Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You can get a decent pair at DSW. Sometimes you can also snag a good deal for a decent shoe at Ross. It's all about what you want. Personally, I like having a good variety at home (yes, I am a guy that owns about 30-40 pairs of shoes including weight lifting, hiking, etc). I am okay with the shoes wearing out after 200-300 "normal day wears".
You can buy a $150 shoe if you want, which may last you 1000-2000 wears, but is that what you want?
You don't really believe outlets stores sell standard quality merchandise, do you? That myth has been thoroughly debunked.
I learned a lot from having numerous fashionista friends who worked in apparel related businesses and from my husband (who working for his father's trucking company in the garment district of NYC).
Retail is a racket.
When I went to the Mebane outlets for the first time, I was amazed at what a business they do! Why? Because coming from NY and the above mentioned background, I learned outlets are not the deal you think. Yes, you are still buying a "brand" BUT you are not buying the same quality. In fact, going to Macy's with a coupon is definitely going to get you a better quality deal than the outlet. You don't notice unless you are looking for it. Craftmanship is usually inferior on the outlet product because that product is made for the strictly for the outlet. This is where it gets tricky. Some outlets MIGHT eventually sell leftover stock from the regular retail store. In that case, you will likely score a deal. That is happening less and less. Even the labels sewn into the outlet garments indicate that they are outlet garments...they have to. you can't return a JCREW outlet sweater to the JCREW store in the mall. Different merchandise.
If you are a shopper, chances are you already know the above. You probably know that sometimes you get lucky no matter where you buy. I brag that I have 4 tank tops that I bought in TARGET at least 7 or 8 years ago. They are my pajama tops. Those things have been in the washer dryer more times than I care to imagine. They have held up as good if not better than some shirts in my closet that cost four or five times as much. Good fabric, well made, etc.
Most of us can't afford to buy our entire wardrobe at Saks Fifth Avenue. However, if you are into that kinda of thing, you can use the expensive stuff to learn what to look for when buying. As a young lady who worked in Saks once said to me, "this is the place to get inspired and get ideas". So true.
My mother, a European immigrant who was dirt poor when she came here taught me at a young age
QUALITY over QUANITY. If we all believed as she did, we wouldn't be faced with the "disposable" mentality we have in this society. I wish that were so because then MOST furniture would still be made in NC and that was damn good quality. (I'm shopping too...for furniture).
I learned a lot from having numerous fashionista friends who worked in apparel related businesses and from my husband (who working for his father's trucking company in the garment district of NYC).
Retail is a racket.
When I went to the Mebane outlets for the first time, I was amazed at what a business they do! Why? Because coming from NY and the above mentioned background, I learned outlets are not the deal you think. Yes, you are still buying a "brand" BUT you are not buying the same quality. In fact, going to Macy's with a coupon is definitely going to get you a better quality deal than the outlet. You don't notice unless you are looking for it. Craftmanship is usually inferior on the outlet product because that product is made for the strictly for the outlet. This is where it gets tricky. Some outlets MIGHT eventually sell leftover stock from the regular retail store. In that case, you will likely score a deal. That is happening less and less. Even the labels sewn into the outlet garments indicate that they are outlet garments...they have to. you can't return a JCREW outlet sweater to the JCREW store in the mall. Different merchandise.
If you are a shopper, chances are you already know the above. You probably know that sometimes you get lucky no matter where you buy. I brag that I have 4 tank tops that I bought in TARGET at least 7 or 8 years ago. They are my pajama tops. Those things have been in the washer dryer more times than I care to imagine. They have held up as good if not better than some shirts in my closet that cost four or five times as much. Good fabric, well made, etc.
Most of us can't afford to buy our entire wardrobe at Saks Fifth Avenue. However, if you are into that kinda of thing, you can use the expensive stuff to learn what to look for when buying. As a young lady who worked in Saks once said to me, "this is the place to get inspired and get ideas". So true.
My mother, a European immigrant who was dirt poor when she came here taught me at a young age
QUALITY over QUANITY. If we all believed as she did, we wouldn't be faced with the "disposable" mentality we have in this society. I wish that were so because then MOST furniture would still be made in NC and that was damn good quality. (I'm shopping too...for furniture).
I don't think so. Retail is NOT A RACKET. In fact, retail is usually made of stuff that involves cheap labor and can afford, good prices.
Second, Outlets SELL THE SAME STUFF as what their "regular retails" do. For instance, a shoe at say Banana Republic outlet is the same QUALITY as one that is sold at a Banana Republic in Crabtree. The difference? The outlet shoe is probably being discontinued because BR is going with a new style.
If you could quantify "quality/quantity" you get a better ratio at Retail outlets primarily because of cheap labor.
How do I know this? My dad works in Sourcing for these companies...
Nice shoe! If I wore shoes every day I'd be looking at those. As is, I have the same style in Ecco but the Ecco has the rubber sole I like. Being that I wear this shoe once every two years on average it has to span all weather types. Regardless, should I ever need a better shoe I'll be looking at Aldens.
Cheaper labor overseas is a HUGE problem for this country. it ruined countless industries but does indeed PROVIDE AFFORDABLE PRODUCTS. Some cheap labor is more skilled than other cheap labor. That's how vendors decide where their stuff will get made....what is most affordable for their business while producing the product they want to put out in the marketplace. The Same company (i.e. Banana Republic) will put out products that have varying degrees of quality and that is why there are shoes for the guy who wants to pay $50 pair and the one that wants the $250 pair.
Cheaper labor overseas is a HUGE problem for this country. it ruined countless industries but does indeed PROVIDE AFFORDABLE PRODUCTS. Some cheap labor is more skilled than other cheap labor. That's how vendors decide where their stuff will get made....what is most affordable for their business while producing the product they want to put out in the marketplace. The Same company (i.e. Banana Republic) will put out products that have varying degrees of quality and that is why there are shoes for the guy who wants to pay $50 pair and the one that wants the $250 pair.
Correct, this thread is about shoes and the OP should consider the outlets as an option.
Some outlet stores and even some products in outlet stores might be a great find, but when I went last month I did some checking up. The shoes I normally buy once or twice a year or so (Bostonian) were $5 more at the Outlet store over DSW, not including the $10 coupons I always get. We looked at women's clothes and found almost all of their product in the discounted area had cosmetic issues. The normal priced stuff ended up being no cheaper than in the regular store, HOWEVER my wife had a 40% off coupon good in outlets only plus a 10% AAA deduction IIRC, so they were about half of what the regular in store price was. As far as being a difference merchandise, I'm sure that is true in some stores and not true in others. I bought some Jeffrey Beene shirts that have stood the test of time and some Chaps shirts that completely fell apart.
Instead of driving the 40 mins down there and back, maybe go local, find the style of shoe you like/want, then call down there and see if they have it and what the price is, and if the 1:20 mins of driving including gas is worth the savings (if any).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Truth!
