No blisters???

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by musicfan
Tevas are expensive, so I'm not even sure they should be included on the budget board!

I think budget can mean different things for different people. In some cases it's about how cheaply you can get something...in other cases its the best value for your money. For many, many people, paying more for 'better' is more frugal in the long run. That in great part is why we joined the DVC. More money upfront, better value for our lifestyle in the long run.

Originally posted by LoriKobz
Am I missing something? I find great sandals at Walmart and Target for less than $20, and wear them comfortably all summer long.

Obviously you are.

The fact is, lots of people can't wear cheap shoes. I'm one of them. Besides having very wide (EEEE) long (11 1/2) feet, my feet perspire alot and as a rule, I'm very hard on my shoes. The typical wallyworld shoe is made for a specific foot mold, which of course, is usually an 'average'. Some of us need more arch support, some less. Some need more cushioning, some need more toe space (Most women's shoes need this, but that's a whole different topic).

The 'generic' shoes tend to be less well constructed. In every day wear for most people, this probably isn't an issue, but when you're looking at 'serious' use, the cheap ones tend to fail their purpose. Walking 5-10 miles a day is by American 2002 standards alot of walking, and the cheaper shoes will have a tendency to not last as long, or cause blisters or other pain which just won't show up in 'normal' usage.

From what I understand, these 'special' sandals were created by and for the outdoorsy types who wanted something a little more rugged and supportive than the sandals that were around. Looking at one in a photograph probably can't give one an appreciation for the shoe. I personally can't stand wearing sandals (bear foot or fully shod...no in-betweens ), but I can fully understand why people would pay alot of money for good ones.

Of course, my thinking may be a bit skewed. Being male, I only own four pairs of shoes, so I can afford to spend more on them. If I had to match shoes to outfits, i might need to spread the budget a little farther.

I hope this helps,
Joe

 

[IowaGirl]

I bought a pair of mens Rockport sport sandals at Marshalls($16) I was sooooo comfy. My family wanted to wear their tennis shoes, they were sad.
Even though they were wearing well broken in tennis shoes, DH and DD got blisters on the bottom of their toes--lucky I brought moleskin and Bandaid blister blockers!!!
My sandals were completely padded on the top, and had a tennis shoe type bottom, and my feet were comfy cool. I hate hot sweaty feet. The top was not leather, but some suede, and that padded material.
I have big feet, and I could not believe how much more comfortable men's sandals were than any women's styles I looked at. (saw lots of women at WDW with high heal slip on sandals--I was in pain looking at them!!)
Next trip I will shop around for the family and try sporting goods chain stores like Gander Mountain, Durhams, Dick's Sporting Goods and see if I can't find something similar. I looked at their ads last weekend, and all these stores had all kinds of sports sandals.
Air conditioned feet are the way to go!!!!
(and no bra, but that would be another thread)