Frank8 Report post Posted April 19, 2011 "Last month, the British Retail Consortium recorded its worst fall in UK sales since records began in 1996. Footwear was the only growth sector, as food and drink, clothing, homeware, electrical, and others all fell." Interesting. Maybe people are beginning to walk more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RentingForever Report post Posted April 19, 2011 "Last month, the British Retail Consortium recorded its worst fall in UK sales since records began in 1996. Footwear was the only growth sector, as food and drink, clothing, homeware, electrical, and others all fell." Interesting. Maybe people are beginning to walk more. Or shoe manufacturers are cutting costs by cutting quality - so people have to buy shores more often? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daedalus Report post Posted April 19, 2011 Or shoe manufacturers are cutting costs by cutting quality - so people have to buy shores more often? Oh no! Not the shoe-event-horizon! The ultimate decline of civilisation into a footwear obsessed econopocalypse as foretold by Douglas Adams in the Hitchhiker's Guide... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Austin Allegro Report post Posted April 19, 2011 It's possible. Modern shoes are often badly made, with composite soles that can't be repaired, so the whole shoe has to be replaced; I would imagine a lot of people wouldn't even think a pair of shoes could be repaired, even if there was a decent cobbler near them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
porca misèria Report post Posted April 19, 2011 Oh no! Not the shoe-event-horizon! The ultimate decline of civilisation into a footwear obsessed econopocalypse as foretold by Douglas Adams in the Hitchhiker's Guide... No no no! Stop being a drama queen! It's just an admission of de-feet by the downtrodden consumer! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arrgee1991 Report post Posted April 19, 2011 I would imagine a lot of people wouldn't even think a pair of shoes could be repaired, even if there was a decent cobbler near them. It costs more to get shoes repaired than they are worth. Cost me £40 to get a pair of shoes (that only cost £50 in a sale) heeled and soled. When the January sales came around this year I bought four pairs at £40 each. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Austin Allegro Report post Posted April 19, 2011 It costs more to get shoes repaired than they are worth. Cost me £40 to get a pair of shoes (that only cost £50 in a sale) heeled and soled. When the January sales came around this year I bought four pairs at £40 each. True, but I find that good quality shoes with full leather lining and sole usually cost at least £100, so it's worth repairing them a couple of times. I often do the sole myself with one of those kits anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Patfig Report post Posted April 19, 2011 ahh sole Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arrgee1991 Report post Posted April 19, 2011 True, but I find that good quality shoes with full leather lining and sole usually cost at least £100, so it's worth repairing them a couple of times. I often do the sole myself with one of those kits anyway. I find it rare that anything is worth repairing these days. I have thrown away many things as the repair cost often exceeds the cost of a new one. Only thing I had repaired in the last year was my watch which cost £125 The watch is worth a little more than that, but not much. Maybe if I had a pair of Church's I might get them repaired, but normally by the time they need a new sole & heel the uppers are pretty spent as well and in the sales you can get good leather shoes for about £50. I just stock up when I see them, cos I need the money for the kid's shoes that need renewing every six months. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Austin Allegro Report post Posted April 19, 2011 I find it rare that anything is worth repairing these days. I have thrown away many things as the repair cost often exceeds the cost of a new one. Only thing I had repaired in the last year was my watch which cost £125 The watch is worth a little more than that, but not much. Maybe if I had a pair of Church's I might get them repaired, but normally by the time they need a new sole & heel the uppers are pretty spent as well and in the sales you can get good leather shoes for about £50. I just stock up when I see them, cos I need the money for the kid's shoes that need renewing every six months. Fair enough - it's a bit of a lottery anyway; I have a pair of Cheaney shoes whose uppers are almost good as new (in fact, the patina of age improves them) after 11 years, but I suspect the same quality would be harder to get now. It's particularly annoying to see shoes retailing for around £100 or more that have a cloth lining - they wear out in a few weeks! In fact the best shoes I've had recently were grade one surplus RAF parade shoes for £16.99 - very smart with 'bulled' toecaps and full leather lining, but very comfortable and good for long walks too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spyguy Report post Posted April 19, 2011 Gave up on Doc Martins recently. As someone has said on another topic - Chinese QA is not inconsistent; its all cr*p. Switched to Solovair - so far, so good. And I get nods of approvals from BNP members. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Austin Allegro Report post Posted April 19, 2011 Gave up on Doc Martins recently. As someone has said on another topic - Chinese QA is not inconsistent; its all cr*p. Switched to Solovair - so far, so good. And I get nods of approvals from BNP members. Do Dr Marten's still have the plastic/cloth lining? That always put me off them. I also didn't find the 'air wair sole' to be any more comfortable than ordinary rubber, and I even got a puncture in one of them! I only wore them because they were compulsory for 80s teenagers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tinker Report post Posted April 19, 2011 I car shared today to go to a meeting, when I normally would have gone separately. Strategy drive carefully, walk more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrPin Report post Posted April 19, 2011 Where are the fairy cobbler elves when you need them? wasting too much time on shoepricecrash.com.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saving For a Space Ship Report post Posted April 19, 2011 Where are the fairy cobbler elves when you need them? In the (any excuse to show that vid) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wherebee Report post Posted April 20, 2011 RM Williams boots - worth having repaired and resoled....boots luverly boots Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest_flaps_* Report post Posted April 20, 2011 Do Dr Marten's still have the plastic/cloth lining? That always put me off them. I also didn't find the 'air wair sole' to be any more comfortable than ordinary rubber, and I even got a puncture in one of them! I only wore them because they were compulsory for 80s teenagers... Even back in the early 90's I found 'Doccers' soles to be utter crap! They claimed to be oil/grease and whatever else resistant on the bottom of them, but I found very few surfaces they would actually grip to! I started wearing them on my late shift dragging stock out at the Co-op and anything remotely heavy and the things would just slide on the floor while the pallet wouldn't shift! And in snow and ice they were a safety hazzard! So I reverted to paraboots instead. Much better, much cheaper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arrgee1991 Report post Posted April 20, 2011 Strategy drive carefully, walk more. Gave up my car a month ago, and not missed it. Hiring a car over long bank holiday for £150 (including £20 no excess insurance). Had I gone for a smaller car, I could have had 5 days for less than £100 (including the no excess insurance). No worries about been hammered for insurance, and even get a drive from and to work as the pick up point is next to workplace just outside congestion zone. Would never have car normally due to parking costs. I figure that I would probably do about 5 hires a year, so that's £750 in total as opposed to forking out £15K or so for a car and paying another £1K/annum on servicing/tax/insurance/breakdown cover. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest_flaps_* Report post Posted April 20, 2011 Gave up my car a month ago, and not missed it. Hiring a car over long bank holiday for £150 (including £20 no excess insurance). Had I gone for a smaller car, I could have had 5 days for less than £100 (including the no excess insurance). No worries about been hammered for insurance, and even get a drive from and to work as the pick up point is next to workplace just outside congestion zone. Would never have car normally due to parking costs. I figure that I would probably do about 5 hires a year, so that's £750 in total as opposed to forking out £15K or so for a car and paying another £1K/annum on servicing/tax/insurance/breakdown cover. Why £15K? YOu can get something far far cheaper and still very reliable. Not saying the hire option isn't better, but there is no need to spend anywhere near 15K on a motor either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arrgee1991 Report post Posted April 20, 2011 Why £15K? You can get something far far cheaper and still very reliable. Not saying the hire option isn't better, but there is no need to spend anywhere near 15K on a motor either. To buy anything new that comfortably seats four is about £15K. A low mileage basic Ford Focus is over £10K. OK, I could get a new Fiat Panda with no air con for about £6K, but having driven one around the M25 one hot summer day last year with two kids fighting in the back, I have resolved never to do a long journey in a mini sized car again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
