repeat purchasers in footwear

Hi,

after posting my latest additions to the “new kicks thread” I came to the astounding
conclusion, that I have never shopped shoes of the same brand more than twice.
(Lloyds).

Why Is that?

How come, that within 4-5 years the style and quality bracket of a shoe brand changes
so much, that I can’t find another pair of the same shoe, that I want to replace.
(There are exceptions. Doc Martens and Chucks spring to mind)

But why is that? In general mens dress shoes all look roughly the same, so why not
produce like 5 different iterations for a longer period of time? I don’t get it. The
average male is very lazy in choosing underwear or jeans. Levis will sell the 501
100 years from now, if they stop screwing with the formula.

So, where is the benefit in altering the design of a dress shoe slightly twice a year?
Enlighten me.

mo-i

BUMP

Enlighten me.

Me too. … . and it isn’t just “dress shoes”.

Then, once we have mo-i’s question cleared up, maybe can address why larger sizes of shoes are not more available in half-sizes, and wide(r) sizes … TO ACCOMMODATE OLDER PEOPLE

or is it just little people that have wide feet?

A buddy of mine started making his own work jeans because he couldn’t find anything that was long lasting; he’s a laborer. I’m seriously beginning to think that I may have to design, and make, my own shoes!

People want new. New brings people into shops. It’s one of the whole reasons ID started as a profession.

Larger sizes are a question of economies of scale. If few large sizes/widths are wanted, no need to open molds for a low qty. likewise stocking. There’s only so much room in a shops back room and outside of specialty shops carrying a few sizes of bigger shoes just takes up space. Some brands do offer/specialize in larger sizes and widths.

R

Some brands do offer/specialize in larger sizes and widths.

Name names R. :wink:

I guess that means I have to abandon brands I preferred as a younger man. As yo mentioned in another thread (Re: NEW KICKS :: latest purchase >last entry, pg. 38), many shoes are made on sleeker lasts, too bad. My feet aren’t sleek anymore, but my head thinks they are.

I’m not sure for dress/casual, but maybe Clark’s or Ecco or Mephisto? They do “comfort” shoes and often have a wider last. For athletic new balance is known for offering widths and larger sizes.

I’ve seen a few online shops that specialize in big sizes. Dunno off hand, but seen some that have shoes up to size 18!

R

Thanks R. I just found Onlineshoes.com they seem to stock a variety of “wider” sizes. My shopping is extremely limited here in the middle of nowhere; it’s a good 150 miles from Pismo Beach of any kind of retail center (Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, etc.) LA is closer to 250 miles.

I can still hear my dad telling me that I was a big guy and that I was going to have to spend some money to get “good” shoes… of course he meant Florsheims.

Mephisto, Ecco, New Balance are all awesome choices for wider large shoes. I have the same problem. Some Steve Madden styles fit well, too.

If you are looking for wider styles, try Camper.

Thanks Lew, for resurrecting and stealing my thread at the same time :wink:
*
Now that your question got answered my question that we started with
still isn’t answered explicitly, but implicitly perhaps it was.

I have the sneaking suspecion, that the ones in the shoe industry tend to
think they are in “fashion” whereas I’d say that for most men over 25
shoes are utility.

mo-i

Maybe not 25. Maybe 45 or 55…

from what i have seen in the mens ‘csual’ footwear market, there is about 10-20 shoes in the market that sell well enough that they are carried over year after year in the US market, cole haan has a few , clarks has a bunch, ecco has some, timberland, but its all about sales i guess, as R mentioned for the most part people want something new.
Also the Buyers for the department stores have much more control over this than anyone I would say, if you go to macys, nordstrom, dillards, etc which make up a big slice of the mens casual market you will see there is not much diversity is what is available in mens shoes, that is to say they all carry pretty much the same shoes. If your favorite shoe sold well at macys, it will be there next season, if it didnt, it wont. Independent shoe stores may be a different story where they have more invested in to a single consumer, but their voice is much quieter than the big box stores when it comes to buying power.

Im not talking about athletic shoes here, YO or someone else would have better insight there than I.

and R is right on about the oversizes and widths, its diminishing returns, the cost to make these shoes can be 50% more than a ‘regular size’, but you only will sell a few thousand at most, so it just doesn’t make “business sense”. We do some sizes and width business but it usually comes down to once a season picking ONE group of shoes out of the entire line that might be done in oversizes.

Thanks Lew, for resurrecting and stealing my thread at the same time > :wink:

You bet M. It’s what friend do!




I have the sneaking suspecion, that the ones in the shoe industry tend to
think they are in “fashion” whereas I’d say that for most men over 25
shoes are utility.



Maybe not 25. Maybe 45 or 55…

Don’t forget “profession”… everyone doesn’t work in a dress-shoe office environment.

I also have odd feet. I shop at Nordstrom they will help you get the right size. They will split shoes up so you can get the right size for your feet. As long as you have more then a size in a half difference. Also they carry all of the brands mentioned above and will order you anything. You do pay a premium but you get what you pay for.
Daniel

I have a few friends show will only buy shoes at Nordstrom exactly for that reason. Most people have a variance of about one half to a full size difference between their two feet, but a large enough people have a variance of 1.5 sizes or more that Nordy’s offers that service to split pairs up.

Most people have a variance of about one half to a full size difference between their two feet, but a large enough people have a variance of 1.5 sizes or more that Nordy’s offers that service to split pairs up.

I find that quite remarkable. Not the peoples’ feet vary so much from side to side, but that Norstrom is willing to split two pairs of shoes to accommodate a customer. Does the customer pay twice the price at a result, or does Norstrom eat the difference? In light of R’s comment that

Larger sizes are a question of economies of scale. If few large sizes/widths are wanted, no need to open molds for a low qty. likewise stocking. There’s only so much room in a shops back room and outside of specialty shops carrying a few sizes of bigger shoes just takes up space.

it flies in the face of logic…

I believe Nordstroms eats the cost.