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Why rotate shoes?

TheD0n

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What are the consequences of wearing the same pair of shoes on consecutive days? I can't afford multiple pairs of nice shoes, so I'd like to wear the same pair every day. I've heard this is bad for the shoes; please tell me why.
 

Geoffrey Firmin

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When I used to be a Chef I was informed by another Chef about not wearing the same shoes all the time. I found that being on my feet all day left my feet feeling Fu#$eD at the end of the day so I took his advice and yes no more sore feet.

Now I don't stand on my feet for eight or ten hours a day any more its more like 8 hours in front of a monitor. I usually wear a pair of shoes or boots once a week it also prolongs the life of the shoes, it allows me to match different shoes with different clothing and if nothing else I don't end up with sore feet .
 

rgoldstein

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Shoes are like shirts/pants/etc, they need a rest. If you wear the same shirt everyday of the week and wash it just as many times its going to last 2 months. Even if its a kiton.
tongue.gif
 

epa

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I don't think that having one pair of nice shoes and wear it every day will end up being cheaper than having two pairs and rotating them. If you have only one pair, it will wear out twice as fast. I really think that two pairs of nice shoes is a minimum, if you have to wear nice shoes every day.
 

economiayocio

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Originally Posted by epa
I don't think that having one pair of nice shoes and wear it every day will end up being cheaper than having two pairs and rotating them. If you have only one pair, it will wear out twice as fast. I really think that two pairs of nice shoes is a minimum, if you have to wear nice shoes every day.

Maybe not much in terms of cost, but with two shoes they will look much better until you have to get rid of them.

With one pair, they will not look so good after a month without rest.
 

Don Carlos

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Originally Posted by TheD0n
What are the consequences of wearing the same pair of shoes on consecutive days? I can't afford multiple pairs of nice shoes, so I'd like to wear the same pair every day. I've heard this is bad for the shoes; please tell me why.

What is your shoe budget? Start from there. Let's say it's $600. In that case, you're better off buying two pairs of $300 shoes than a single pair of $600 shoes, no matter what any of the high rollers on SF may have to say about it. You need a minimum of two pairs of good dress shoes if you're going to wear good dress shoes.
 

ktrp

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It depends what the first point of failure on your shoes is.

If you are wearing shoes that can't be resoled and the soles wear first, rotating doesn't save them.

If you don't take care of them and the uppers wear out from the outside, rotating doesn't save them.

If you resole your shoes as needed, condition and polish the outsides, then the leather may gradually be destroyed from the inside - from your sweat. In this case, rotating matters. Rotating (with shoe trees) gives your shoes the opportunity to fully dry out before being worn again. So two pairs of shoes may well last more than twice as long as one pair of shoes - actually saving money, though with more cash outlay up front.

I do not know how many days it takes shoes to fully dry (may depend on weather) so I don't know at what point increased rotation size stops making much difference in the number of wearings you'll get out of the shoe.
 

Don Carlos

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Originally Posted by ktrp
It depends what the first point of failure on your shoes is. If you are wearing shoes that can't be resoled and the soles wear first, rotating doesn't save them. If you don't take care of them and the uppers wear out from the outside, rotating doesn't save them. If you resole your shoes as needed, condition and polish the outsides, then the leather may gradually be destroyed from the inside - from your sweat. In this case, rotating matters. Rotating (with shoe trees) gives your shoes the opportunity to fully dry out before being worn again. So two pairs of shoes may well last more than twice as long as one pair of shoes - actually saving money, though with more cash outlay up front. I do not know how many days it takes shoes to fully dry (may depend on weather) so I don't know at what point increased rotation size stops making much difference in the number of wearings you'll get out of the shoe.
Ideally, you'll want to build up enough of a rotation to where any individual item of clothing does not see more than one day's use in a given week. That's the best way to maximize longevity. More realistic for many people, however, is the goal of giving an individual item at least 48 hours of rest between uses. If that can't be achieved, then at least 24.
 

joz411no

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The reality is most guys out there probably wear 1 pair of shoes, but you asked the question here on SF. I sincerely doubt if any guy on this forum has less than 3 pair. Of course you can get by with wearing a single pair, and probably without dire consequence, but if you want to be kind to your shoes, your wardrobe and the way people perceive you, you might want to step-it-up a bit. I can't for sure say if you just like to come here and admire photos (as I do) or truly aspire to be the best dressed guy here, but in either case you might want to consider a second pair of shoes. When cost prohibits you there's nothing wrong with living within your limitations. We all do.
 

Patek

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Why has no one stated the second most important reason: So you don't wear the same damn thing every day!

I rotate my work clotes and hang them in a certain order so that I know which shirts and slacks have not been worn in a while. I don't want to be seen in the same twice in the same week or even in two weeks.

Do you really want to be seen in the same shoes every day? You need at least two pairs--one brown and one black. Once you figure out that you like brown better, you will build your collection of brown shoes and save your black for more formal occasions. Also, some days you will feel like wingtips others you will feel like captoes...

Variety is the spice of life, afterall.
 

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