Having the sole reattached to the upper is something a cobbler can help with! And yes, there are still cobblers out there, and they charge less than you might think. I’ve gone to a cobbler to fix problems with shoes I’d bought several times – twice to reattach/replace spent velcro, and once to fix a sandal strap that was shipped to me a bit wonky. Can’t recommend cobblers enough!

Carla, I wanted a pair of Vivo Addis for ages but cost was the obstacle. I kept watch and finally found a good sale price online (30% off) from a retailer in California (I’m in NY). It was worth the wait and the effort trawling the internet – I absolutely love them. My advice is if you want a particular model of Vivo, keep checking online, google is your friend here. Something may well come up! Good luck!

Another brand that I have tried recently with a similar fit and feel to Vivo is Lono wear. They are considerably cheaper than Vivo, and you can use code ANYASREVIEWS to get an additional 5% off. They are still fairly new to me, so I can’t say how long they will last but I have found them really comfortable and nice so far! For sandals, one of the more affordable but still high quality options that should fit your foot type is the Earth Runners Primal. You can use code ANYA for 10% off there, making them just over $60. Vivo is definitely a good quality brand, but I like others too!

The selection I can try on in person or only paying domestic shipping is limited. Of those, half or less will fit, and those will only be stocked in black or white even if they come in other colours. (Local stock of colours seems to mostly be in the narrow brands.) It seems wrong to use these stores as a try-on service then mail-order the same thing in red direct from the maker if the store won’t…but I’ve been craving pretty, colourful, feminine shoes for decades! I am so tired of constantly being punished for having a “wrong” body. (None of me is even close to fashion industry standard.) There will be a hefty premium for every purchasing mistake because I live in the “wrong” country.

Great suggestion!

Hi! Those are the Mukishoes Hunny, a kid’s shoe from last year.

Thanks so much for this article, which in itself much have cost quite a lot of time ;).
I was quite naive about all these factors of the price of a ‘simple’ pair of shoes but now I know better!

This is not quite true.
Many businesses start because the founder feels s/he has a mission to produce / sell a specific product or service. At the start, this mission is more important than the amount of profit — if profit was the only consideration, nobody would bother to make barefoot shoes, it’s too much effort. The founders of barefoot shoe businesses want to see more feet wearing barefoot shoes.
You are right that a business needs to make a profit to **stay** in business. Some businesses cut corners to make enough profit to stay alive, some would rather go bankrupt than compromise their mission, and a few manage to make it all work.

Disclaimer: I have an MBA in Financial Management. I have never worked for a shoe company.

It’s been a real problem this year. Partly it’s Covid, but also growing pains as barefoot shoe brands are getting more popular and too big for their breeches (several are trying to switch to bigger factories right now!). I *hope* time will solve that problem and next year will be easier for everyone.