Discussion: Discount Shoe Quality

When a web site like this has shoes like this selling at a significantly discounted price, are the shoes of lower quality than the normal Salomon offering?

Not in any of my experiences purchasing discount shoes. They are always the same quality, just less expensive.

Just "last years colours" sometimes or making space for a newer (more expensive) line in your warehouse. I would go for them!

Shoe companies rightly point out that the midsoles tend to harden over time. Thus, first-run retailers won't sell shoes that came out of the mold more than a few months ago. However, my experience matches Jordan's, I've picked up "old" shoes at discount outlets like Famous Footware and Payless and never had any trouble with them. I suppose if you really like a cushy shoe, this would be more of an issue. I don't go for much cushion (in the summer, I do a fair bit of my running barefoot, even on pavement), so the models I buy don't have much midsole anyway.

They could be this years model.
The most common problem is that they may not stock them and are unable to get them. Give it a try and see.

how long do you keep a pair of O shoes? if more than 1 season, it may make sense to spend money on them. i go to sports authority or dick's in the fall & buy adidas/nike/new balance soccer shoes (rubber cleats, manmade uppers) for $10-25, use them as long as they'll last, & dump them when they blow out.
i may be making up a new internet abbreviation here: TEHO = to each his own.

Before I started wrapping my O shoes in ductape starting from the day I buy them, I used to wear out a pair in about a year (meaning there would be holes, or the sole would be coming apart, or entire cleats would be missing, or something).

jjcote: pictures please.

Pictures of the holes or of the ductape?

I wanna see the wrapping technique.

OK, I'll try to remember next time there's a meet in these parts.

For those particular shoes, I believe the "style # 440934-F09" means Fall 2009 styling ... vs. Spring 2010, Fall 2010, and Spring 2011. I like wiggle.co.uk because they SAY whether the product IS NOT the latest model with "AW09" (for example, autumn/winter 2009) or "SS10" (spring/summer 2010) right in the title. Nice!

So I would imagine that these shoes are at least a year old. FWIW ... it probably mostly depends how they were stored, but I'm no industry insider.

I wanna see the wrapping technique.

Here you go:

And JJ launches his new career, the budget orienteering youtube guru!

Amazing JJ, very similar to the technique I use to prevent bubbles in my compass. Soon as I buy a new one I wrap duct tape right round. Have had a little trouble showering (I use a thumb compass) but since using this technique I have never ever seen a bubble.

but since using this technique I have never ever seen a bubble

For that application, it also works if you apply it like this:

JJ - Doesn't the tape end up costing as much as new shoes?

JJ you answered all my questions... That video was great.

Tape is pretty cheap in the USA. Orienteering shoes are not so cheap. If I bought the good quality tape that I mentioned, I could get 800 meters of it for the price of one pair of shoes.

>Tape is pretty cheap in the USA. Orienteering shoes are not so cheap.

Knee surgery is probably VERY expensive in the US of A.

Great cinematography!

Notice the cameo appearance by the director at the very end...

Just ask Kissy about the price of knee surgery in the US. And prepare to be stunned.

I have no doubt, but I'm missing the connection. Was there some suggestion that you could extend the life of your knees by wrapping them in a lot of ductape?