-end shoes), the high-quality leather is made so that over time it molds to your foot, so after an initial break-in period, they are super comfortable. I doubt the same could be said of the vinyl Payless shoes. Also, the Payless shoes hold pretty much no resale value. I am sure that I'd have a much easier time selling a used pair of CLs over 20 used pairs of Payless shoes. The CLs are a better investment in that way, especially if you can find them on sale! That said, although it is my personal preference to buy one pair of Loubs over 20 pairs of Payless, I don't look down on those who would choose the latter. To each his own.

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I must agree with you CLFanatic, I have been coveting a pair of CL's Clichy style pumps for a couple of years. However, as a man, I just can't justify paying the high price of a pair for me to wear. Besides, if I bought a pair, my wife would have to have several pair to make things "even." :winkiss:

Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public.

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Bubba136 you said it . It is hard to justify spending $600.00 for a pair of shoes that will not be worn on a daily basis. As my wife goes she would be a bit miffed over $600.00 wasted .Maybe one day I will win the lotto til then it's Payless and Zappo's outlet store.Besides that lets face it most men in here are just happy to find a high heel that fits and if the cost is $20.00 what a bonus.

I have been Banned for emailing abuse to tech when he tried to help me.

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  • 8 months later...

Now If Payless would come out with a pair of Boots Like these, And in Larger sizes of couse, They would sell a Lot of Boots!

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, "BABEL PLATO 140" TALL LEATHER BOOTS

post-1115-133522902294_thumb.jpg

post-1115-133522902297_thumb.jpg

FLAT SHOES, LIKE FLAT DRINKS, ARE FOR FLAT PEOPLE

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I bought a pair of Manolo Blahnik mules - once. They were a limited edition, plain white mule, 5" stiletto - but they had a clear PVC thong and a single clear assymetric strap...a little like a 'stripper' heel. It was an exquisite design idea that made you look as if you only had a stiletto heel on your foot - not a whole shoe.

As a limited edition piece they cost me $560.00....

Within 4 weeks the PVC strap had split.

A broken, useless shoe - is a broken useless shoe - whether it costs $56.00 or $560.00...!!

"Good Girls keep diaries....Bad Girls just don't have the time...!:icon_twisted:"

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Now If Payless would come out with a pair of Boots Like these, And in Larger sizes of couse, They would sell a Lot of Boots!

Amen ! I for one would be in the door quicker than you can say flash

Gingers Rogers did everything Fred Astair did .. but backwards and in heels

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I bought a pair of Manolo Blahnik mules - once. They were a limited edition, plain white mule, 5" stiletto - but they had a clear PVC thong and a single clear assymetric strap...a little like a 'stripper' heel. It was an exquisite design idea that made you look as if you only had a stiletto heel on your foot - not a whole shoe.

As a limited edition piece they cost me $560.00....

Within 4 weeks the PVC strap had split.

A broken, useless shoe - is a broken useless shoe - whether it costs $56.00 or $560.00...!!

Bloody heel :blinkbigeyes::pulsingheart: I hope you took them back?

Heels for Men // Legwear Fashion // HHPlace Guidelines

If something doesn't look right, please report the content ASAP!

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So you bought a pair of shoes. Does the price matter if they fit, look good, and satisfies the wearer? Of course, there will be some shoes that are just the eye candy you wanted, then you put them on and found the quality to be, well lets say, disappointing. Whether you put them back on the shelf, return them in the mail for an exchange or refund, or keep them to remind you to beware of that brand; shopping for shoes can be fun when you find the right ones or depressing when you don't. Happy Heeling! P.S.: Everyone needs to clean their closet to make room for their latest find or just clear the clutter.

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So you bought a pair of shoes. Does the price matter if they fit, look good, and satisfies the wearer? Of course, there will be some shoes that are just the eye candy you wanted, then you put them on and found the quality to be, well lets say, disappointing. Whether you put them back on the shelf, return them in the mail for an exchange or refund, or keep them to remind you to beware of that brand; shopping for shoes can be fun when you find the right ones or depressing when you don't. Happy Heeling!

P.S.: Everyone needs to clean their closet to make room for their latest find or just clear the clutter.

This is so true. It comes down to if you really like the shoe and it fits good and you can afford it, go for it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Christian Louboutin ALTI 140 Ankle Boots

On eBay This Week. Listed as a US Size 12. Could That be true?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Christian-Louboutin-ALTI-140-Ankle-Boots-Shoes-41-5-42_W0QQitemZ370331790109QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Women_s_Shoes?var=&hash=item9503123b7d

Damn, they are nice looking boots.

post-1115-133522905224_thumb.jpg

FLAT SHOES, LIKE FLAT DRINKS, ARE FOR FLAT PEOPLE

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The ad I'm reading says 41.5 and 42, which from conversion sites I found, equates to a womens US ~10 - 10.5

Am I missing where it says US 12? Even if it did, I didn't think L's went past 11.

The US Size is in the 'drop-down' menu where you select your size before purchase. In this case it's a choice of US 11.5 or 12.

As far as I can make out from looking at the Sites selling Louboutin boots - a lot of them go up to US 12.5 - like this lovely 'Feticha' boot here:

http://www.christianlouboutinshoesdirect.com/christian-louboutin-feticha-ankle-boots-black-p-190.html

One thing is for certain. Louboutin boots and shoes are no longer exclusive. There's literally dozens of places selling genuine Louboutins at knock-down prices all over the World.

"Good Girls keep diaries....Bad Girls just don't have the time...!:icon_twisted:"

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  • 1 year later...

One thing is for certain. Louboutin boots and shoes are no longer exclusive. There's literally dozens of places selling genuine Louboutins at knock-down prices all over the World.

But for the most part they will be fakes, as are those. Note too, the www.christianlouboutinshoesdirect.com website has since been taken down by legal action.

If the company/site isn't in this list, it's fake: http://www.christianlouboutin.com/#/our_boutiques

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