I hope to get into teaching some day (soon, please!) and am very conscious of comfort since I'll be standing all day. Most of my shoes come from Naturalizer (Don't laugh! They have cute stuff.) which run $60-$120 full price. Recently though, I saved up $400 for a pair of Frye boots. The Frye's are just as comfortable as my Naturalizers.

Still, I would never but shoes from Payless, Forever 21 or Target. The material bites my skin. The heels aren't well balanced. Vinyl doesn't breathe like leather either. Disposable shoes cost too much in the long run. I'll continue to save my back and my money.

Posted by: Jael | January 21, 2008 5:05 PM

you know they're uncomfortable when they don't come in a box and are on those plastic hangers. there's something really odd about their shape sometimes and if you buy them you're only begging for blisters!

Posted by: Joan | January 21, 2008 7:59 PM

i think it totally depends on the shoe to be honest. a lot of expensive shoes do last and are really comfortable, i have a pair of jimmy choo heels that i wear everywhere because of this. but i also have a pair of prada that almost crippled me and the soles cracked the first time i wore them. in that case i'd much sooner go for my well worn primark shoes! i think you have to judge the shoe and what the sole and uppers is actually made of, rather than if it cost you £5 or £500.

Posted by: tracey | January 22, 2008 1:21 AM

Tracey, please tell me you took those Pradas back and made a stink!

Posted by: Jael | January 22, 2008 3:04 AM

I have some New Look shoes that were £5 (in the sale, probably only £20 to start with) and they are one of my most comfy pairs of heels.

Posted by: Fi | January 22, 2008 9:13 AM

Women love buying new shoes, so cheap ones allow us to indulge in our obsession without feeling guilty or breaking the bank.Plus there is a feeling of contentment that we have a new pair to show off and if someone puts a muddy foot or scraps us in the Underground we're not liable to cry!

I just bought some work shoes from New Look for £20 and they are 'wide fit' and perfectly comfortable. I saw the same pair in M&S for £65 but these are a fraction of that price.

Besides, ther Independent isn't exactly a newspaper read by women in their early 20s or teenagers and remember most of them are gonna be students or be earning low wages, so how on the hell can they afford to buy 'more expensive' shoes? Cheap is the only option for some girls which is what they forget.

Posted by: Hazel Shoes | January 22, 2008 9:44 AM

I've also recently become conscious to the cheap shoe = uncomfortable fit equation. I used to buy cheap shoes, and always wondered why I had so many troubles (blisters, pinched skin, cramped toes, totally uncomfortable for long wear). Now I am tending to buy better shoes. I'm not in the Louboutin range yet, but I'd rather spend $100 on Zappos on a good pair of Kors or Marc Jacobs (on sale!) than another $40 on some pleather crap. Nine West actually makes comfortable shoes at a good price point; they're reliable. Aldo is hit-or-miss; their heel construction tends to be very shoddy. I think these brands are US equivalents to Primark or New Look.

Posted by: Lola | January 22, 2008 3:46 PM

I wouldn't buy the cheapie-cheap shoes unless I knew I was only going to wear them once or twice, but I won't buy designer either.

I buy mid-range shoes, and prefer the ones known for comfort, if they look at all reasonable. Also, you have to try a shoe on to get a feel for it on your foot. Our feet are all different and I need to see if the shoe grates on my problem areas. I also like to inspect how it's made (heel well made, stitching well done, especially in important places like middle of your heel where it will rub) and in general leather is better than synthetics.

Just like not all stilletos are painful (I have a great pair) and not all flats are comfy (I have a crappy pair), price does not guarantee shoe quality.

Posted by: Miff | January 24, 2008 12:18 AM

I buy cheap shoes occasionally because I'm on a budget and I can't always wait for the sales in the more expensive stores, but the thing that really bugs me is the hard plastic heels they always put on them - they're so slippy that I'm always falling over in the street! I took some gorgeous red (cheap) slouchy boots to the shoemenders to get them heeled and they told me that they couldn't do anything with them! So I ended up buying expensive boots aswell because I didn't want to slip over on the wet pavements anymore!

Posted by: Zoe | January 25, 2008 7:59 PM

I never go cheap on boots and I mean cheap as far as buying dirt-cheap, man-made crap like Anne Michelle, Michael Antonio, Delicious. You know the shoe they have in the bargain stores in the U.S. for $19.99. Those shoes are pure garbage. I always try to at least go with Guess, Nine West or Steve Madden higher line Steven. You can count on these national brands for good quality leather, comfortable under $150 dollars. Sometimes you can catch them at more than half price at the outlet stores or on Ebay. Anything less than those brands, you are putting your feet through sheer torture!!

Posted by: shoppingdiva | April 11, 2008 12:38 AM