It was getting on for five years ago that I blogged about the Vimes Boots Theory which comes from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series and posits that poor people end up spending more money on things like footwear because they buy cheap things that wear out quickly rather than expensive things that last much, much longer and give a better return on investment. However, I’m not sure that entirely holds up, certainly in the world of footwear. I picked up some Clarks shoes about a year and half ago and opted to go for a pair somewhat more expensive than I would normally spend but they are now showing signs of wear and, even if I knew a local cobbler, I’m not sure they would be repairable.

As a way to eke their life out a bit further (for when I need smart looking, black shoes), I took advantage of an offer in Lidl today and picked up a pair of ‘hiking shoes’ for less than a fifth of what I paid for the Clarks. If they last less than six months, that doesn’t bode well for the boots theory! Assuming they live up to the standard of most of the things that come from Lidl, they should do at least that: the test begins.