to think my partner buying second hand shoes from eBay is yuk

[robinlovesfatman]

For me its like second hand underwear.
For him its like a second hand car.
I wear a lot of vintage but for some reason baulk at shoes.

Am I an awful snob?

Not sure if it's snobby, is it a dirt thing?. You seem to view shoes as a more intimate garment than many. How do you feel about bowling / ice skating / climbing centres and their shoes hire.
Or is it that shoes must be new or "on trend"? That's just fashion/ advertising victim.
Snobby would be that these shoes are not good enough and you judge people who purchase them for their inferior ways. Do you?

I'm not keen on second hand shoes... You can't wash or dry clean them like you can vintage clothes. Also, shoes mould to fit your foot, so if you get second hand shoes, they've moulded to fit someone else's feet, so may not be very comfortable.

Have I spelled mould right? It looks wrong.

I would happily buy second-hand shoes. I regularly buy them for my children (in charity shops and on ebay) but have never encountered any in my ridiculous size. I think you're being a bit snobby, but I'm probably in the minority.

Mould is right!
Some people buy exclusively second hand as they prefer the shoes to be broken in.
Some people enjoy well used shoes for other reasons.

I preffer softened shoes. I'd actually pay a premium to have had someone else soften the stiff leather for me.

Most second hand shoes I've purchased are not really warn in. They're more in the warn once or twice and too tight/ too big, wrong style category.

I sell my shoes on EBay sometimes. They're generally only worn once, though. I have an obsession with buying new shoes for nights out and events, wear them once then never bother with them again, so I stick a load on EBay once a year and pretend to DH that I've got my shopping issue under control (I've not, I'd spend everything I earn on shoes if I could).

I would and indeed have bought second-hand shoes on Ebay.

Lots of people buy super-expensive shoes and find they're too painful to wear. Ebay is the obvious solution.

I buy second-hand shoes for my kids on Ebay quite frequently, too.

I'm not one bit snobby but don't buy anything second hand n especially could not with shoes, just makes me feel a bit icky. Peoples' feet smell n can carry fungal infections etc.

Yes shoes can be scrubbed n disinfected etc but I would not fancy the task of doing so!

Pretty sure its mold :D
I dont think I could cope with second hands shoes unless they are like new/barely worn, even then they would have to be exceptionally pretty and cheap :D

For me I depends, I wouldn't buy second hand for my children because I would worry it wouldn't be good for their growing feet (because of the moulding issue - definitely mould). I wouldn't buy trainers either unless hardly worn. I would buy evening or occasion shoes though as I wouldn't wear them a lot or often and they would probably wouldn't have been worn much before selling, as pp have mentioned doing.

I think it's a personal choice really.

I buy shoes on ebay - theres loads that people have worn once for either something like a wedding, or worn and found they don't fit properly.

You can get amazing bargains on eBay on occasion shoes that have hardly been worn. I have some Chie Mihara shoes which usually cost around £300 new. They are gorgeous and cost £30. I don't think they've been worn more than once.

BTW Chie Mihara shoes rock- she is a Portuguese podiatrist and even the high heels are comfortable. All made beautifully and to last, great colours and slightly kooky style.

My DH bought a pair of Gucci shoes from EBay . Made of soft leather, they had been distinctly shaped by the previous owner. For some reason, I find the thought of wearing second hand men shoes more dustatesful than women's. Yes, sexist, I know.

I've bought shoes second hand before, especially when I was a student. Some types (e.g. canvas trainers) can go through the washing machine and the heels I bought looked barely worn plus I always wear tights or socks.

My reasons were part skintness and part environmentalism (i.e., if I'm going to wear a pair of heels maybe twice a year why buy a brand new pair?)

These days I think i'd only buy second hand high heels (because they are only worn for a few hours occassionally) and buy new and nice quality shoes for work and walking about.

I buy second hand docs. Partly because they're cheaper than new (still around the £40/50 mark though) and partly because they've already been worn in.
New docs are a killer!

I've bought and sold worn-once shoes on Ebay (last was a pair of trainers that turned out to be a half size too small, thanks to my not noticing until after I'd worn them for a day that Nike's "UK size 6" is different in women's and men's styles, grrrr), wouldn't bother me.

In other news, damn you for introducing me to Chie Mihara, her website is very tempting.

I don't think it is yuck. I just won't buy footwear online. I am a size 6, but most size 6 shoes either don't fit properly or are uncomfortable. I have to try on zillions of pairs of shoes before buying.

Do people who buy online put up with uncomfortable shoes or spend half their time queuing in the post office? Or do I have weird feet?

bun I'm also a 6 and have problems with shoes fitting properly. Doc Martens are the exception to the rule ime.

Definitely mold. I think it depends on how worn they are. Worn a couple of times would appear virtually new and save pounds.

The Queen has a shoe wearer-inner, so if it's good enough for her maj.....

I've bought a couple of pairs of what were expensive shoes from ebay. Honestly they looked hardly worn, maybe like me people buy things wear them once or twice and don't really get on with them so sell them on.