My personal shoes where €40 models that would last a few months at most. I bought more expensive ones, and they would also last a few months at most. Both m

My personal shoes where €40 models that would last a few months at most. I bought more expensive ones, and they would also last a few months at most. Both me and my mom are known in the family for being total shoe disaster zones. So I'd given up that particular fight. Then one day my wife and me ended up in a small, local shoe shop. No customers there, just the owner. We weren't even looking for shoes. The owner was getting pension-aged and would close his shop in a few months. He told about how some company would make great but expensive shoes, and build a name for quality. After a few years, a big company would buy the brand, raise the price, lower the quality, and coast on the perception for a few years. He told this cycle goes on and on. He stopped selling the shoes as soon as he know the quality went down. Shoe salesman kept trying talking him into selling these shoes as it was easy money, and he kept throwing them out of the shop. He was getting very pissed off at this point. He talked me into buying a pair for about €160, which isn't the most I've paid for shoes, but more than I would give for that specific pair - they looked like my normal €40 models. Now these shoes lasted for about 7 years, which basically obliterated any personal record. Unfortunately, the shop is gone now, and the only shoe shops left are the big chains. I am still willing to spend the money, but I have no idea what I should buy.