High Quality Vs Low Quality Shoes: What’s The Difference

When investing in a premium  pair of shoes, it can be important to check the quality. A well-made pair of shoes is likely to last longer, allowing you to get a good amount of wear out of them. This can be important when splashing out on an expensive pair of shoes – you don’t want to fork out £200 for a pair of shoes that falls apart after barely a year of wearing them.

Unfortunately, the price tag and the look of the shoe isn’t always a good indicator of quality. While most premium shoe brands are made to a high standard, there are some shoe companies out there that definitely use their brand name to push up the price without necessarily offering a high quality shoe. You’ve also got to be careful of fakes – especially when buying used shoes online. Below are just a few tell-tale ways to determine whether a shoe is high quality or low quality.

What materials is it made from?

Shoe manufacturers are required to list any materials that a shoe is made from in case people have allergies to certain materials. It’s worth looking into this when buying an expensive pair of shoes – the materials used can sometimes be a giveaway as to whether a shoe is high quality.

Most high quality shoes are made from leather. If a shoe appears to be made from lots of synthetic materials, it’s likely cheaply made. You should be careful of fake leathers – some shoe manufacturers will claim that their shoes are made from ‘genuine leather’, but if you look into it it’s actually bonded leather (a mix of real and synthetic leather).

Can you smell glue?

A giveaway that a shoe is cheaply made is the smell test. Give the inside a sniff – does it smell like glue or chemicals? If so, it’s likely assembled using glue in a factory.

Most low to mid-range shoes are made this way. However, when it comes to high quality shoes such as the likes of Balenciaga, they are exclusively hand-stitched. This stitching ensures that the shoes are more likely to stay together and be watertight. An expensive shoe that smells like glue is a bad sign.

What do they sound like?

If you’re buying shoes in a store, take advantage of the opportunity to walk around in them. Not only is this a good way of testing out the comfort, but it could help you determine whether a shoe is low quality or not. Squeaking sounds or loud clattering sounds every time you take a step are an indicator that it’s not high quality. If you’re buying platform shoes, you should also pay attention to the sound of the platform heel – if it sounds hollow, it’s a sign it’s cheap.

Check the details

It’s worth always taking a close inspection of the shoe. This is particularly important when buying shoes from an independent seller to ensure that you’re not getting a fake. Poor quality stitching, faded/off-centre logos and gaps between the sole and the upper are all signs that it’s a fake you’re dealing with. If you’re buying online, it could be worth zooming in on any photos that are supplied (don’t be afraid to ask the seller for extra photos if necessary).