6 years seems a good run for leather booties - YouLookFab Forum

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6 years seems a good run for leather booties

Chris987

Veteran

I wore these Blondo suede booties last night to a Shiva event at a close friends house, and confirmed that they are truly not comfortable any more. I keep thinking I can wear them as "sitting shoes" but even the short walk from my car to her house was painful. They also looked a bit dated ("super classic") alongside some of the newer footwear I saw around me. The suede has looked a little shabby the last few years despite using a refresh treatment.

I have a hard time letting go of workhorse footwear, but I looked up when I bought them and it was 2018!!! I've worn them and their dups in flat black leather a LOT, including some city walking and both pairs always went the distance. 6 years with lots of wear is a good long run. I now feel totally fine about letting them both go. None of the other shoes I bought that year have lasted this long

Blondos are definitely on my go-to list for winter footwear!

Comments welcome, as always.

Blondo Lila Waterproof Suede Ankle Bootie

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Blondo Lila Waterproof Ankle Bootie

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Dressing

21 replies

Latest reply was from Chris987

Roberta

Veteran

It is a great run, especially if you wear them often. For me, the pointed (ish) toe would be the problem. But any shoe that is worn a lot tends to become less comfy. My Ecco high tops, also bought in 2018, now require a foam insole to be wearable. The sole/insole has compressed so much that it feels like they have no cushion. Sad. I'll keep mine for short wears.

I just bought my second pair of Lucky Brand Basel boots (below) that you might like. Reasonably priced and lots of different colors. The zippers make them very easy to get on and off. Macy's, Nordstrom, Amazon . . .

Ecco ECCO Soft 8 High Top Sneaker (Women) | Nordstrom

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Lucky Brand BaselWomen's

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

6 years a long time to wear workhorse shoes! If they are no longer comfy - please pass them on.

Chris, I don't think they look dated. You are done with the look, so there is that

Here is my older than 5 year old footwear - all pre-pandemic:

Some pairs are no longer comfy, and I need to find replacements.
The gold pumps are 10 years old, and the buckles are broken. I need to get them fixed. They are really comfy! VERY hard to find dressy shoes that go the distance.

Converse Ctas Leather Fur Womens Chelsea Boots

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J.Crew J.CrewCap-Toe Ankle Boot

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Vagabond Vagabond Shoemakers Mya Pointy Toe Bootie (Women) | Nordstrom

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Sperry Saltwater Emboss Wool

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Franco Sarto Franco Sarto Women's Caleigh Pump

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Converse Converse Women's Chuck Taylor All Star Winter Knit & Fur Fashion Sneakers

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Sam Edelman Sam Edelman Sally Flat (Women) | Nordstrom

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Bella-Vita Holden Sandal

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kinnick

Going forward, you might consider buying a shoe that can be resoled. I know Danner does this for some boots.

Lisa

Veteran

6 years is an excellent run on shoes. I usually average 4 years for my shoes/sneakers, except for two pairs of cowgirl boots, those get better and better with age and they will be easy to resole when the time comes.

Chris987

Veteran

Roberta, I know exactly what you mean about soles/padding becoming compressed and no longer have enough cushioning. I often find that when that happens I can't insert a foam cushion because there is not enough room for it. I have had a couple of pair of Basels and look at them occasionally although they feel a little too western for my style at the moment. Could see them in my future at some point.

Angie - you have quite an array of long-keep shoes! Good luck getting the gold ones repaired

kinnick - oddly enough the soles and heels of these boots do not appear worn at all. The discomfort is that they do not feel cushioned enough, which I'm sure has something to do with changes in my feet/legs/hips and perhaps some invisible loss of structural integrity in the boots. Cushioned insoles might help but there is not enough room in the boots for them.

Lisa - yeah 4 years sounds about right in general.

Bonnie

Veteran

I have a pair of boots that from early on were a bit too narrow and didn't work outdoors but did work in the house. I got them in 2016 and have worn them 129 times and they still look great. Not the same story as your boots which got plenty of wear.

FLY London Women's Phil Ankle Boot

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Dee

Veteran

I agree that a workhorse bootie of 6 years has done its job for you and sometimes we just want a change of style too.

You just never know with boots though. I have a pair of tall boots that are several years old, they don’t get much wear but when I wore them last year they actually felt pretty darn comfortable but the next day my feet were so sore, and my plantar fasciitis flared up again. I was pretty surprised, sometimes you just find out the hard way about how your feel about your footwear choice. Sadly, it looks like I’ll have to pass them on.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

6 years is definitely a good run for a pair of boots in your climate. Onwards! But they did give you great service.

I still have footwear that dates back that long or longer -- but when you have a large footwear collection, as I do, that's much more likely. Ditto for seldom worn dressier footwear.

My red plaid boots need some serious help from a cobbler but I am really hoping to revive them. They are so unique and such fun to wear .

Bronx Lace-Up Platform Boot

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La Canadienne Mazy

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La Canadienne Poppie

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Aquatalia by Marvin K Genna Weatherproof Tall Boot

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Eileen Fisher Eileen Fisher Tilda Stacked Heel Pump (Women) | Nordstrom

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Runcarla

Veteran

Those 6 yo boots don’t owe you anything. Toss!

2-3 years is the average I get from my sneakers and boots, and then they are trash! I’ve done a lot of replacing recently and have no footwear before 2022! I suspect dressier shoes will last longer - my last pair of black dressy shoes were 10yo and were from my working years, and I’m hoping to own their replacements for as long.

Removable inner soles are something I look for in footwear these days. I like to use Superfeet for my main walking shoes or boots. I just replaced the Superfeet in my black boots with a sheepskin liner that will be a boon on the cold days coming up.

Sal

Veteran

That's a good innings for a workhorse so this is a brand to watch for!!

My navy booties below were 2018, and are showing some wear. The black ones from 2019 have not been worn as much. The brown suede are 2017 but being knee highs also have not had as much wear.

My sneakers wear out quickly especially anything I exercise in - last one year. Heels don't wear out as I don't wear them enough.

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Eileen Fisher Eileen Fisher Sport Sandal (Women) | Nordstrom

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Chris987

Veteran

Bonnie, how interesting that those boots worked indoors but not outdoors ...

Dee ... you sure are right that one never knows with boots how things will go ... it's such a bummer when a pair that feels comfy on one day causes foot issues the second day.

Suz great point that the larger your collection the longer the items last, esp. with dressy ones not worn often. Good luck getting repairs to the plaid ones, they certainly are unique and fit your style so well.

Runcarla, I too look for removable insole and often replace them with superfeet ones.

Sal, you have such huge variety in your footwear! And yes sneakers worn for walking or exercising do wear out fairly quickly. I generally have 2 pairs in rotation for my daily walks and they last somewhere between 1.5 and 2 years. Not a "fun" purchase but totally necessary

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Six years for workhorse shoes is an excellent run but it is time to move on. I have lots of old shoes but that is because I have lots of shoes and rotate frequently.

JAileen

Veteran

Angie makes a good point - you’re so over these boots. And no wonder - six years! I think I might have the same boots. I don’t wear them very often, though, probably only when my handbell choir is playing - we wear red, white and black. I find Blondos okay. Not super comfy, but not awful, either. I think my favorite boots are Born Chelseas. I’m not sure how long I’ve had them (I have grey and navy), but they feel better to me.

slim cat

Veteran

6 years is plenty of time for a pair of boots in 4 season climate - moving on the next one!
I had ECCO boots with a bit of heel that I duplicated because it was quietly stylish and extremely comfortable pair. The first pair worked great for maybe 3 or 4 years until the heel completely broke off ( unfixable ) . I proudly got out my second pair and it broke across the sole in the first month of wear - lol. I now own only 2 pairs of boots total which don't get a lot of wear in CA - sneakers get me through the fall/winter and spring.

RobinF

Veteran

You definitely have gotten your use from the boots, no guilt in replacing them. And, fun!, you get to go shoe shopping!

Chris987

Veteran

Good point Jaime. Having a larger collection of shoes means they all tend to last longer.

Interesting Jaileen - I'll have to check out born Chelseas . I have recently bought some born sneakers and they are SUPER comfy.

slim cat what a story about the Eccos! Climate really does make a difference ... I'm trying to wear sneakers a bit more in the transition seasons but it takes me so long to find ones that work that by the time I do it's beyond their wear season!

RobinF - I WISH shoe shopping were fun I have so many requirements (fit, comfort, style preferences) and mostly have to do it online due to severely limited B&M options around me that it's actually kind of a pain.

JAileen

Veteran

These are the Born boots I like:
https://www.zappos.com/p/women.....olor/17947

They are less refined. They’re also waterproof.

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kinnick

I just bought the Freda Salvador Brooke rain resistant boot. It is 25% off right now. I don’t know how to create a link. Anyhow, very comfortable right out of the box. I usually wear an 8 or 8 1/2 so bought the larger so I could wear warm socks with them. In colder weather I would need a warmer sock because this is definitely not an insulated boot. I love them.

If you need an insulated boot then you might look at Hoka as they have a sneaker boot that is very warm. I ordered a pair in the white in the 8 1/2 but they were too big so waiting for the smaller size. I wore them around the house only and thought they were comfortable but no long walks obviously.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

My oldest boots are the tall black button-up boots from 2011 that had the scratched buttons. They had 65 wears before 2023, none last year and 2 this year. No deterioration apart from scratches on buttons.
2 leather pairs from 2020 have 62 and 86 wears respectively. No deterioration.
I do wonder if it’s your feet that have changed rather than the boots deteriorating?
Since I have 34 pairs of shoes, a good collection (though when I started on YLF I had 50, too many high heels I couldn’t manage) then I do rotate them quite a lot?
I don’t get tired of many shoes, because they are my true love perhaps? I get tired of clothes more easily.

Val

Chris, I've definitely experienced the deterioration of cushioning in boots and other footwear as it ages. It's always hard for me to accept that a once-comfortable pair of boots is now hurting my feet. I will say, I don't think it's just our bodies aging, it's the foam in the insoles/midsoles. I can usually eke out another year or two by replacing the insoles, if they are removable, with Superfeets or similar.

Chris987

Veteran

Thanks Jaileen, will check those out.

kinnick, have not heard of Freda Salvador, thanks will check it out. I have lots of other ankle boots including some ecco sneaker booties that are faux fur lined so I don't have an urgent need to replace these blondo ones.

Jenni NZ, wow you have boots from 2011 that you are still wearing! I do think that my feet are changing AND these boots are worn out.

Val, I agree that footwear DOES break down/lose structural integrity and for me it's usually not apparent from looking at the shoe. But, when they hurt, they hurt. I've had it happen a lot. The insoles of these boots are not removable so I can't try the superfeet addition, although it do that with a LOT of shoes.