How to Buy “New Shoes” without Buying New Shoes

Last year, I was trying really hard to buy nothing new, and while I fell short several times (more on that in a future post), I did pretty well in the shoe department. Nearly all shoes have at least some plastic components. Buying them secondhand or repairing the shoes you already have are great ways to get “new shoes” without actually buying new shoes and new plastic.
Buy Secondhand Shoes
I’m not one of those people who won’t buy secondhand shoes. You can find some pretty great, almost new shoes at thrift stores for a fraction of the cost of new shoes. In June, my local Goodwill had a 50% off shoe sale, so I bought four pairs of practically new shoes for about $20. (They were actually in much better shape than in this photo that I took today after having worn them for several months.)
When buying secondhand shoes, make sure the soles are not scuffed (or only minimally scuffed) and insoles are in good shape. If you’re… Read the rest