Feb 19, 2009 6:04 am US/Eastern
CBS 2 HD Consumer Advice: Shoe Price War
Why Spends Hundreds Of Dollars For A Name Brand When You Can Have Something Similar For Far Less?
Shop Smart Magazine Breaks Down High End Vs. Low End
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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CBS 2 HD has what you need to know before you go out and spend hundreds of dollars for shoes. This Payless model, for instance, was a big winner in our price war analysis.
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Do you really need to spend hundreds of dollars on designer names to get the best shoe? CBS 2 put $20 styles toe to toe with $500 heels.
What does spending hundreds of dollars on a pair of Manolo Blahnik's get you?
"They always love you back and everybody loves you more for having cute shoes," one person told CBS 2 HD.
So we put shoes from Nine West to Payless through a shoe showdown.
To get to the heart and sole of the matter, CBS 2 HD went to Shop Smart magazine, which puts all types of products to the test.
"This is not as flexible as this one," Shop Smart Magazine's Sue Perry said as she demonstrated for our cameras.
"We had testers, about 14 women, testing the shoes walking around in them all day and then we took them to our lab where we actually cut them apart."
The bottom line …
"No, you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on shoes," Perry said.
In fact, Perry said price doesn't guarantee comfort at all.
"You can get killer shoes that cost $500 and I mean 'killer' that it can kill your feet and you can get them for $20," Perry said.
In Shop Smart's test, Perry said, there's no question the Manolos won for style and being well constructed, but testers also fell equally in love with $69 pumps from Nine West.
"I can just feel it. It just springs back, nice comfortable cushioning here at the toe and up here at the heel," Perry said.
And what does $20 get you?
Panelists gave the Payless shoe top marks for fit and stability but admitted after wearing them all day, "They're feet did not feel that great because they're synthetic," Perry said.
To find a great fit, especially with a cheaper shoe, Perry said go for leather. The material just wears better than synthetics. Also, make sure the insole has enough cushioning and that the sole provides support and the heel is stable and not just glued on.
To add more spring to the step of cheaper shoes experts recommend adding an insole or having the shoemaker tack a rubber sole on the bottom.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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