Thrifty Sandal Shopping

I am not a shoe person. Me and Imelda Marcos are on opposite ends of the spectrum. While some people have multiple sandals... that's not me... I have one pair of sandals. I know... I'm weird. I had a pair of Columbia sandals years ago that I loved. They had a leather footbed that was super comfy. But then they died... and I found these Columbia sandals at Value Village 5 years ago!! Cool!! $12 for a pair of sandals. Excellent!

Old Columbia Sandals

Sad Sandals

Except... these sandals are now on their last legs. When we were in Mexico in December, the bottom was flapping off the front of them. Luckily my brother-in-law had a little tube of Crazy Glue, so I was able to patch them up. I mean... I only had the one pair of sandals soooo... a death in the sandal department would have been a disaster!

Except now... as we enter the summer season in earnest... the rest of the bottom is coming off in earnest (except the front where it was glued). I could glue them again but... some of those side bits that hold the straps in place have come loose as well. It's time to bid farewell to this pair and look for something new.

Dying Columbia Sandals

Brand New Sandals

I went on a bit of a meander through Atmosphere, the local sporting goods/camping goods/hiking footwear store. They have sandals galore but... $150 for a pair of sandals?? Seriously??? I meandered right back out of the store. Maybe if I was going to go and hike the Camino or go on another trip to southeast Asia.... But for just trotting around town and going to the beach? Nope... not paying that much for a pair of sandals.

Used Sandals

Soooo... every time I go to Value Village, I poke around the shoe aisles and have a look. I'm on the hunt for a very particular type of sandal... a hiking sandal with nothing between the toes. Not a Teva... fairly sturdy. For weeks, I struck out. I'd see a likely candidate but then it wouldn't feel comfortable, or it was too flimsy or too worn out or... whatever...

And then.... a few weeks ago... I saw them... ***cue the chorus of angels singing***

New Sandals!

There they were!!! I tried them on... they were comfy. They had adjustable straps. They were in good shape. They were... $6.99... SOLD! Start the car!!!

Now... the sandals I normally wear are men's hiking sandals and these are women's sandals.... so they are a bit... daintier than the men's version but... you know what... for $6.99, I can't go wrong. And yes... I took some isopropyl alcohol to the foot bed and gave it a bit of a wipe... 

And no... I have no idea what brand these are... oh well!

Benefits of Used Sandals

I know some people are a bit... ewwwwww... when it comes to second-hand footwear but... seriously... what's not to love.

• it keeps something that still has life, out of the landfill
• you save money ($$$$)
• they are already broken in!
• less demand for new means less pollution in manufacturing new

I like all of those benefits. And maybe I'll buy a new pair of sandals one day... but for right now, these are perfectly fine. And if my feet don't like them... heck, it's only $6.99.

The only real downside is... you gotta wait for the right pair of sandals to come to you at Value Village. You can't just walk into a thrift store and expect to find perfect pair of sandals waiting for you. Although that does sometimes happen. Nope, this requires patience and commitment... which isn't a bad thing.

Frugal Thrifty Spendthrift Cheapskate?

I do wonder sometimes if I'm too much of a cheapskate... spendthrift... skinflint... tightwad...

Although... I have no trouble going to Atmosphere and buying myself a new pair of Merrell hiking boots when the old ones die. I live in my hiking boots so I am not going to skimp on my foot happiness there. Sooo... it's not that I don't spend money. I just want to spend money on the stuff that matters.

And for me... a pair of sandals aren't that big a deal unless... like I said earlier... I'm going to be living in them while traversing southeast Asia. That's when they matter... and that's when I'd splurge on a pair.

But for just schlepping around, here at home... a second-hand, gently-used, thrifted pair of sandals are perfectly fine.

And even better... I can wear these sandals with my hiking socks and rock the West Coast Socks'n'Sandals look!!! A West Coast Fashionista... that's me!