I hope your closet wouldn't want to smash me. You can find pre-loved designer shoes in brand new shoes from thrift and consignment stores, eBay etc. and set an alert when something matches with your search. I live in Europe so I guess the market place would differ. If you want to find real bargains, the trick is buy winter apparel in summer and in summer vice versa.
I'm not sure if Hush Puppies is around the states but it's still quite popular especially in Germany.
I know the feeling. Luckily, I don't live in hot and humid country, so people do wear socks. I'll disinfect my pre-loved shoes despite seeming to be in brand new condition, then clean with leather cleaner and after that regular steps of leather lotion and water proofing spray. I bet that there's higher probability to get athlete's foot or other fungus from public swimming pool or gym shower floor.
Communication issue. LOL! When I said my closet would burst, I meant it would be so
full of the shoes that it would burst. Not, that it wouldn’t want the shoes in it.
I would love to find preloved new / like new premier designer shoes at that kind of discount. But, when I see preloved shoes they always look pretty banged up. I have to admit though that I don’t spend enough time looking.
@ HopelessBagGirl, I am
majorly squicked out by other people’s dirt / feet / bathrooms, etc. And, I’m convinced that cooties exist and are going to take us all down in a zombie plague.
(Funny thing, my sister in law is a nail tech. She made the point that feet are cleaner than hands because they typically get washed and kept in shoes all day whereas people do things with their hands all day - including use the bathroom - and may not wash them preoperly or consistently.)
But, things can be cleaned. LOL! I say this all the time about used bags and clothes. They can be cleaned, folks. It’s funny people won’t buy used bags but will buy a used house. Gunk and crud and bacteria and hair and yuck get in all kinds of places like air ducts and other cracks and crevices that just can’t be cleaned out easily if at all. Which is why most of us have working immune systems. We can handle most germs. I just don’t like to
think about them. So, I really try not to.
I have bought preloved shoes perhaps 5-6 times and cleaned them all. I have a pair of Laboutin booties (preloved new) and Balenciaga booties (preloved like new) that I got preloved. I sold the preloved
Prada wedges and Chanel boots that I had bought. I think I’ve gotten some other shoes preloved at some point but, can’t recall.
I’ve never needed to replace insoles or heels because all shoes I got were new or essentially new. Here are some steps for shoe cleaning that I found on google and kept in my Evernotes. They can even be applied to our own bought from the store shoes over time.
- Wipe the insides down with rubbing alcohol or a weak solution of bleach and water (be careful of getting on the exterior or using bleach on non white surfaces)
- Clean outsides with warm, soapy water or a diluted mix of alcohol and water. (Obvi not suede, calf hair, etc.)
- Put baking soda inside the shoe and leave overnight to absorb any odours.
- Remove & replace insoles if needed
- Replace outsoles if needed
- To kill fungus, put the shoes in an airtight plastic bag, place in the freezer and leave overnight.
- Re-moisturize leathers
I just don’t ever see shoes I can buy. First because, as I said, I’m not looking (not sure where to reliably look) so I’m missing them. Second because shoes have to be a certain size. I’d need to try them on somewhere then hunt and save searches as you mentioned. For “regular” shoes like plain black boots it seems easier just to go to the mall. I will probably save premier designer shoe money for unique looks I can’t easily replicate with mass brands. Although, I have to admit, in an alternate universe, I’d love a closet of shoes with little red soles.
But, even my happy to wear heels self doesn’t find Laboutin pumps to be comfortable. I’d probably have to stick to the boots and booties as they are 10,000 times more comfy than the heels. And, I can’t stand for my feet to hurt for a millisecond.
What I also should do is find out when the brands have half off sales and buy then. Getting brand new at 50% would be great. Especially when you can layer on store discount codes, store points, cash back on credit cards and e bates cash back.
What is everyone’s favorite shoe brand (premier, contemporary, sub contemporary)? I don’t really have one. Which now that I think of it is odd.
