Shoes You Wished Were Better

[Jkrenzer]

Shoes that I wished were better made. 

These are close to being great heels. Just know if I wear these the heels will fail tips forward. Too bad, they are comfortable and great looking 

[Shyheels]

I always wanted a pair of white boots and not long ago when I found a pair of OTK boots with 3.5 inch block heels - very much like taller versions of the go-go boots that caught my eye a a child - I was delighted and ordered a pair. They fit beautifully, had rounded toes - which I much prefer to pointy ones - and stylistically were perfect. And comfortable. But they were made of such cheap and flimsy faux leather! They felt more like part of a cheap costume than a genuine pair of boots. I suppose I've been spoiled by having all my boots up until now made of high quality leather. The difference was startling and unflattering. And so I shall divest myself of these and continue my search for a nice pair of white boots - hopefully someday 

[mlroseplant]

Oh boy, I have a long list, but we'll truncate it for now. Anything with the name Michael Kors on it. Really cool looking, prone to quick failure. Anything with the name Jessica Simpson on it. Again, prone to premature failure. The Vera Wang Lavender series. For that price point (around 300 bucks), they are very disappointing in their cheapness. Prone to early structural failure.

[Shyheels]

A common theme there ..

By their very nature heels, especially stilettos, are going to be somewhat precarious and therefore not great candidates for the cheap disposable fashion that is nearly universal these days. We live in an era where firm triumphs over function. As long as it looks the part, no need for structural integrity. 

Edited December 10, 2023 by Shyheels

[pebblesf]

Well, I will not blame it on the boots...  I was so upset when a heel gave out on my favorite pair of Sam Edelman black knee high stiletto boots.  I feel these are quality boots, the issue is that perhaps I need to lose a few pounds or stop abusing them on rough city streets.  My suspicions were confirmed when one of the heels broke on my favorite Nine west stiletto ankle boots as well.  I was crushed when the cobbler said they could not be repaired.  I guess the lesson I have learned is that when I find a pair I really like, buy two pairs!  I love many different styles of boots, but am extremely fussy at the same time.....

Just because boots are expensive, does not guarantee quality, or a good fit, or comfort for actual walking any distances.  On the other hand, it is so frustrating to see a great pair of boots (visually anyway) only to discover they are cheaply manufactured...

[Shyheels]

Totally agree! I too like a variety of styles but am also very fussy. I dislike far more varieties of heels/boots than I like. I am increasingly glad that I spent more on my boots, and bought fewer of them. Those I have fit beautifully, wear well and will last for years. A couple of pair are already nearly ten years old and have many years left in them

[Jkrenzer]

I get that. My problem is I'm addicted to high heels like many are to drugs. Can't get enough and variety is king in my play book.

[Shyheels]

I can understand that too! The delighting in variety

[mlroseplant]

20 hours ago, pebblesf said:

Well, I will not blame it on the boots...  I was so upset when a heel gave out on my favorite pair of Sam Edelman black knee high stiletto boots.  I feel these are quality boots, the issue is that perhaps I need to lose a few pounds or stop abusing them on rough city streets.  My suspicions were confirmed when one of the heels broke on my favorite Nine west stiletto ankle boots as well.  I was crushed when the cobbler said they could not be repaired.  I guess the lesson I have learned is that when I find a pair I really like, buy two pairs!  I love many different styles of boots, but am extremely fussy at the same time.....

Just because boots are expensive, does not guarantee quality, or a good fit, or comfort for actual walking any distances.  On the other hand, it is so frustrating to see a great pair of boots (visually anyway) only to discover they are cheaply manufactured...

I have a couple of thoughts there. Number one, I don't weigh very much, and I have broken my share of heels. Number Two, when I say "broken my share of heels," I don't mean the actual heel of the shoe. I've had a couple come loose over the years, and once I had a heel cap come off without me noticing, which destroyed the heel, but most of the time what fails is the shank. Since your Nine West booties could not be repaired, I am guessing that is what happened. Once that breaks, yeah, it's pretty much game over.

The shank is the bit of metal in most high heels (and sometimes in flatter shoes as well) that runs longitudinally from the front of the shoe to the back, and provides rigidity to the sole of the shoe, especially that part that does not ever touch the ground. Imagine, if you will, a world in which high heels did not have shanks. This would allow the sole to flex, and therefore the heel would be allowed to wobble in any direction that the laws of physics dictated during your stride, and particularly inward toward the ball of your foot. This is why one needs to pay particular attention to wear on the heel caps. If one is wearing much faster than the other, that is bad. By then it's probably too late, but at least you won't have been caught far from home with a shoe you can't walk in. I've limped home with a broken shank on a couple of occasions in the past. It's one of those situations where you hope nobody sees you, because you can't really explain to every passer-by, "Yeah, my shoe broke."

I continue to do research on high heel durability, and I have changed my walk over the years so as not to be so hard on heels. Nevertheless, I still continue to have a certain number of failures. I think it's the nature of cost vs. physics. Yeah, somebody could make a shank that would never break, but I don't think it would occur to anybody to do so. I doubt that any manufacturer ever gets feedback like that.

I have not tested this completely enough to know for sure, but I have high hopes that a solid wooden sole and heels will last virtually forever, as it needs no shank to stiffen it. Unless the wood just breaks in half (which is definitely a possibility), there's really nothing to go wrong there.

[Shyheels]

I’ve several pair of Jean Gaborit boots both with and without heels. The soles and heels on them are superb - sturdy and stable. I’m sure they can eventually wear out but most unlikely to break 

[mlroseplant]

My favorite clogs have split in half across the ball of my foot. They are made of molded plastic of some sort, rather than real wood. I have one pair in black, and one pair in brown. They have both suffered the same failure. I have decided to roll with it, and continue wearing them until they are unwearable. The structural failure is not really noticeable to the general public.