Which are you?

[galligator]

I've been looking at some of the threads on this & a couple of other blogs & got to thinking about 'luxury designers' and when I would be willing to spend upwards of $500 or more on a single pair of shoes, however well-made.

I seem to have encountered 2 main schools of thought (once you eliminate those rare shoe mavins who can buy any shoe they want & never need consider the price tag):

1.) On type is the person who really loves a few classic styles and would rather spend the higher price tag for something that will always be in style and would rather not have to replace the same shoe season after season when they can keep a comfortable quality shoe for years. They may not have a problem spending money on a trendier shoe, but may view it as wasteful to spend full designer prices for a single season shoe when they can still find a comfortable 'inspired-by' knock-off style at a price more in keeping with a trend's short lifespan.

2.) The other main type seems to be the Ooh La La person. I am more in this category. If I decide to spend what to me is quite frankly an indulgent amount of money on a single pair of shoes - I really want that to be a shoe that is spectacular. Will it be trendy - Perhaps. But it will also be a shoe that will never truly be available on a lower price point because the work involved is simply too much to be effectively copied for less money. A case in point are the Miu Miu Jeweled heel sandals and the Prada flower heeled pumps. I know they are distinctive, but I tend to think they will become not dated, but a classic high point for shoes.

Are you any of these? Do you have other impulses when looking at higher end footwear?

Do Share.



>>> Let's just say I'd love to own a pair of shoe in which I could have tea with the queen, should she ever drop by.

[Shomore]

Galligator,

I fall into the first category for a number of reasons. Like you mention, a lot of it is for purely economical reasons. The more times I wear the shoes, the better the ROI and that is how I justify the extra coin that I'm forking over...although I don't think I will match Tony Blair's record! Second, I am admittedly not the greatest at coordinating my clothes and probably could use a stylist. It is simply easier to wear classical styles because they usually go well with just about anything.

Of course, I absolutely LOVE to see the latest trends that models strut down the runways. But, more often than not, the second category is reserved for appreciating at a distance unless it's absolutely TDF or on sale.

[Girl6]

I'm a MAKIN' A STATEMENT WITH MY FEET type

Since I have to be fairly chilled out in the corporate "uniform" (attorney-version) all day, shoes are my chance to bust out and hit-em-in-the-eye with some style, flair & flava!

[graymnnce]

Dated versus Classic - interesting point. Consider the collector potential of some of the iconic shoes of years gone by: the Tom Ford "Lips" sandals, the Chanel "Floating heel" shoes. Neither of those are going to be worn often, but as treasures in the closet, they are hard to beat!

[DaynaRA]

The other day I pulled a box out of my attic and in it I found a bright blue pair of those mid 90s platforms, the real chunky Spice Girls style ones. They might be dated and silly now, but it's always fun to look back at the extremes of what was popular.

[MonAmie]

I'm Pedro Garcia's color ballerinas

[Kwood8]

I think I am a mix of #1 and 2.. I definitely agree with you about those Miu Miu jeweled heel sandals. But then I'll get my head on straight because I cannot afford all that money for a 'trendy' shoe that only lasts a season.

[gerriward]

I luv shoes so for me it's just a matter of Beauty & Quality. My preference tends to go in the direction of Couture yet I have discovered many designers who just create one of a kind shoes that are not couture yet the handcraft is unbelievable.

[iSlingback]

I am squarely in category two. I wish I could afford to be in category one but I just can't. I'm actually kind of depressed after going to the purse blog and reading about other's fabulous shoe collections and seeing them..(Kudos to them though if they have it like that). I like quality and I think designer/couture shoes have a level of quality but it does not mean they are the only game in town. I've actually read some disparaging things about major designers level of quality.

I recently read a good article about the perception luxury and how nowadays there is "mass" luxury not true luxury. It cited that some American designers were no longer considered luxury brands globally. I found it quite interesting. So to me..I asked myself what is true luxury. And who is to say that there are not unknown designers, lesser known designers that can provide that quality? I am hoping to find those designers and interview them for my own website. It's not always about paying a lot of money, but there is a whole school of thought or perception there is value in shelling out hundreds of dollars for shoes. I have a pair of boots I spent hundreds on and the first day I wore them, the heel broke. These are designer boots. I questioned quality right then as I lay in the front yard with a sprained ankle. I had neve paid so much for a pair of boots and they nearly killed me.