Have somebody bought and wear "worn" Shoes

[lakewolf]

I have never bought second hand or used shoes... allways new

I found a nice pair on ebay and to save on shipping I bid on another pair, a nice pair of tasseled loafer spectators, without noticing they were "Gently Worn"... the pics show the soles as almost new...

I got the "Gently Worn" shoes for $ 0.99... and then reading the add noticed they are worn... go figure...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1

I would like to know if there are fellow forumites that actually buy and wear worn shoes...

What is your experience with it ?
Does it feel right to you ?
Do you clean them first inside and outside ?

Maybe I should just receive them and give them to some friend or thrift/charity store ?...

 

[marc237]

I have bought pre-worn shoes both on ebay and at thrift stores. I generally would buy only gently worn high-end shoes. I would not buy if anything gave me cause for concern.

The outside typically would need a polishing. The inside is wiped down with a disinfectant cleaning product and sprayed; although I would not keep if anything made me believe more was necessary.

This has been a means for me to acquire shoes that would normally cost in excess of $350 for less than $50.00. I have also purchased used suits and sports coats.

 

[Thomas]

Yep, with varying degrees of success. A bit of TLC at the outset and new heels tends to help things along pretty well. I have a pair of Ferragamo monk-straps that I bought secondhand and completely adore. If they have been polished and tree'd then I wouldn't have serious reservations.

Used running shoes - much less likely to purchase, unless demo models. Those wear too quickly and are not serviceable to the same extent as dress shoes.

 

[chorse123]

Only two pairs - one Peal for Brooks Brothers which may be Edward Green or C&J, and one C&J tuxedo shoe. Both were under $50 and had limited wear. Both went to the shoe repair shop for cleaning inside and out before I wore them. The first are now rainy day shoes, the latter get worn very rarely. In both cases they were good deals, and have saved me from spending precious resources on something I didn't think was a good use of said resources. Now I have too many shoes, or at least too little space for them, so may not buy any more used.

 

[Fabro]

Yes, I have. There are some real vintage gems out there from classic British makers that can often be brought back with a little work on the uppers. I have a pair of EGs I bought which, after some TLC, look just great.

 

[Joel_Cairo]

I just got a pair of black AE Park Ave.s of ebay for abour ~$30. From the pic, they seem to be in fair condition, but I figure that if I invest $100 in having them recrafted by AE, I will have a like-new pair of Park Aves for $130.
Thats pretty ok in my book.

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Pre-loved shoes are great. Put a little baking powder inside the shoe to resolve that not-so-fresh feeling.

 

[lakewolf]

Originally Posted by Joel_Cairo

I just got a pair of black AE Park Ave.s of ebay for abour ~$30. From the pic, they seem to be in fair condition, but I figure that if I invest $100 in having them recrafted by AE, I will have a like-new pair of Park Aves for $130.
Thats pretty ok in my book.

But I regularly see New Park Avenues for around $130 on ebay ...

 

[Joel_Cairo]

Originally Posted by lakewolf

But I regularly see New Park Avenues for around $130 on ebay ...

But I haven't, at least not in my size, so I figured I'd take this windy, roundabout road to discount Park Aves. I have never use dtheir recrafting service before, but from what I understand, its pretty solid.

 

[Augusto86]

It seems like a poor investment if you're not saving at least 200%...but if you can get EG's or AE's for 75 dollars or some such, I'd jump at it...
Besides, when shopping on ebay, I always remember the military code:

Military intelligence wasn't.
Precision bombing isn't.
Suppressive fire won't.

And add to that:

Gently used weren't.

 

[kabert]

I have, many times. You can find the full range of used (and new) shoes on EBay, from worn-out garbage to $1,500 Lattanzi shoes that were worn two or three times. If you know your size, what brands to look for, and are careful about not buying shoes that are a wreck, you can find some fantastic deals.

 

[DShareef]

I am completely on board with buying gently worn shoes on ebay. In the last two months, I have acquired a pair of AE Sanfords and AE Chesters for less than $50 combined. Both are in excellent condition requiring little more than a polish and some baking soda.

 

[summej2]

This is easier to do with women's shoes than with men's. My wife regularly picks up $400+ shoes for <$25 that appear, from wear on the soles, to have been worn only a few times. This is good for her, since her prohibition on meat bans leather also (as it should since good shoes use veal hides).

Men tend not to buy "event shoes" and, thus, the picking isn't as good. I have bought EGs for $15 used, which I consider a good deal.

My usual treatment for all used shoes is a washing inside and out with Lexol and Lysol inside, followed by Lexol conditioner and a regular wax and polish.

 

[Augusto86]

Originally Posted by summej2

This is easier to do with women's shoes than with men's. My wife regularly picks up $400+ shoes for <$25 that appear, from wear on the soles, to have been worn only a few times. This is good for her, since her prohibition on meat bans leather also (as it should since good shoes use veal hides).

Men tend not to buy "event shoes" and, thus, the picking isn't as good. I have bought EGs for $15 used, which I consider a good deal.

My usual treatment for all used shoes is a washing inside and out with Lexol and Lysol inside, followed by Lexol conditioner and a regular wax and polish.
There are $400+ leather free shoes????

Also, how does she feel about your cow-murdering habit?

 

[Dan-]

I got a pair of used Park Avenues for $37 shippped. Definitely worth it.