It goes against some folks rules to buy shoes second hand -- articles advising what to/not to buy at thrifts often state shoes should be passed. What a dumb rule. As long as the pairs you pick are near new, there should be no reservation in doing so. This lightly worn pair of Rockport World Tour shoes retail for close to $100. They were a bargain from a Veteran's Day 50% store-wide sale for $3.50
This pair of Indigo Rd fashion shoes aren't terribly expensive, selling for around forty bucks on-line. The pair has no wear at all and were also three and a half bucks. Sometimes it's worth it to buy something to give the style a try -- without having to lose much money if it doesn't work out.
This $2.50 pair of Kenneth Cole Reaction flip-flops will be packed for a cruise in January. They, too, have never been worn. A pair of cheap rubber summer throw-aways cost more than this in season. That's the benefit of buying in the second hand market.
How about this pair of Sacks Fifth Avenue slides? At half off $8.98, the four and a half bucks spent on them was well worth it. The original price tag, still on the bottom, shows they would have sold for $49. These have also never been worn.
To get the best value, it's worth it to check for half-off sales. The find today was not all that unusual -- but unfortunately coupons could not be used. On a normal day, the plan would be to find the product at half off and then use a $4 of $14 coupon. Even without the extra deduction, these shoes were worth the price.
Don't let articles or experts set the rules. Quality is out there on the second hand market and it's not unusual for some of what's found to be new or unused.
Those are some great buys! I like those Rockports. I needed to buy a dress shoe to wear with pants. The wedge on the pair I had literally crumbled apart. I only wore them a few times a year and had them for a very long time. I wore them last week and by the time I got home, I realized the bottom of the heel had come off and the inside was crumbling. lol. I started looking for a second hand pair but couldn't find anything, so I bought a NEW pair of Bernie Mev booties and spent way too much money. I figure for the amount of times I buy fancy shoes, (which is once every 10 years maybe?), I thought I could treat myself. I used a 20% off coupon which helped me feel better about it. I hope they last a long time.
ReplyDeleteI love Rockports and they last a long time. For someone who spends as much time on her feet as you do, you have to buy what you need when you need it! Since you recently bought something new, the thrift gods will arrange it so a gently used pair will soon show up second hand. Isn't that the way it usually works?
DeleteI never used to buy used shoes (rest of wardrobe except underwear/socks/bras yes but no to shoes) until I found an almost new pair of Clarks, likley had only been worn once. $5 for $100 shoes! Brought them home, de-germed them, shines them up and since then, I am on the constant lookout. Washable shoes are even better, I found some sketchers that was really well at a thrift store earlier this year. I also found a great pair of aerosoles but after bringing them home for $3 found them too high of a heel - resold them for $10 lol. Great finds, even better at 50% off!
ReplyDeleteI realized one day that buying at a thrift was no different than taking shoes my friends would give to me. I had a girlfriend with an extensive collection who was my size who sold her house to live on a boat. She gave me over a dozen great shoes. Once I started wearing them, I figured it didn't matter if they were bestowed or purchased. One of my best first finds were a pair of Clarks too!
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