Buy Better, Repair Often: Why Investing in Quality Shoes Saves You Money (and the Planet)

Blandine Avot
Apr 29
3 min read

When it comes to shoes, it’s easy to grab the $60 pair from a fast fashion brand. After all, they look good today—and who wants to spend $200+?

But here’s the truth: buying higher-quality shoes and repairing them is actually the more cost-effective and the more sustainable choice. And when you think in terms of Price Per Wear (PPW), it’s a total no-brainer.

The True Cost of Cheap Shoes

Let’s say you buy a pair of synthetic leather shoes for $60. They look good now, but after a few months of regular wear, the soles peel, the faux leather cracks, and they become uncomfortable. They'll be used one season, then tossed and replaced by another $60 pair.

Over 5 years, you end up buying about 9 pairs — spending a total of $540 (9 × $60), or about $108 per year

Each pair will be worn about 100 times (4 days x 4 weeks x 6 months) getting you the following your price per wear:

$0.60 per wear ($60 ÷ 100 wears)

Plus, every discarded pair likely ends up in a landfill, where synthetic materials can take decades to decompose.

The Smarter (and Sharper) Alternative

Now imagine you invest in a high-quality leather shoe, like:

Allen Edmonds Park Avenue Oxfords: Retail $395, often found on sale for $250–$300
Red Wing Heritage Iron Ranger Boots: $349

These are made from full-grain leather, built with Goodyear welts (designed to be resoled), and actually improve with age.

If you buy a pair for $300 and properly maintain them (resoling every 2–3 years at about $150), here’s how it looks over 5 years:

Item	Cost	Notes
Initial purchase	$300	High-end, durable leather
First resole (after 2–3 years)	$150	Full resole + polish
Minor repairs (laces, cleaning)	$30	Maintenance over 5 years
Total (5 years)	$480	Averaging ~$86/year

Over the course of 5 years, you'll end up wearing these quality shoes about 1,000 times (4 days x 52 weeks x 5 years), driving down your price per wear vs cheaper shoes despite a higher initial investment and regular professional care and repair:

$0.48 per wear ($480 ÷ 1,000 wears)

Quick Comparison:

	Cheap Shoes	Quality Shoes
Cost over 5 years	$540	$480
Price per wear	$0.60	$0.48
Comfort & appearance	Declines quickly	Improves with age
Environmental impact	Landfill waste	Repairable and long-lasting

It’s About More Than Money

Buying quality and repairing isn’t just a smart financial move—it’s a lifestyle choice:

Sustainability: Fewer shoes produced and discarded = less environmental impact
Craftsmanship: Good shoes are made and repaired by skilled workers who take pride in their craft that you are supporting with your purchases.
Personal pride: Well-maintained shoes tell the world you care about quality, not just trends.

How to Start

Invest in one good pair of everyday shoes you can wear often (neutral color, versatile style). You can get amazing deals of like new and very high quality shoes on secondhand shopping websites.
Care for them: Use shoe trees, polish them, and keep them dry.
Book a repair on Coblrshop.com—you’ll be amazed what the cobblers in our network can do!
Budget for repairs, not replacements.

You don’t have to be wealthy to afford quality—you just have to rethink how you buy.

Buy better. Repair often.