Read the label.................

There once was a time when we all hated Japan because it seemed the whole world was made in Japan. Now you'd be lucky to find anything made there as they've caught the outsourcing bug as bad as we have here. So let's pick on China now. No, lets not. Let's look in the mirror and find the root cause. While good ole "Brand X" may still have a corporate headquarters here in the states, where are the products actually made ?????? Anybody ever bother to look ??????? Efficiency is better, cheaper is not.

Take for example "The Roops" new steel toed boots. $99.99 on sale. They don't carry the $59.99 shoes I got nearly 3 years ago anymore. Sure "The Roop" could have gotten a $30 pair most any place, but they wouldn't last 3 years nor would they fit properly. I have verified this theory numerous times by 3 of 3's purchases. "They look cool and they were cheap". Then she would come home and complain about her feet killing her. $30 worth of inserts and special socks later and the $30 shoes weren't too bad anymore. Save for the fact they only lasted 3 months.

Yes, you get what you pay for. So while 3 of 3 only spent $30 at a time for shoes, she bought 10 pairs to "The Roops" one. And I'd still be wearing mine had I not left them at the folks over the weekend and decided that was a sign to get new ones. $105.?? with tax, company reimbursement of $75.00 so I have shoes for 3 years at the cost of $30.?? to me. Made in America, better yet made in Wisconsin and only a few miles away. Union made but nothing is perfect. Plus there are real sizes to choose from to fit real feet. Not the generic 10.5, or 10.5 wide that you might find at Mega-Retailers. How about a 10.5 EEE ???. You've got it, Hallelujah...................

If you've got kids that outgrow most anything in a few months, the Mega-Retailers are a God send for you. By all means keep shopping there. If your size hasn't changed in forever, spend your money wisely and when you can, buy American. It's harder to do than you think so read those labels. Brand names mean nothing anymore. To my knowledge New Balance is the only athletic shoe manufacturer that still has SOME models "assembled in America of imported materials". I've got a pair of those that are over 3 years old now, they still look like new.

While it is cheaper to pay $30 in the short term, it is more efficient to pay $100 once in 3 years. It's also worth noting that thousands of Americans now build what are still considered import cars. Even though they are built in America by Americans. Isn't it better to buy a "foreign" car with an 83% domestic content than it is to buy an "American" brand made entirely overseas ????? Cars, shoes, there isn't much difference. People cling to that brand name and swear by it without even looking at the country of origin.

Buy the best you can afford, no matter what it is, just be aware of what you're buying.

Here ends the lesson...........