I'm looking over a new pair of shoes I recently bought. My feet hurt after walking a few miles in them, so I inspected the insole area, and it was the cheapest 5mm foam imaginable with no other structural support. Below that is basically just the rubber sole. This shit cost $100.
This isn't my first rodeo with overpriced, shitty shoes, so I always have a set of superfeet inserts on standby. Huge improvement, but fuck, why does everything have to be a rip off? Those inserts are $50 for some nicer foam and a simple sliver of molded plastic.
This brings me to the thread title: When was the last time you felt like you got your money's worth for an item?
I bought some red wings for work because I needed steel toe to occasionally move pallets and they’re just over a year old now and still awesome. Just need new insoles every few months. I average 5 miles of steps a day in them.
Before this I was buying running shoes every 3-4 months.
I think nearly any boot could provide this longevity for light duty stuff, it’s the foam that fails first on shoes in my experience.
I bought a pair of Red Wings over a decade ago when I was still doing agriculture work. I kept using them as rain, winter, and hiking boots and only a few months ago had the layers of the sole delaminate. Though I was told their quality has gotten significantly worse over the last decade, so I wasn't sure if I should buy again. I'll check them out again.
I have several pairs of Kodiak work boots, and they are fantastic with inserts, definitely more comfortable than most regular shoes, and plenty durable