sneaker question
Hey guys so i'm wondering what the longevity difference is with quality italian made sneakers? I have my eye on some that are $500, I love the look of them but i'm not sure if it'd be worth it to spend that much for them to be worn out in a couple years. I wouldn't be wearing them every day, maybe 2-3 times a week tops.
16 Replies
For $500 you can get a much cooler shoe than what I'm assuming is a minimalist leather sneaker.
Also my Stan smiths lasted ~4 years of heavy wear and were under $100
Nah the pair i'm looking at are a really nice stylized leather/suede with some really cool earth tones. I've looked for a cheaper pair in a similar design/colors but can't find anything that comes close lol. But word if I can get 4-5 years that'd be worth it I think
pic?
I would not get an expensive shoe from a company that is not a shoe company
I don't think I agree with that, being more discerning is definitely smart. But Todd Snyder is known for their quality, I don't see why that'd be different for his shoes, especially given all the past experience working with new balance, vans etc to make collabs
Usually the shoes are outsourced to shoe companies (for example, Ralph Lauren or J. Crew outsource their shoes) but I dunno if these shoes are made by Todd Snyder or not
Oh these are basically gats, you could get margiela replicas for a little less or surplus ones for a lot less.
Gats? I looked at the margielas but I don't love how it looks kinda like a track/running shoe, plus none of the colorways caught my eye
German army trainers
I guess they look kind of similar? But the colors are completely different, the sole is way shorter (and I really don't like gum soles), also I love the tab on the tongue of the Todd Snyders
That’s all totally fair! To answer your original question, higher quality (or more expensive I guess) sneakers will probably have better leather that will last longer, and better soles (although this doesn’t vary too much between sneakers). The pair you sent has EVA soles though, so that’s probably not much different from other EVA soles sneakers
Interestingly they have a cork footbed, which is something you’d typically see in welted shoes. The idea behind those is that they’ll mold to your foot over time, which might be something desirable for sneakers.
If you treat them well and use shoe trees and stuff, they’d easily last multiple years, but the main limiting factor is the EVA sole
Yeah the soles were the big worry for me, but I wonder if it'd be possible to resole them when they do eventually wear down? I'll definitely use shoe trees though, do you recommend that for sneakers generally? Or maybe only for more expensive ones you really want to take care of?
Usually I don’t care with sneakers, but if I had a pair of $500 sneakers you’re goddamn right that I’ll be putting shoe trees in ‘em
I think I’ve seen some videos of people resoleing cup sole sneakers but they’re not really made with that intention ya know. Maybe someone who knows more about shoes can speak to that?
I think for longevity it also depends on what you're using them for. I've had sneakers last for several years that I only wore to the office like 2-3 days a week. I think I got rid of them after like 5 years but only because I got bored of them - probably could've gotten at least another 3 years out of them
Also have you thought about tod's? They may have something similar to what you're looking for and they're actually a good shoe brand
I just looked at their options, they look nice but still nothing close to the Todd Snyder's colorway, and the ones I did like cost close to a grand 😅