Everybody's feet are different it would seem. I find Reeboks to be very comfortable for me, but not every Reebok. I have certain styles that work for me but I have had a few that did not. Now I shop for my preferred styles on eBay because Reebok doesn't make them anymore.
Academy is kinda ghetto. It's a great place to buy cheap t-shirts and hoodies and such, but I wouldn't expect to get a good pair of shoes there.
I've gone to the online shipper of the world for New Balance shoes 3 times in the past few years. No worries. Get Merrils online too.
I suspect some locations carry less stock, and lesser stock SKU's also would tend to mean a greater percentage of crap. I've done reasonably well with finding shoes that met my needs at the Austin and Houston-area Academy locations. But the decent models are still few and far between. Like Vol, I'm currently wearing some Brooks (Ghost 10) that have held up well across the past year with almost daily wear. They are not the lightest things I have had, but I also don't have feet that have to be soaked after walking all day when traveling...
What? Academy is about as mainstream as it gets. They actually have shoes in my size. Most stores only carry up to size 13. I need 14s in tennis shoes.
I'm not here to crap on Academy. When I visit the US, I frequently stock up on their cheap stuff. I was a courtroom lawyer for several years, so obviously I own some nice clothes and can "suit-up" reasonably well. However, on a typical day, I wear cheap blue jeans from Old Navy and a fleece top or button-down shirt. Underneath those is usually an undershirt or a $6 t-shirt from Academy. The point is that you get what you pay for. The cheap stuff from Academy is fine and I but plenty of it, but it wears out quickly. It's cheap and yes, a but ghetto. But I do shop there.
Didja know UT has an official pet food sponsor? the worship of Mammon knows no limits why not an official Erectile Disfunction med? godzillatron promotes the Texas Lottery all game long. It is a tax on the arithmetically illiterate and our school takes cash to promote it All bow to Mammon, the Fatted Bevo
yup ... and they proudly pronounce their support of veterans programs with this illicit tax. I was asked for a bio to be recognized as a UT alum/Vet. When I was reminded of this association ... no thanks, but would be honored to help The University in other veterans affairs initiatives.
Lol. Thanks. my point wasn’t to highlight me, but the continual bowing to the almighty dollar ... mammon as has been said. the university which typically proffers a philosophy that government programs are required to help the poor ... and then herald this abysmal tax on the poor. nope. Not me. TEXAS lottery should never have been. But thanks be to Ann Richards/company for this insane apparatus ... we continue to grow government. (As an aside, wasn’t that supposed to fix school funding????)
If Nike opened up a shop near your town when you were a subsistence farmer or laborer, wouldn't you potentially consider it a good thing? More jobs and outside wealth and investment in your community, and probably not any worse than the work you were already doing? I don't know what to think about this. Hmm, I almost exclusively use NB when I can b/c they have the best width options (I'm like a 9 in length but 11 in width) and everything else cramps up my toes. I tend to wear mine for 3-4 years before getting new ones, although it is also my tendency to wait until I absolutely have to before getting new shoes b/c it's such a pain to do. But I still haven't noticed any particularly quick wear in that regard. Although sometimes all you're really paying extra for is perception. Not fair to call it a tax when it's 100% optional.
Optional to buy an EV, but the buyer gets a tax break from his fellow tax payers. Tax doesn’t confer a degree of mandate. The lotto is a tax on those who can least afford it ... manipulating the most vulnerable. Using tax money to do it. it’s a stain almost as bad as abortion.
Statalyzer, your response above was quoting me. My quote and your response are in agreement. It isn't slave labor to get the opportunity to get a better job. When you live in the 3rd world that new job still looks bad to a 1st worlder. But your choice isn't factory worker or venture capitalist. It's factory worker or dirt farmer.
Right, I was quoting you b/c I was responding to / jumping off of what you said. Not necessarily disagreeing.