Nope! I did buy a new pair of shoes the other day but no, they were not for Christmas. You see, I had one pair of shoes – yes, you heard me right! I only had ONE pair of shoes and when we got home from the wedding banquet that night, I noticed that the outer layer/skin of the PVC/fake leather was peeling off…like some cockroaches in the house had been having a feast in the night while we were sleeping.
And yes, it was PVC, not leather. The last pair of leather shoes that I bought was in London in 1994 – Clarks no less. I had picked out a nice pair at a clearance sale for over RM90.00 but less than RM100.00. It was just RM3.50 to a £ at the time. After that one, I found wearing leather shoes excruciatingly painful so over the years that followed, I would only buy those PVC ones. They looked like leather but no, they were not leather and they were soft and nice to wear especially some that were padded/cushioned inside…plus they were cheap – around RM39.90 a pair only.
So, that day, I went to this megamall…
…to the branch of the shop there where I usually bought my shoes and never mind that people always say that the name stands for “Buy and throw away”, I find their shoes very comfortable, not painful at all so I would buy from them and nobody else…everytime. For one thing, there is some truth in what people say – when I was still working and I would use the shoes every day, they did not last very long – maybe around 3 or 4 months only but it did not matter to me as they were cheap and at least, I had an excuse to buy and put on a new pair of shoes quite frequently.
I found a pair that was padded inside and looked very comfortable. I could not see the price tag so I asked the young shop assistant and he said, “RM90.00!” I looked at the sticker stuck to the sole – it read, “RM89.90.” I did not say a thing…and asked for my size. I wear size 10…and they only had 8 and 11…no 9, no 10. I tried the 11 and it was way too loose, very comfortable but no, they were too big for me. That was why I had to pick another one of the correct size that also seemed quite soft inside. It was on sale and I got a 50% discount…and ended up paying RM44.99 for that pair. Gosh!!! Gone are the days when I could get a pair for less than RM40.00…and it wasn’t even during a sale! Tsk! Tsk!!!
So now I have a new pair of shoes and I also got the chance to see the nice decor that they had put up at this mall for Christmas this year…
…and talking about Christmas and shoes brings to mind this very sad song – “The Christmas Shoes” that I had blogged about many years ago in 2009. Well, if you have the time to spare (over one and half hours), perhaps you would like to watch the movie…
…but do not blame me if in the process, you use up a whole box of tissue paper.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I have several of those ‘buy and throw away’ sandals. They’re so comfortable I had them resoled here – paid US$54 to resole a RM20 pair. Anyway, the shoe repair guy told me the brand is big in Europe. Apparently an expensive brand there. He didn’t believe me when I told him I paid less than US$6 for the sandals.
RM20? Hmmmm….was that at a 50% sale? I bought one that same day as mine is getting very thin, no more cushion and it was over RM40, almost RM50, more expensive than the shoes I bought. The guy must be wondering why you would want to resole yours – could have gone and bought a new pair. Maybe next trip home, you can buy a few and keep for as and when needed.
Full price. These are slip-ons, more like slippers. I did get some of the new ones but they’re not so comfortable. That’s why these days, when I find something I like, I buy a whole bunch of them. The new stuff is never as good as the old.
Yes, I buy their slip-ons too – so nice and comfortable, so cushion-y…but dunno whether it is because I’m too fat and heavy or what – after a while, they become thin – so thin I could feel the ground, and not soft anymore. I would buy at least two if they’re on sale…and keep. Indeed, not all are nice.
I love this post!!! Thanks so much for sharing. I just love Christmas. 🙂
It’s on the way… Coming very soon!
heheh, i only have one pair of formal shoes and one pair of casual shoes too .. so i should get a spare too, maybe as a christmas gift to myself! 😀
Oh? Is it a guy thing or are we the only two – to have only one pair of shoes? You should see the mini shoe shop at my house… Hehehehehe!!!!
Yeap, everything is so expensive now; popiah is selling at rm3.4 here and chee cheong fun is rm2.4 😦
Popiah’s RM2.50 here…but presently, no nice ones around. Yet to go and try at one place, somebody told me about it on Facebook.
Last time, “buy and throw away” (BATA) shoes are quite lasting but not now. The name suits speaks for it. No choice, a popular brand during our time but some are quite comfortable though.
Exactly. I hated their shoes – seemed to last forever. In my school days, I would use and use…never mind already small and so painful, I would still have to use until koyak or something. Not like the kids today, so ho mia! But by my girl’s time, already no good – will spoil very fast and had to buy a few pairs each year. 😦
Dont keep the shoes so long. They spoil very fast. Like me, U threw few pairs already. Skin and sole peeling away. Sigh!
These days, they are made like that – made to spoil after a period of time – everything’s like that, in fact. If people’s shoes last forever, no business lah… Hehehehehe!!!! 😉
I can’t stand leather shoes too. And yes, if I buy shoes locally, it would be the “buy and throw away” brand, I don’t feel connected with other brands. For me now it is either that, or Skechers when I travel to the US.
Oh? I thought all young people these days will go for the branded stuff, no less? Heard of Skechers, never tried.
You have got a new shoes this Christmas. Year end, and festive season, sales on, it is a good time to shop for apparel and gifts. Good to buy when you see things you really like, after April 2014, lots of things are even more expensive.
Will only wear shoes when attending dinner functions, other times, just wear sandals. More expensive, no need to buy lor…
I buy PVC sofa too for the house instead of leather ones.. They are expensive, especially those from Lorenzo..PVC cost RM300 for a 4 seater while Lorenzo cost RM10k! *faint*
And talking about shoes, I buy cheap normal ladies flats, like RM29.90 per pair from Sg. Wang 😀
Sofas, must buy good ones, expensive never mind. I bought cheap made-in-China ones – VERY comfortable…I sat a few times, kemak liao. 😦
Sibu Christmas Decorations is so nice…
I’m sure nicer in Singapore…
Lovely Christmas deco..
They said you all had this in Spring last year.
Hey, you didn’t show your RM44 pair of shoes! hahahaa… Arthur, where got cheap things nowadays… maybe cheapest is BATA now… those days Bata used to be prestigious…
Yalor…forgot to take photos – should have done that…for all to see. Hehehehehe!!!!
I tend to stick to one pair and only buy a new one when it is worn out. I’m not really into shoes 🙂
You’re no Imelda Marcos, obviously. 😀
I only have two pair of shoes myself!
One pair of dress shoes for formal occasions and one pair of sneakers. I think the sneakers was from the year before! I’m very lazy to shop, only do so during CNY.
3.50 to a pound! That must be from the 80’s? I remember that exchange rate although neither me or my parents ever went to the UK (first trip there was when I was working here in KL) but I remember the cheap imported cereals we got.
That was 1994. It went up real high right after that…but has gone down a bit now, I think. Still around RM6, if I’m not wrong. 😦