Boots: $80 vs. $250

Puss without Boots says, "Those boots are how much?"

Do you ever wonder why people spend so much money on their shoes?  Do you refuse to buy expensive shoes, but will buy many inexpensive pairs throughout the year?  If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, please continue reading!

Now, clearly there are totally valid reasons for not buying yourself an expensive pair of shoes right then and there. The most logical one would be that you can’t afford to and there’s no shame in that.  I believe our store is filled with “luxury” items and we jokingly tell our customers that Village Shoes is for surely more of a “want” store.  On the other hand, taking time to save for an expensive pair of shoes could potentially save you money in the long run just because you’ll be buying a pair every 3 or so years, opposed to several in just one.

So, the difference between an $80 boot and a $250 boot is quality.  Unless you found a killer sale on fancy boots, for $80 you more than likely will have to replace them in less than a year depending on wear.  You’ll normally have a boot comprised of man made materials that won’t mold to your foot or age well, and you could find yourself not wanting to take your shoes off around others because you came down with a mean case of stinky feet.  If you’re good with all of that, that’s perfectly fine, but the thing is that for all of the money you spent purchasing new shoes constantly, you could have shelled out the dough and had yourself some really nice shoes that you’d be able to wear for a long time.  For $250, you’ll have beautiful, moldable, BREATHABLE leather.  You’ll also be more inclined to take care of them because you spent a lot on them, and in turn you could potentially have and love that boot for YEARS.  For example, last fall I purchased a pair of $350 El Naturalista boots that are crazy comfortable and crazy cute.  I wore them consistently for months and once the weather got warm, I put them back in their box and there they’ll remain until it cools down again.  Those boots look like they’ve never been worn.  The leather looks fantastic…the sole of the shoe is seriously immaculate…I mean, I won’t be replacing these for about 3 or 4 years at the least.  Would it have been cheaper for me to have purchased a much cheaper pair every year?  Maybe…maybe not, but the fact of the matter is that I would not have been able to enjoy the benefits that goes along with owning a handmade shoe that’s made in Spain, Portugal, or Italy had I put myself on an $80 budget.  My El Naturalistas will hold up pretty well for a long time if I make sure I replace the soles when they need it, clean and hydrate the leather, and waterproof them...and at $350, you bet I'll be taking care of them! 
 
Fall inventory is consistently arriving at this point…which new pair do you see that’s worth saving for?

post by Amanda