I have expensive tastes. I love designer shoes and I make no apologies for it. I am forever getting compliments about the shoes I’m wearing, but a lot of people will then tell me that no shoe is ever worth £400. It’s funny, because I don’t know what the barometer of value is when it comes to shoes.
A Pair of Shoes or a Laptop?
One of the funniest examples was when someone said there’s no way an inanimate object like a shoe
could be worth more than ‘something useful’ like a laptop.
My argument here is that people would spend thousands on a piece of art – to me, the beautiful lines and graceful curves of a shoe are artistic in their beauty – and beyond that, shoes also serve a purpose in that you can wear them.
You can’t really put a value on the feeling you get when wearing a pair of designer shoes. Get the right pair, and you will get a lot of wear out of them, moreover, unlike a laptop, with care, they’d last a lifetime.
False Economy
Having said that, comparing shoes to a computer is a ridiculous comparison to start with. Then, there’s the argument that compared to high street brands, there’s no way a pair of designer shoes is worth ten times what you’d pay for in, say, New Look.
I’ve learnt that a good closet is worth investing in. I also admit that people can have great style on a budget. But, if they have the money, I’d always encourage them to invest in their wardrobe.
New Look, a UK high street store, borrows a lot of styles and inspiration from designers and creates shoes on a budget to make them more accessible to frugal fashionistas.
A good pair of heels from there would cost £40, not £400.
Ultimately it becomes a false economy because their shoes will never last a lifetime.
The Shoe of a Lifetime
Your £400 goes towards more than just a crimson sole – you get glossy leather patent instead of man-made synthetics, the shoe is beautifully stitched together instead of glued, the sole is leather and a good cobbler can resole it when it eventually becomes worn. The list is endless.
But I’d never look down on someone who buys from New Look – you have to live within your means.But if you’ve got the money, look beyond the high street, and look beyond the price tag and £400 retail suddenly seems better value, especially when you’re wearing the same shoe in 20 years’ time.
To use perhaps a fairer example, Top Shop arguably has the best shoes on the high street. They’re well made and not too expensive.
But some styles are still £150 – and one of Top Shop’s greatest strengths is also its Achilles heel – their styles are bang on trend, so yes, you could pick up a great pair for £150, but the chances are, they’ll be out of style in a season-or-two.
Smart Shopping
This is where I implore you to shop smart. Wait until sale season and you can pick up yourself a pair of Louboutins for £250. That’s just £100 more than a pair of Top Shop shoes retails for, and they’ll last longer too.
Classic styles will rarely make it to sale, however, and this is because they’re worth paying full price for. Get a classic pump in black or nude, look after them, and you will be able to wear with jeans, to work, to nights out, and every time you will look amazing and get compliments every time.
They’ll pay for themselves. And that’s why they’re worth £400.
What do you think?
Do you spend hundreds of pounds or dollars on a pair of shoes?
This is a guest post by Rosalynn, a true designer shoe lover and ambassador, whose tweets are a must for all shoe lovers out there. Follow her on Twitter for lots of shoe inspiration!
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Totally agree that a shoe can be worth a lot of money, but since I’m almost always on a budget, I only get expensive shoes (and clothes in general) on special occasions.. or I get them for my birthday, christmas and stuff.
And they feel much more special this way, at least that’s what I think.
I rather splurge on great make-up every so often :)
I concur! I have slowly accumulated a beautiful wardrobe of designer shoes on a strict budget. As a shoe lover, I realize that I can fall in love with a pair every day. So, I know that once sale season rolls around I will fall in love with a pair on sale and be able to snatch them up for just dollars more than full price high street. Most recently, I picked up a beautiful nude/black Celine bootie (that will wear for years) for 75% off. Now that’s happiness!
This was an excellent post. As a student, I can’t spend £400 on a pair of shoes, but when I get a job and am earning, I’ll be heading straight for the Louboutin boutique ;)
Oh, and I’ll make sure I twitpic Roz a picture of the shoes I buy!
Great post! I agree in investing in great quality as a whole – it’s worth it spending that hard earned cash on shoes, accessories or clothing that look fabulous and stand the test of time.
Roz,
Great post. Overall, I think with age and experience people come to appreciate the fact that quality items do last longer, fit better and hold their value. When it comes to shoes and clothes, I tend to invest my money in quality staple pieces and spend a little less on some of the trendier things. See you around the Twittersphere….
-Jamila
@sweatsandheels
Hello everyone, thank you for your comments. It was hard to keep this post to a sensible length as I could talk about it all day.
Ally, I love your approach and it makes total sense. You’ll treasure those shoes, too, because every time you wear them it’ll remind you of the party or event you bought them for.
Susan, great snag! I have to say I used to splurge and buy every pair of Louboutins and then get buyers’ remorse – but I’m careful now and each buy is considered. You get a sixth sense as to which shoes will make it to sale (and which ones are worth the gamble).
Leia, I had to wait for my first proper job too, but it was worth the wait – look forward to the pic :)
Cindy, thanks. I agree, I didn’t really go into the whole aesthetics of designer shoes, but with every compliment you get, it makes that money spent that bit more worthwhile :)
And Jamila, thank you. Yes, it’s always worth holding out for sales or being a bit thriftier than normal with trendy pieces – it’s rare I’d pay retail for something that will last only a season or two.
Thank you everyone for reading.
At my age (17) I don’t think it’s necessary to spend on designer shoes. We have got to save up our money for uni, driving lessons, cars, laptops etc. etc.
When I am older and earning money after studies and stuff I would only ever think of spending on a designer shoe in a completley classic style (black high heel), unless of course I marry a rich guy :P because trends always go out and then you never wear them again.
But I am a girl who likes things like my computer and want a car so I guess we have to make sacrifices and we can’t have it all. For me it’s buying my everyday clothes cheap and evening clothes from places like new look/at reasonable prices.
The most I have ever spent on a pair of shoes is £45 (like $80 i think not sure about the exchange rate lol) and they were trainers!
Also, do you think uggs are really worth their price tag?
Hey Lucinda, your reply kinda perfectly illustrates the point I’m making. I don’t think people should spend £400, but if they can, I recommend they do.
It sounds like you have your priorities right, and I totally agree that if you want to invest in a pair of shoes to do so on a classic pair of black heels (nude are good, too) that won’t date. I don’t think people should spend their way into bankruptcy buying designer shoes, but if you can buy designer, then do so.
But you’re 17, so you have plenty of time to get your priorities straight – I got the computer, the car, the job and then the heels in that order, so no reason why you can’t do the same!
And Uggs? They’re worth that much to a lot of people. Like I say in my post, it’s hard to put a value on shoes :)
What a great discussion! Thanks to the lovely Roz for writing such an interesting post! Be sure to follow her on Twitter – @rozfashionista – for lots of fun and interesting shoe-tweets!
X Milana
@Roz I guess so but if I got uggs, it would be in a saleor somrtihng – my friend got uggs at full price, and the long calf length too. But she got a 5 grand car bought for her and everything so I guess it’s lucky for some
And i suposse maybe by knowing you have earnt it, it will be better :)
I think this is a good article, I’ve worked for 2 years with designer shoes and being around them on a daily basis kind of makes you forget how much better in terms of quality they are compared to a New Look shoe.
Like the author of the post wrote you do pay for the quality when you buy designer and when you consider that a designer shoe is much more likely to last you a lot longer than something from the high street then they are worth it.
I was surprised though that the gap between high street and designer is closing in terms of price £150 is still quite a lot of money.
If you are a savvy shopper you can definitely grab yourself a bargain, net-a-porter’s sister site theoutnet has lots of designer shoes at discounted prices. If you’re really lucky you can even find them with as much as up to 90% off during sales at department stores.
I have always lived by the motto that investing in your shoes in crucial. I often build my looks around my shoes because I can be really savvy when it comes to clothes but then my shoes really pull my look together. Even the most basic outfit can be pumped up by the right pair of shoes.
Shoes to me are also little sculptures to be loved for years. I have really classic styles that are timeless which beats buying endless amounts of cheap fall apart shoes. Sure you might be dishing out a lot for those basic black pumps but I assure you, with proper care they will be the last black pumps you ever buy.
I also wait for sales on a lot of the edgier designer styles. So if I want more of a “one off” pair I know I am getting quality at a good price.
Lucinda, I agree, but it’s the same as someone saying to me that £400 shoes aren’t worth it – they are to me, just like I’m sure your friend’s Uggs are to her :)
Thank you both Arash and Maile – totally agree with your thoughts!