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This morning I wanted a different pair of heels for a change. So went through my shoes and pulled out a pair of shoes that I loved but had not worn in a while. They are a more dressy pair with closed toe then a y-strap coming out and going around the ankle to the slightly closed heel all on a 3 inch heel. I never wore them much because they were more formal but loved them. Well I went to put them on and noticed the insole was loose as the glue holding it on to the foam was not holding any longer.... or was it the foam was breaking down. So I was putting them on like normal trying to slip my foot into them and was having problems, the straps were not letting my foot slip through. So I reached down and the straps were all sticky and disintegrating. So I had to say between the insole and the straps these are not able to be salvaged and they are in the trash.

So second pair I pull out put them on and no problem. Well I am looking down at them later and the finish on them is all cracked and flaking off. I had a pair do this a few years back and have another pair in the closet I have been wearing doing this. The man made leather look materials only lasts so long then starts to disintegrate. If they were real leather I could clean them up and give them a good polish and they would be like new. But these man made leather substitutes once they start to go are done for.

Does anyone else have this problem with shoes?

Guess it is time to take Gabby's advice and go look for shoes at Macy's clearance sale.

Kimberlys

My wife bought me some water shoes for beach wear and such. The rubber souls dried out and broke apart in pieces in less that a year and a half. Another pair from a different maker lasted several years.

Donna I had that happen with a pair of water shoes. Got them for a cruise and wore them several times on the trip. Got them out a year later and they were falling apart.

The other shoes I have gotten use out of all of them. The first pair and other pair I have been wearing around both were second had store finds and who knows how old they were when I got them. I have had them 15- 20 years. Both a classic enough style to keep wearing. And both I have worn out about more than a few times.

The pair I have on I am surprised about. I would say they are in the 15 year old range give or take a few years. And the more I am wearing them today the more the finish flakes off. I guess newer is not always better. They are still very comfy.

Kimberlys

Never had a pair of shoes actually "disintegrate" but I can remember in the old days having some start to peel or the coating start to crumble particularly in cheaper shoes. I have a pair of leather knee high boots I have had probably 5 or 6 years and with a quick buff still look new. There is a lot to be said in "you get what you pay for."

I have a pair of water shoes I bought at I think Target probably 3 or even 4 years ago. They were on clearance, probably because they are neon pink, but they were super cheap like $3 or so. They are super comfortable and still holding up fine. If I were to find them again I would buy a couple pairs particularly if there were in a not in your face color.

yes, the cheap shoes definitely fall apart pretty quick, and the plastic ones even if they are not inexpensive still do not last well. So I always go for genuine leather if I expect it to last more than a year, and refuse to pay more than $20 if it's not. At that point it's like something to wear for one or two occasions just because I need it to match my outfit.
It's kind of hard to find real leather though, and I just don't have the patience to sort through racks and racks to find the one pair that's genuine leather, in the style I want, and my size. So I usually go to the higher end shoe stores and even there you have to look at the label close.