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Maybe not anymore, but good shoes used to last a lifetime given proper maintenance and access to a skilled cobbler.

• Retric 8y ago
  That’s more like how an axe can last a lifetime with 7 heads and 12 handles.
  • craigsmansion 8y ago
    Shoes are not quite Theseus ship. If you consider soles as parts that wear out (like tyres) and need to be replaced, and the shoe is constructed to allow proper replacement soles with, say, goodyear welting, there is no reason apart from poor maintenance why the rest can't last for decades.
    • Retric 8y ago
      For modern office shoes that’s not far from the truth. But, cobbler’s where repairing shoes for farmers working in often wet conditions. Even craftsman used to walk far longer distances regularly putting a lot more mechanical strain on foot ware. Together that’s a tough environment for most organic materials so leather/cloth/wood would generally not last that long. PS: Ultra Marathoners can go through a pair of shoes in days that would last most people months. Which shows the difference between how far people can move and how far they actually do. Averaging 10+ miles a day on foot when that’s what most people had was likely the norm.