I have been buying Florsheim shoes since 1980. The design/model names changed from time to time but they all had soft, flexible, single-piece soles/heels.
Every pair was well-used and then replaced. Soft, comfortable, I could and did wear them all day and always had several pair in the closet at the same time. Never had any problem with them.
It seems that man-made materials are no longer what they used to be.
I bought a pair of Florsheim shoes before covid , wore them maybe six or seven times.
After that things were done online and the shoes sat on a closet shelf for more than three years.
I wore them for a formal occasion last week and while there I got hugely embarrassed when tiny pieces of black appeared on the floor around me as I walked.
When I got home I looked and saw large pieces missing ...not flakes but chunks have come off them. About one-third of the sole on one shoe is gone, along with the entire side of its heel..
.
The uppers really are as good as new. Not even a single scuff mark.
The one-piece soles/heels, however, are literally disintegrating. .
Despite not being worn the entire sole/heel has somehow “aged” and became so fragile that they literally fall apart when touched. A fingernail can remove the tiny “treads” that run across the sole.
If you are looking to buy shoes, whether cheap or expensive, (mine cost about $150) that have man-made materials, be sure to ask about the shelf life, starting with how long they were on the store shelf.
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