Where can reasonably priced shoes and boots be found that don’t have soles made from chewing gum?

Excellent price/quality.

Dr Marten does a range of air cushioned soles which appear to be all the rage amongst the youth of today.

Define “reasonably priced”? I have a pair of Oxfords from a cobblers in Oxford (obviously!) which are over twenty years old and still in fine fettle. They weren’t cheap, mind you.

What was the sole made from? I’ve tried leather soles and they’ve not lasted, had the same problem with DMs back in the day.

Pot luck.

I tend to wear quality outdoorsy light walking shoes, they are usually the same price. Some have hard durable soles, some have soft ones that wear quickly.

Do you remember Blakeys?

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Funnily enough i’ve just bought some new work shoes from Next.

I’m not much of a fashion pundit so don’t tend to go for expensive shoes…this time I’ve got some of their more decent leather shoes.

Usually don’t bother looking after shoes and end up replacing them when they look scuffed and knackered (rather then when they are falling apart). I think I’ll use some kind of polish on these ones to see how long they last.

An old work colleague would buy expensive italian shoes for a few hundred £…he would show off these fancy shoes claiming that they’ve lasted for years. They looked like crap…old knackered wrinkly leather that he polished like he was going on parade. Ugly shoes.

I think you’re better off getting reasonably priced shoes from Next or something and replacing them when they look shit.

outdoor trainers?

had six years out of a pair of goretex salomons, and wore them a fair amount during those six years

not cheap, but no more than a pair of nike or asics or whatever

will buy again

My current ‘trainers’ are some Merrel outdoor shoes…had them a couple of years now and had to replace the laces that fell apart. The trainer itself doesn’t appear to be wearing out anywhere.

Had DMs years ago and the soles didn’t last.
Just had to bin some Timberland Chelsea boots after more years ownership than I would have expected as I walk a lot, and would get another pair if they still made them.

I wouldn’t have looked at a “fashionable” brand like Timberland but was having trouble finding an ordinary pair of Chelsea/Dealer boots and the leather was so soft you could tell it was a baby cow that gave its life for my feet. 8)

Depends on what you mean by shoes and boots – what are you wearing them for. The hardest wearing footwear I’ve owned was a pair of Catepillar Boots (specifically “Caterpillar Combustion Moondance” – yes really). Soles are incredibly hardwearing but are grippy and comfortable.

I had my pair for about 8 years of workshop (welding, lots of work with nasty solvents) and trench-foot muddy location work – it was putting out this fire that eventually did for them, but they were far from worn out

Probably a lot more boot than you want but if they do something with the same sole material you’ll never wear it out

My current ‘trainers’ are some Merrel outdoor shoes…had them a couple of years now and had to replace the laces that fell apart. The trainer itself doesn’t appear to be wearing out anywhere.

I had a pair and they wear well but I find the soles suddenly go sort of ‘dead’ and start causing joint pain – its not the outer sole itself but the squish between the outer and the insole. I had to bin them even though they looked good as one days wear was causing a weeks worth of pain.

Depends on what you mean by shoes and boots – what are you wearing them for. The hardest wearing footwear I’ve owned was a pair of Catepillar Boots (specifically “Caterpillar Combustion Moondance” – yes really). Soles are incredibly hardwearing but are grippy and comfortable.

I had my pair for about 8 years of workshop (welding, lots of work with nasty solvents) and trench-foot muddy location work – it was putting out this fire that eventually did for them, but they were far from worn out

Are you a really poorly equipped fireman?

Are you a really poorly equipped fireman?

the fire was a bit of an oversight 🙂

We planned the explosion – the fire that followed it we hadn’t really expected. By the time we got it under control I had 3″ platform soles made of burnt plastic and sand

Biggest problem I have with shoes is that the material in the heel cup wears through, while the rest of the shoe shows hardly any wear. Currently wearing two pairs of army boots, a black leather pair of German issue boots for cold wet weather, which are superbly comfortable and all leather lined, and a pair of Meindle Desert Fox boots for dry weather, which are the current British issue boot for desert operations, and they have a leather lined heel cup and leather Achilles support as well. Comfy as, and hopefully they’ll last for ages, or at least a lot longer than the pair of Oakley Tactical boots that wore through in the heel in months, and the soles didn’t grip worth a damn and also seemed to wear very quickly.

Ummm, CountZero, you do seem to have a wee bit of a thing for military footwear…

Is that intentional or coincidental?

For some good quality boots, get some Timberlands for sure. The ones below are my current favourites. Great for saturday nights out in town.

You’ve got to get some of these T shirts aswell though, they dont look right otherwise.

I have a pair of Aldens I’ve had for the best part of 19 years although they are a bit of a Trigger’s broom and have been resoled once or twice. I look at it like putting new tires on the car.

For more normal boots for knocking about in I tend to wear Timberlands, they last for ever and are waterproof and warm; the only downside is they come into fashion again every few years, which me being a staunch STWer am way too aloof to follow 🙂

Next slip ons have been pretty good for me.

I’m a low end shoe buyer: Loake and Barker mainly, with some Italian made Paul Smith too.

As for wearing out leather soled shoes… Er, that’s what cobblers are for. And biy enough shoes to wear them once a week max.

Ummm, CountZero, you do seem to have a wee bit of a thing for military footwear…

says the man with a bent for unobtainable knitwear

CAT boots. I’ve been wearing the current pair most days for the last 3 years and they’re still really comfy. I’ve asked for some new ones for Xmas in a different colour.

Go to a farmers supplies shop.

Buy boots.

Mine have lasted me over 10 years. Not needed resoling either, but they look as new as the day I bought them.

Failing that, army surplus shops.

If you want fashionable ones then don’t expect them to last too long. I bought a pair of Timberlands when I was in America 5 years ago and it was 2 dollars to the pound. Didn’t last me a single season on the farm. Sole fell to pieces.

Currently wearing two pairs of army boots

Sounds rather uncomfortable !

pair of german paraboots, cost me £15.00 in the early 90’s still wear them on a regular basis.

the joys of being a greb, is that I don’t have to worry about fashion 😀

german paratrooper boots here too, fabulously comfy, pretty much water proof, tough as the proverbial, great ankle support, really easy to get on and off, hard wearing sole and cheap as chips.

Clarks shoes seem to last well, have had some Gore-Tex ones for about 3 years and wear them every day. Also if you can find a good cobbler they can resole almost anything, even moulded soles and D M s.

Only single track could generate a thread on ‘reasonably priced shoes’ which throws up everything from £350 oxford brogues to £15 army boots 🙂

nothing wrong with that, just makes me smile 🙂

My ‘go to’ reasonable shes are Tedbaker Ashcroft boots.
they range from £80 – £110 online and £100 – £130 in store.
they last a good while with their leather sole. look smart and can be worn casual.

the whole of the Tedbaker range are pretty good but the sizes do change between models. I’m 9 in some and 10 in others.

I swear by my Blundstones. 1st pair lasted years and bought 2 pairs next time round so I could alternate them. Little signs of wear other than on the toes which is caused by my kneeling lots on a non slip grippy floor lots.

Great boots.

No one has mentioned redwings yet.

I’ve currently got a pair of Timberland Earthkeepers moc toe. On their 2nd winter.

I have a pair of Merrel walking shoes the vibram sole is good but the upper has ripped open at the welt .I`m not happy they were over a hundred quid eighteen months ago I would expect better wear than this the uppers are not even shower proof either which is poor considering they are an outdoorsy shoe

Next slip ons

Are they grey, too? With tassles.

Buy good shoes; Loake or Church. When the soles wear, get them resoled.

OP, can we get an idea of the kind if shows you want (style, intended usage, etc.) and what you concider a reasonable price? Since suggestions have ranged from smart to way casual I feel this info is somewhat important!

I swear by my Blundstones

I had a pair years back – they seem to wear really fast at first until they take the shape of your foot / gait then never wear any further. Long lasting but the price for the longevity is I find them very slippy on smooth or wet surfaces.

My current work shoes were £16.99 in Oxfam in Durham 🙂

DMs with a barely worn sole. Bargin.