Worn to Death

[Jkrenzer]

Thought I would share this post about a very old pair of Pleaser ankle strap pumps that I have finally decided must be put out to pasture. I couldn't say how many miles I've worn these amazingly comfortable 5 inch heels, talking Melroseplant level I'm guessing. I've re-heeled these at least 6 times. Finally blew out the sole and upper part of the vamps this last week. Surprisingly they are still easy to walk in and sturdy but still long past any visual appeal.

I think these definitely paid themselves off many times. 

 

 

 

Edited March 10 by Jkrenzer

[Cali]

Just looks like you have a new pair of lawn aerators.😁

[Shyheels]

You certainly got some very good use out of them! Worth keeping them just for the memories 

[mlroseplant]

Reheeled 6 times, eh? Given the wear I normally get out of stiletto heels, you've probably put more miles on those than any individual pair of stilettos I own. Until very recently, I don't do any serious walking in stilettos, for that very reason. I do need to keep better track of stuff that has yielded up the ghost, though. It has been several pairs a year, consistently.

[Jkrenzer]

I replace the heel tips myself. I purchased about a hundred or so taps a few years back, in bulk they are not expensive. Many of my stilettos have narrow pins, so I chuck them up in my power drill at low rpm the grind down the pin diameter with my dremel to fit whichever heel I'm fixing. I've also often use a steel cap screw on my round metal spike stilettos to great effect. 

Edited March 10 by Jkrenzer

[HappyinHeels]

There was “Boot Hill” not too far from our house in Yuma and now there’s “Heel Hill”. A place where we honor our treasured, and seriously-worn, heeled footwear. Maybe they adorn a post in your yard? HinH

[Jkrenzer]

1 hour ago, HappyinHeels said:

There was “Boot Hill” not too far from our house in Yuma and now there’s “Heel Hill”. A place where we honor our treasured, and seriously-worn, heeled footwear. Maybe they adorn a post in your yard? HinH

Heel hill, nice. May need to visit.

[mlroseplant]

Had I bothered to keep footwear that is no longer usable for its intended purpose, my "Heel Hill" would be quite extensive. I bet with a half hour's effort, I could make a pretty good estimate about how many pairs it's been.

[HappyinHeels]

I’d bet it would be significant. “Here they are daily shoes I now lose, but once they did adorn, and now rest tired and worn.” Just a suggestion for such a place😊HinH

[Cali]

How High is your Hill? Mine would only have 10 pairs.

[mlroseplant]

Being as I am feeling under the weather, and have time to do such things, not being at work, I have come up with a list of shoe failures for the past 10+ years. I'm not counting shoes I've decided to get rid of for whatever reason, I'm talking about actual failures. I come up with 37.

The most common reason for failure is that the shoes just simply wore out. They got too beat-up looking to justify keeping. The second most common reason for failure is broken shanks. This causes the heel to become all wobbly, despite the fact that the heel itself has not broken. I chalk this common failure up to the fact that I choose to walk in shoes that weren't really meant to be walked in.

[Shyheels]

Mind you, these days it doesn't have to be heels that meet that definition of not meant to be walked in. I bought a pair of midrange hiking boots from an outdoors shop a couple of years ago and they lasted about a month of what would be very modest walking, and around town at that. When I complained I was told that they were not designed for that kind of 'heavy use". I probably had ten miles on them....

 

 

[Jkrenzer]

Cali may have been asking how many worn out pair you haven't parted with yet. Whether it be due to sentimental values or just hoping they'd somehow cure themselves and keep going. I have several that sort of fall into the 2nd category. Can't get replacements and I seem to deem them to still be presentable. 

[Cali]

Many of my gladiator wedges have delaminated. I can't find heels to replace them and I have been looking!

[mlroseplant]

I came really close to having a No. 38 failure yesterday. A chunk of wood fell out of my Bebe mules, right below my big toe. If I could figure out where it happened, I could probably glue it back in, and you'd never really know. I'm not going to call it No. 38 yet, but for now they are strictly house shoes, and possibly early morning walking shoes.

[mlroseplant]

Found it!

[Cali]

I had a major failure yesterday. I flew yesterday and wore a pair of Cathy Jeans. Cathy Jeans were a non defunct company out of Argentina. One of my first pairs with about a 3 inch heel with gold trim. (Photo later.)  One of my favorite heels, but being short I hadn't worn them in years. But I decided to wear them yesterday.

First the heel cap disappear in about the same location as my other one did. But this was a one day trip, there and back in under 12 hours, so I NO luggage, i.e. no other shoes I could change into. Therefore I had to wear them in that condition all day. Then later I notice that the material cracking and delaminating.  So sad. I will real liked these.

I will take parts off of them and then donate them to HinH Heel Hill.

Edited March 22 by Cali

[Cali]

As promised, here is pictures from the autopsy of my Cathy Jeans Hells.

The gold trim brought lots of compliment.

Again the heel cap came off at the same airport. At about the same place in the airport

Close up of the complete failure of the material.

Split at the back.

 

[mlroseplant]

That looks like deterioration similar to what I've been experiencing lately. In fact, I just got rid of about half a dozen pairs because of it. Unless your shoes are full grain leather, I think this is bound to happen sooner or later, and I will venture to say that it will happen with increasing frequency over the next few years. You see, neither of us much like what is being offered these days style-wise, so we are pretty much stuck with older shoes. Unless those older shoes were particularly expensive, and sometimes even if they were, this is going to continue.

As far as the heel cap goes, I feel your pain. I wouldn't give you two cents for the heel caps on those hollow, plastic molded heels. I remember when me and the ex-wife were first married, she bought a pair of what I thought were expensive shoes at the time. Somewhat similar in heel height and style to your Cathy Jeans. Within a month, she had lost a heel cap, and I was horrified to see what that heel was actually made of--plastic. I didn't know all that much about shoes at the time.

[Jkrenzer]

I've had the same issues with outer materials peeling. Agreed about quality of the materials and the fact that I wear older shoes when not wearing my Chinese spike stilettos. I love my 5 inch stilettos but they do wear out fast.

Most of my older better built (structurally) heels are Pleasers and they are well known for surface issues. 

All that said, I'm still fine with the situation. I'm financially in a good place to keep a steady supply of new not so well made heels coming in.

[Cali]

Here is my entry into the ALMOST worn to death.  I know some of you (aka @mlroseplant ) might have issues with the word 'almost'.

These have must several hundred miles on them, but they are still very comfortable. I wear them for running errands only, like today to Costco in the rain.

Here they are next to their replacement.  Unfortunately, these sold out before I could get a thrid pair and a oair in another color.  But they are real suede, so they hold very well.

Edited March 25 by Cali

[Jkrenzer]

I can't seem to part with these nearly worn to death heels. I have them at work this week, so comfortable. Signature brand, long since out of production. Soles are almost worn through and no idea how many heel tips have been installed.