I have to be honest. I am a shoe and boot aficionado. I had the issue of my feet continuing to grow until I was in my thirties and my feet being very narrow — for 30 years I wore an A.
Because of that, easily found cheap shoes and boots did not cut it for comfort.
Bean makes some good stuff but Red Wing, Vasque and Zamberlan have captured a lot of my income as has Allen-Edmunds in shoes. Keen in sandals along with Teva and because my feet started to spread and my arch drop I have had shoe size changes my whole life requiring new spending.
I do keep them for fifteen to twenty years in some cases, but it is truly crazy how much I spent on shoes for a guy.
I’ve loved Red Wings over the years especially their “Red” work boots but they have simply become far too expensive at over 200 bucks a pair now for a boot that at best is going to last me about 18 months to two years.
The soul attachment also precludes local shoe repair as they have to be sent back to the factory for that.