Im surprised the "buffett mythos" hasn't been widely exposed yet. Its jus marketing on his part__ brilliant.
I am not an expert, but I don't think this trend applies to the brands that surfer is referring to. This said, there is no real reason why Walmart shouldn't sell something nice (albeit, I am pretty certain it never does). For simplicity, let's include niceness and good looks into a single metric of "quality". Quality vs price is a logarithmic curve. Initially, it's very steep as your gains per dollar are very clear, but then at a certain point it's so flat that it's impossible to figure out what you actually getting for the increase in price. Let's take an example that you probably can relate to - 4x4 vehicles. You can go out and buy a 20-year old clunker for a few grand - it will require some serious dedication and costly repairs. Chances are you will have to be shopping for a new car rather soon, too. Alternatively, you can also go and buy a kitted out expedition-grade Toyota Land Cruiser (or whatever brand tickles your fancy) for a 90k. It will be reliable and can take you to the end of the world. However, if you are a sane consumer, both choices are extreme and should be avoided, even if you have the money. Instead, a smart buyer would position himself somewhere where the trade-off quality/price is optimal for his utility curve. Same goes for clothing or almost anything you buy. At the low end of the curve, the savings are phantom because you are giving up quality. It's not gonna last, or maybe it will be mighty uncomfortable, or maybe it will look horrible. Thus, it should be avoided. At the high end of the curve, you gradually start paying more for features you don't really need or for the brand name. Thus, it also should be avoided. The final result is that you have to wear something, it's not a choice to be perpetually naked. So you might as well make an optimal selection rather then position yourself on either extreme end of the curve for some emotional reasons (extreme frugality is just as silly as extreme flashiness).
What about us people that live in the tropics? Most often barefoot and wearing only board shorts - for us guys. When people are without material status symbols, such as at the beach, than really the only thing you notice are people's personalities and those that are fit.
Like this? I wear shorts 8 days a week at the surf beach shack. -- its not the prettiest sight, but it works for me. Today is almost like glass out there, evrn my fat a** can paddleboard on days like this!
So really you've gone through 3 pairs of shoes. Nothing wrong w/resoling shoes, but you could do the same to a 80$ pair.
Nope. The leather upper started falling apart way before they needed a resolve. More importantly they start looking like shit very quickly (again, the quality of the leather is to blame).
Limmer boots. Smartwool/DarnTough socks. SportHill Terrain pants. Western Mountaineering.... anything. Merlin speakers. (or Green Mountain Audio) Vacuum Tube Logic electronics. M.I.T. cabling. Michelin "tyres" platinum plugs synthetic oil (Hey. No magic here.) And a microbrew IPA. I don't ask for much. Worsted wool; Johnston&Murphy; fitted shirt. Anything else? Nah. Ramen noodles, generic peanut butter, and I'm good to go.