A Simple Guide to Recognising Quality Shoes

buy shoes online australia

There’s a saying that goes “The poor man pays twice”. And this can’t be any truer when it comes to buying footwear. Shoes take quite a beating from our feet, the pavement, the weather and pets that love to chew on them. So, if you buy a cheap and low-quality pair of shoes, they will certainly get damaged pretty soon and you will need to replace them with a new pair.

With that being said, if you want to save yourself the expense, trouble, pain and regrets, it’s essential to invest in high-quality footwear. But how can you recognise which shoes are worth your money and which aren’t? First of all, the brand and price tag aren’t always good indicators of quality. However, if you pay attention to these following features, you can create a collection of quality and durable footwear which you will feel comfortable and confident to walk in.

Upper Materials

pink leather sneakers

Whether you plan to go to the mall or buy shoes online Australia footwear stores offer models in a wide range of materials. The quality of the upper material will determine how durable the shoe is and how good it will look over time. Some materials that are recommended to avoid are plastic, thin suede and low-grade leather. For durability, always look for full-grain leather shoes which are not only strong and resistant to wear and tear, but also flexible, thus offering increased comfort.

Sole Materials

rubber sole shoes

However, when it comes to the soles, leather is not a good material to choose. Shoes with leather soles can be slippery, thus making them dangerous to wear on certain surfaces. They also easily get dirty and can be damaged by pebbles and uneven terrain. On the other hand, rubber soles are better at resisting the friction and impact from the ground. They are also not as slippery as leather soles.

Construction

leather waxed sole sneakers

A shoe’s construction is the way its upper and sole are held together. As you probably already noticed, there are two ways shoes are constructed: with stitching or with glue. High-quality shoes are the ones that are stitched together with a thread. It’s important to make sure that the thread is waxed as this way no water can get inside the shoe. What’s more, if the sole gets damaged, it can be easily repaired if the shoe is stitched. On the other hand, if it glued together, the shoe cannot be repaired or resoled. So, make sure to check out the construction when you buy shoes online Australia stores sell.