Why I’ll Never Buy Shoes Under $400 Again

Let’s face it: Once you go there, you never go back. It’s an allure that one can never quite shake, and it sends your soul spinning euphorically every single time you cave… Wait, I’m talking about shoe shopping, people!

A good friend had mentioned to me a brand called Common Projects, a New York-based company with Italian design qualities that has become a cult phenomenon among street style stars and industry influencers alike. With a price tag starting at nearly $410, I wanted to see the magic up close and personal.

I ventured to my local Theory store in Manhattan, where I knew they had kept a limited stock list of the shoes (warning: They are incredibly difficult to get a hold of, even in the shopping capital of the world). Before I knew it, I was experiencing my very own Cinderella moment with a pair of pure white Achilles leather kicks.

It’s almost like I blacked out while swiping my credit card and, all of a sudden, I had a shopping bag in hand. I’d entered an exclusive club for those who wander the streets of Manhattan in lust-worthy footwear that, for some, is a rent payment.

When I got home that evening, it seemed to me that all of the shoes in my closet were suddenly inadequate—nothing could compare to the look, feel, design and mere grandeur these new shoes had. So it wasn’t long before I not only had them in white, but also their coveted black and saddle-leather editions. My affinity for exorbitantly priced sneakers became an unabated addiction and my closet turned into a haven for fostering it.

Some people call me crazy for even considering spending hundreds on shoes that I may only wear a few times. But damn does crazy feel good.