Five years ago, I posted an essay about replacing my beloved Clarks sandals of 15+ years longevity, worn on three continents, and generally fine footwear, even if Oregon weather doesn't promote year-round use. Based mostly on such an exemplary sandal experience, I went to the downtown Clarks store and bought another pair. I paid the same $80 purchase price as for the first pair at REI. I was hoping for the best.
As the saying goes, Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Whereas my first Clarks sandals might have been made in the UK or Canada, the Clarks sandals, follow-on edition, were made in China and, quick impression, they seemed made on the cheap, though the upper straps were labelled "leather." The original Clarks Velcro straps were simplicity itself and with occasional cleaning, trouble-free for 15+ years. Alas, the Clarks-licensed Chinese replacements had Velcro strap problems from the get-go. After a year or two, I had to have the hook strips resewn to the straps. That lasted another year or so. When they continued to come loose, and I tired of tearaway Velcro hooks and loops, I finally gave in. Great Clarks sandals were a thing of the past.
Cheap thread, wrong match of Velcro hooks to loops--who knows?
(I once had a similar experience with AirWalk skate shoes. First pair fantastic wearing. Second pair, AirWalks in name only once manufacture shifted to China. The soles self-destructed in two months.)
But I still needed a pair of sandals for the summer. So I went to Walmart, a good place to look for sandals, I thought, given the nice $20 suede boots and $20 Avia running shoes I've bought of late. I was not to be disappointed in sandals at a $20 price point.
In fact, as pictured at left, I got a pair of Earth Spirit sandals with Gelron Cushion for $20 with identical construction to the Clarks, Velcro straps and all. In other words, a pair of all-synthetic materials sandals, made in China, which cost one-quarter of what the horribly degraded Clarks must now cost.
I've only worn the sandals for a few weeks, but they don't look or feel like they were made on the cheap. If anything, I believe the factory that makes these Earth Spirit sandals is trying to establish a brand's reputation. So far, so good. My bet is these sandals might last me ten summers, and they won't give me fits with tearaway Velcro strips after several months' use. And besides, I'm $60 ahead of where I'd be if I were fooled a second time. Caveat emptor, as always.
Image credit: author photo
Read Charlie Dickinson's story collection (and feel free to share with a friend) The Cat at Light's End, as an ebook in these downloadable formats:
.mobi (Kindle)
.epub (most other readers)
.pdf (for PCs)
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