Overheard a guy at the bar swear by his $80 hiking boots for 12 years

I'm pouring drinks Friday night and this dude next to me is telling his date that his cheap Asolo boots have done 400 miles of trail and still grip like day one. He said his buddy spent $240 on some hype brand and they fell apart after one wet season. It got me thinking about how people ride or die for a name even when the evidence is right there in the wear pattern. I've seen the same thing with regulars who refuse to try any whiskey other than one label, no matter what I pour. Anyone else notice that the stuff people stick with is usually the stuff they actually broke in, not the stuff they bragged about buying?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_evan11d agoMost Upvoted

Used to be the guy who thought expensive meant better. Bought a pair of mid-range boots eight years ago on a whim and they're still my go-to for every muddy trail. The expensive ones I bought later fell apart fast, and now I get why people swear by the stuff they've actually worn in.

jadew6311d ago

Oh MAN, YES. That is so spot on it hurts. I had a pair of cheapo boots from a random outlet mall that I wore for like six years straight, every single weekend on rocky trails, and they never gave me a single blister after the first week. I finally replaced them with a "serious" brand everyone raves about and I was so careful with them, and they STILL fell apart in under two years. The cheap ones just molded to my feet, you know? It really is about the break-in time and the sweat equity you put into something, not the hype or the price tag. I see it with my own gear too, the stuff I grab without thinking is always the stuff that's been through everything with me. People get so hung up on the label they forget the actual product is just sitting right there proving them wrong.