Shoes....

[Darrel]

Last year I bought some no-name trainers from a supermarket in Europe. I wore them every day for nearly 18 months, crossed half the world and 10 different countries in them. Never had a problem. They cost me 12 Euros (500B).

Of course eventually they gave up and so I looked for some new ones here. Not much choice, apart from incredibly expensive "factory outlet" brand-name trainers, which are probably all fakes anyway.

Finally I found some quite nice no-name ones near BigC. At 650B I thought that they were rather expensive but there really wasn't much else to be had.

The soles lasted under 2 months and then just collapsed and split. The uppers are still looking great, but that doesn't help me when walking in puddles. Shoddy overpriced crap indeed.

So the question is, does anyone know where to buy trainers that look acceptable, are comfortable, will last a year and don't cost a fortune?

[lonewolf99]

aAAAH the way of the modern world...built in obsolescence ...its the same with electrical goods and cars...they make them not to last.

The days of buying a pair of stout box calf leather brogues and wearing them for 40 years have long gone.

Trainers ? - You will find our cousins from across the Pond call them Sneakers or Tennis Shoes but never play tennis in them or sneak about....

They are stinky horrible breeding grounds for all sorts of foot disorders. I suggest buying a pair of leather Jesus Boots that let your feet breath and make sure you were white socks pulled tightly up half way up the calf. You will be a fashion faux pas but will get more mileage per pair...

I wear leather loafers some people call them driving shoes and BATA do smart soft comfortable ones that will last you years...I have ones from a German manufacturer that I have had for 3 years and no sign of any wear and tear even after severe Jomtien soakings....

[Darrel]

They are stinky horrible breeding grounds for all sorts of foot disorders. I suggest buying a pair of leather Jesus Boots that let your feet breath and make sure you were white socks pulled tightly up half way up the calf. You will be a fashion faux pas but will get more mileage per pair..

I have worn trainers for 30 years with no problems. A daily change of socks prevents odours etc., washing prevents foot infections and apart from the pair I bought here mileage is not generally an issue (as I said, 12Euros for 18 months use is fine by me).

Unfortunately, as I have special orthopaedic insoles that I have to use due to fallen arches, sandals are not an option.

I just want a decent pair of trainers like the ones I paid 12Euros for last year. Doesn't seem much to ask.

[JSixpack]

I just want a decent pair of trainers like the ones I paid 12Euros for last year. Doesn't seem much to ask.

But it IS too much to ask. Been there, done that; no more crap clunkers for me, not worth it.

Suggest you bite the bullet as I did and get pair of genuine name-brand light hiking boots rather than "trainers." Super Sports at Central can fix you up. Used to be a Timberland shop in Royal Garden. These would really protect your feet and hold up quite well. You'd feel good every time you wore them.

There're also name-brand walking shoes by Clark etc. Mike's Shopping Mall used to have an outlet up on the 3rd floor; Mike had a lot of different brands up there. Got a topsider clone there that has lasted forever.

[DocW]

Mate if you cannot afford 1000 or 1200 baht for a pair of shoes that you say you need to put a lot of miles on then maybe you should re-arrange your lifestyle so you can afford that?

That's great that you bought a pair in Europe for 12 euro but now you are not in Europe. Tell your friends back home to mail you a pair if you think that 600 baht is expensive.

I obviously do not know you but I think you can cancel 1 night out on the town or 1 golf game or 1 dinner out in order to be able to afford a pair of good shoes no?

[thaimate]

Always buy manwin shoes here in Thailand ,there is a place in big mikes ,cheap terrific quality,wear them for years.

[BangRon]

Purchased some off brand Power-Z made-in-Thailand running shoes at Bata 699 thb, about 6 months down the road they have been holding up pretty good. Been searching to get another pair or two in the <1000 thb price range looking around Pattaya and Bangkok, been to a many stores, seems really hard to find us13, eur48, uk12 sizes here. SuperSports at different locations seemed to have only small sizes with way over overblown prices being sold by snobby sales staff. My opinion paying more than 30 bucks for a pair of sneakers is stupidity, unless you are going to be using them for some professional athletic event. Even so barefoot encourages natural walking and running motion.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Rimmer
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[Darrel]

Mate if you cannot afford 1000 or 1200 baht for a pair of shoes that you say you need to put a lot of miles on then maybe you should re-arrange your lifestyle so you can afford that?

That's great that you bought a pair in Europe for 12 euro but now you are not in Europe. Tell your friends back home to mail you a pair if you think that 600 baht is expensive.

I obviously do not know you but I think you can cancel 1 night out on the town or 1 golf game or 1 dinner out in order to be able to afford a pair of good shoes no?

I can afford to buy shoes, thank you, without impinging at all on my daily expenditure. But I just dont see why I should have to pay more here than I would in Europe, for something that is probably made here or in China anyway. The sales tax alone is 60% less here, and wages and other costs are all lower.

And what especially annoys me is that if I can buy trainers (tennis shoes, sneakers, baskets, whatever you want to call them) in Europe for 500B that last a year and half, why should I have to pay 150B more here for something that only lasts 2 months?

That is just crappy, no matter how you look at it.

[Darrel]

Some good suggestions; thanks to all who made them.

Seems like Mike's is going to be worth a look, as it got a couple of votes.

Luckily it's only a couple of minutes walk from my place, and my current trainers may just about handle the distance before they disintegrate completely.

I will check out the other places/brands also.

[thaicbr]

I don't know about trainers.. mine cost me about 1,000b at the sports shop in central Pinkloa..

But for shoes i had the same problem... f+cking things falling apart and stinking (not leather) then i happened to pass a Pagolin shop (safety equipment) and bought some leather steel toe capped shoes.. have lasted about 18 mths so far and that's getting them wet a few times as well.

http://www.thaisafet...s/21/CatEng.pdf

Edited September 19, 2011 by thaicbr

[JSixpack]

I don't know about trainers.. mine cost me about 1,000b at the sports shop in central Pinkloa..

But for shoes i had the same problem... f+cking things falling apart and stinking (not leather) then i happened to pass a Pagolin shop (safety equipment) and bought some leather steel toe capped shoes.. have lasted about 18 mths so far and that's getting them wet a few times as well.

http://www.thaisafet...s/21/CatEng.pdf

Might try those safety shoes after I've finally worn out these Hi-Tec hiking shoes I've been on for about 4 years.

I've tried wearing most every kind of shoe in Thailand, starting from the lowly 20-baht "shower shoe" (long taeow thaet)--and I've found that good, light hiking shoes are safest, longest wearing, and most practical for everything from walking to exercising to biking. Haven't had a single injury since I started wearing them.

Got mine wet pushing my bike in the flood last week but no problem. I didn't worry much about what I was stepping on down there under the surface, and they gripped well for helping me push. Fortunately I didn't need to push far before I reached a shallower area and could start the bike.

And I'd no longer wear sandals around outside: chances and consequences of foot injury are just too great in Thailand. Read this thread for an account of what a small injury can do to you:

[dandare11]

Cheap Charlie piece coming up.

Market days Tues and Friday there are at least two places that sell good part used trainers in the market, the right hand side of Soi B ,(not the left hand side) area,going towards Tukcom. They are good value,never bought any (honestly) but know plenty who have,because of what you have stated earlier

[Darrel]

.....part used trainers .....

There are depths to which even I will not stoop. This is one of them.

[DocW]

.....part used trainers .....

There are depths to which even I will not stoop. This is one of them.

I agree 100%.

Mate, it's the same crap with a lot of things here like computers for instance. All the internals are made locally (SEA) but cost double what we pay back home for a notebook. The past few years (especially in Pattaya) I have seen many things that are cheaper back home but again TIT.

[JSixpack]

Mate, it's the same crap with a lot of things here like computers for instance. All the internals are made locally (SEA) but cost double what we pay back home for a notebook. The past few years (especially in Pattaya) I have seen many things that are cheaper back home but again TIT.

Very true. Fact is, if you wanna live in Thailand but also enjoy high quality goods & services (sex excluded) then you'll very likely have to pay more for those goods & services than you would in the West.

Just gotta accept it or go native or go back. Most of us arrive at a compromise: some things, like shoes, gotta be high quality and we pay thru the nose. Other things, like, say, T-shirts, can be Thai quality.

Now, shall we talk about the prices of good wine & cigars in Thailand?

[Michaelaway]

Yup. You gotta make your peace with the way things are in Thailand and organize your priorities. Some things we got used to back home are simply not available, wicked tough to find, +/or weirdly (but firmly) over-priced around here. If sneakers/ trainers/ running shoes are a must for you, that's cool. Just keep looking (and asking) until you know all your local options (check the BATA shops). Then, compare them to Ebay (or any other options you may have) and make a decision. That's just the way it is for us all, living here... no? Good luck, krap!

[Darrel]

I went to Mike's this morning. They're doing some remodelling and half the floors were closed. Couldn't find very much in the way of footwear, and most of what I did find was shoes rather than trainers.

I dont like shoes as they have no padding on the soles.

They did have quite a lot of the usual 2500+B Adidas/Nike rubbish, but I am NOT paying GBP50 for a pair of branded trainers, any more than I would pay more than 250B/GBP5 for jeans.

Couldnt find the manwin place mentioned either. Which floor are they on?

Will try and find a Bata to see if I get more luck there.

I hate shopping nearly as much as I hate sport.

I just dont understand how there can be so many shops all stocking the same overpriced rubbish that no-one ever seems to buy, yet none stocking decent quality items that people actually want.

[Darrel]

Suggest you bite the bullet as I did and get pair of genuine name-brand light hiking boots rather than "trainers." Super Sports at Central can fix you up. Used to be a Timberland shop in Royal Garden......

There're also name-brand walking shoes by Clark etc. Mike's Shopping Mall used to have an outlet up on the 3rd floor; Mike had a lot of different brands up there.

I couldn't find anything at all in Mike's or Royal Garden today.

What brand-name hiking boots am I looking for, and about how much do they cost? Do they have any padding on the soles?

God, I hate shopping.

[Jebhead]

I went to Mike's this morning. They're doing some remodelling and half the floors were closed. Couldn't find very much in the way of footwear, and most of what I did find was shoes rather than trainers.

I dont like shoes as they have no padding on the soles.

They did have quite a lot of the usual 2500+B Adidas/Nike rubbish, but I am NOT paying GBP50 for a pair of branded trainers, any more than I would pay more than 250B/GBP5 for jeans.

Couldnt find the manwin place mentioned either. Which floor are they on?

Will try and find a Bata to see if I get more luck there.

I hate shopping nearly as much as I hate sport.

I just dont understand how there can be so many shops all stocking the same overpriced rubbish that no-one ever seems to buy, yet none stocking decent quality items that people actually want.

I still can't believe your statement in first post about finding 600THB expensive!!

If you buy a decent pair of trainers you'll get 3-5 years out of them but will need to spend 2000-3000 baht, your feet will be comfortable!

JH

[Darrel]

I still can't believe your statement in first post about finding 600THB expensive!!

600B for 2 months' use, compared to 500B for 18 months' use? I consider the former to be very expensive. If they lasted a year or so like the others then that would have been OK.

In my entire life I have never paid more than about 15Euros for trainers, and normally they last at least a year, sometimes more.

If you buy a decent pair of trainers you'll get 3-5 years out of them but will need to spend 2000-3000 baht, your feet will be comfortable!

My brother buys expensive brand-name trainers (he also has GBP90 designer hair cuts and shops at IKEA; we have little in common ) but he rarely if ever gets more wear out of them than I get out of my cheap sub-15Euro ones. He certainly doesn't get any more comfort.

So I am not convinced that spending 2500B on brand-name trainers would in fact achieve anything at all, apart from making some shop rich at my expense.

[Jebhead]

I still can't believe your statement in first post about finding 600THB expensive!!

600B for 2 months' use, compared to 500B for 18 months' use? I consider the former to be very expensive. If they lasted a year or so like the others then that would have been OK.

In my entire life I have never paid more than about 15Euros for trainers, and normally they last at least a year, sometimes more.

If you buy a decent pair of trainers you'll get 3-5 years out of them but will need to spend 2000-3000 baht, your feet will be comfortable!

My brother buys expensive brand-name trainers (he also has GBP90 designer hair cuts and shops at IKEA; we have little in common ) but he rarely if ever gets more wear out of them than I get out of my cheap sub-15Euro ones. He certainly doesn't get any more comfort.

So I am not convinced that spending 2500B on brand-name trainers would in fact achieve anything at all, apart from making some shop rich at my expense.

First statement in bold - you've really never spent more than 15 Euro's on trainers in your entire life?? that's incredible!

Second statement in bold - you will notice the difference in high end trainers against cheap crap if you're into sport, running or walking for long distances regularly etc. I believe you never go more than 10 minutes from where you live which would explain why your cheap trainers are lasting so long!

I buy cheap t-shirts / jeans etc but no footwear!!!

JH

[Michaelaway]

Bata shops/ Pattaya:

BIG C, PATTAYA SOUTH

BIG C EXTRA (CARREFOUR), PATTAYA KLANG

CENTRAL PATTAYA BEACH

TUKCOM, BASEMENT

TESCO-LOTUS, NAKLUA

ROYAL GARDEN

[bkkjames]

shoes are like glasses for me : i spend a lot of time on my feet and a lot of time looking at things.

spending a bit more for quality footwear and glasses seems about right to me.

I won't shell out 7k for dress shoes at paragon dept store but 2-3k for a decent pair that is stitched and glued so the first rain it doesnt fall apart is ok for me.

now for the rest of my wardrobe, couldn't give toss tbh. My son has more expensive clothes that I have.

However, I tend to justify my expenditures - I ordered Dukes from Chefsxp the other night and paid 860 Baht or the equiv of one shoe.

[Michaelaway]

If you want to try a really good quality brand of sneakers/ trainers/ athletic shoes... try New Balance. These 452's are available right now on Ebay for less than 2,000 baht, including shipping to Thailand. This is absolutely a case of, "You get what you pay for," and these are extremely well-made, comfortable & durable sneakers. I've owed about 6 pairs of New Balance in the last 15 years- 3 for tennis, and 3 all-purpose (cross-trainers). Great footwear... really. And, they make different widths, so you can optimize the fit. Just an option, krap...

[Atmos]

^ saw a news item on New Balance recently - they are still making their product in USA, while their major competitors eg Nike, adidas, get theirs made in various parts of Asia.

That price you quotes seems good to me, they were hugely expensive in NZ, I brought a pair here with me I won in a triathlon event, still in the box 3yrs later . . . because . . .

I've been wearing Brooks shoes; had a shoe shop as sponsor when i was competing and through podiatrist consultation, video-ed on a treadmill, they were the best for me. They seem indestructible; have done adventuresport events, river crossings and lots of mud, salt water in Adrenaline Trail, and general running in basic Adrenalines. Throw them in a bucket of soapy water and sun-dry. They are available in Thailand - at a lot cheaper than the NZ $220-250 they were selling for in NZ 3 yrs ago.

It's not just whether shoes 'last' as in stay in one piece, but how they retain form and strength/support; I've found them resistant to the heat/humidity here. The trail ones would be ideal walkers, good ankle support and should last for years of average use.

[scorpio]

18 months out of a 12 euro pair of trainers, WOW !! look on ebay.com , i usually pay £100 ish a pair for nike and i only get about a year out of them so count yourself lucky .

[hotandhumid]

Are you a single man? I ask the question as you strike me as the type that would NEVER spend money on another person.

Cheap clothes, cheap food, cheap condo, baht buses and now this....I pity your 'existance' dude.

[Tolley]

For shoes you need to spend 3-5k baht to get a good pair.

Going cheap charlie on shoes is not really a good option because bad shoes can cause lots of problems.

If you have the money like you say then for gods sake buy a pair of good quality shoes!

[poanoi]

There is nothing to pity, i enjoyed comparing happy hour prices and rejoice the cheap everything.

Unfortunately i don't give sh!t about anything any longer and miss out on all the small victories that was in saving x baht each day at every purchase.

Edited September 20, 2011 by poanoi

[Darrel]

First statement in bold - you've really never spent more than 15 Euro's on trainers in your entire life?? that's incredible!

I think the meaning was pretty obvious: in my entire life I have never spent more than 15 Euros per pair.

Second statement in bold - you will notice the difference in high end trainers against cheap crap if you're into sport, running or walking for long distances regularly etc. I believe you never go more than 10 minutes from where you live which would explain why your cheap trainers are lasting so long!

I generally walk a minimum of 1 hour per day, every day, except if it rains all day. I have done this for the last 30+ years.