New shoes!

"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.  When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin.  When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come.  Thus his person is not endangered and his States and all their clans are preserved" - Confucius

Not a stoic quote, but definitely a very wise one.  This post is about shoes, and the next one is about price inflation - about how everything is starting to cost more and more money.

I made a minor purchase recently - a rare one that wasn't related to necessities - food, utilities, or gasoline.  The ancient Look cycling shoes that have been with me forever have deteriorated over the years while they gathered dust.  The leather has split and cracked, and will only get worse with more wear.  Now that the trees are finished, I intend to spend a lot more time on the bike.  So I've been watching the online auctions for many months, looking for a good pair of replacement shoes. 

I recently won an auction for a pair of Shimano Cycling shoes, model SH-R 073B.  I was the only bidder, and won the auction at the minimum bid price of $4.99  Unfortunately, with shipping and handling added, the cost went up to $23.  I don't know what these shoes cost new, and can't find pricing information, because they are an older model.  A rough guess is that they were priced new at about $100.  Worn shoes of this model sell for $40-50 on eBay.

Below:  Pix from the auction.  Unused.

I'm pretty sure these shoes have never been worn.  The soles have no scuffs and the manufacturer's tag is still attached.  The sole is fiberglass reinforced plastic, so any amount of walking or cycling in these would scratch up the bottom.  So yeah - perfect, never used cycling shoes for $4.99 (plus shipping).

What I would have liked is a pair of really stiff carbon-fiber sole Sidi shoes like the one below.  A pair of these lower-end Sidi shoes cost about $230, and even so, the size I wear is out of stock on Amazon.  I'm unwilling to part with an extra $200 for a slightly stiffer sole and newer styling. 

 I'm willing to buy a few non-essential items, but the price has to be realistic.  Finding value is becoming more and more difficult.