I Would Quite Like Some Boots Made For Walking...

I'm thrifty. Indubitably so. It's one of my many many charms.

For me, thrifty is not the same as being cheap. Being thrifty is about spending less - and sometimes that means spending more but less often, as opposed to spending less more often.

The one category I have difficulty upholding this principle is with shoes. It's not that I'm one of those people whose nose is constantly clued to some shop window, as they foam frantically at the mouth, wildly screaming "SHOES!!!"
It's just I'm taller than the average woman in the UK (who is somewhere around 5' 4") and my feet aren't short either.

What I wanted were affordable, comfortable shoes I could walk in that would last.

What I found were that

1) Almost all of my options were only available via on the internet (which meant having to pay for postage, eurk)
2) They were affordable...but they did not last for very long.

The year 2011 saw me go through the most pairs of shoes in a year, ever in my life.

There were the boots...and the ballet flats...and the trainers...

And even my sensible Susie school shoes looked like they were giving up the ghost after only 2 weeks.

Hank Green disproves of my shoes' lame 2 week existence.

At first, I did think it was just me but as if that wasn't bad enough, one company I use went into administration a couple of days after I made yet another order and cancelled my order.

I'm still waiting for my money back and it's been a month. I've been trying to contact the company but that just = head + brick wall.

(They don't even have a phone number on their website - what's up with that?! And why didn't I notice that before entrusting them with my money?!)

I usually buy all my footwear when it's on sale, so it's even cheaper than normal. I've never paid more than £40 for a pair of shoes. The thought of paying over a £100 for a pair of boots makes me

Well, it used to. But after reading this post on Fabulously Broke, and the demise of so many shoes in such a short period of time, I started to consider the idea more. I mean, I thought I was buying quality - just at a reduced price. I bought a pair of wedge sandals once for $7 and they lasted me 3 years. So how can one tell quality? Is it simply by brand name alone? I hate the idea of dropping a (small) bomb on a pair of shoes, just for them to fail immensely. I need them to fit. I need them to last. And most difficult of all, I need to actually like them (I'm incredibly fussy).

I declare a new resolution: No more cheap quality shoes for me!

Let's just hope my current pairs last me until I can afford some decent ones...

If you are a girl/woman/lady with feet that isn't catered for in the usual places, I've found that this site is a veritable treasure trove of links and information.

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