Day 5: These boots are made for walking...

Fancy footwork

Today I realised that I have had my hiking shoes for six years and still going strong. Thank you Facebook for reminding me of my awesome week of summer in Vancouver! I have a friend who always calculates the cost of clothing (mostly expensive dresses) as ‘cost per year’ so if it’s a $300 dress and it hangs in her closet for three years then it’s a bargain at only $100 per year. If I apply this logic then my hiking shoes are only $30 per year. I also know where my boots will be going when they finally bite the dust  - North Face stores now accept used footwear for recycling (see left - this is the drop off box in their Edinburgh store).
If I apply the cost per year logic to the black boots that I wear to work almost every day in winter then it’s a total steal. They have seen me through 13 winters. I polish them up a couple of times each season and I’ve had them reheeled maybe three for four times but that is still under $20 a year for an amazing pair of leather boots that get softer and more comfortable to wear each year.
Good footwear can be a good investment, but sometimes the cheaper the better! Last year I spent $5 on the most outrageous pair of sparkly high heel shoes to complement a fancy dress costume, purchased on the Friday they went back to the charity shop on the Monday - how’s that for circular economy!