SweetSimpleJoys

Sometimes, I shop impulsively and I hate myself when I do that!

Because I really wanted (bordering on desperation) to buy a comfy pair of shoes that I can abuse, I ended up buying something I’m not sure if I will love or regret.

It’s Merrell’s Allegro flat shoes in brown/taupe suede. Here’s what they look like:

What I like about them:

• They feel comfortable. This is important because I really want something I can wear for long walks at the mall and anywhere else.
• They have a neutral color (brown). Another essential criteria because I intend to use them frequently, so they obviously need to match most of my clothes.
• They’re made of high quality material and durable. Something that I can count on for years to come.
• The saleslady who sold me to them mentioned something about QForm Comfort technology, which according to Merrell’s website is their own patented alignment system that provides specific stride-sequenced cushioning. Sounds exactly what I was looking for.

What I don’t like about it:

• The outer material is suede. I’m not a suede person and to this day, I still can’t fully understand why I bought the shoes despite of the predominantly suede material. I’m sure this unexplainable phenomena happened to some of you, too. Maybe I was hypnotized into buying them. Or maybe I was just so desperate for a new pair of flats. Suede looks dirty and old even when it’s not (my shoes do, look at the photo below), that’s why I don’t like it.  And now I’m asking myself  “It’s suede, why did you buy it?”

• They’re way over my budget. I intended to spend nothing more than P2,000 (~$45) for a new pair of shoes. The first Merrell pair that I tried and liked was this mesh-fabric design:

Unfortunately, they only have it in pink. Pink is okay, but as I said, I was looking for something more neutral (if only they have it in white like the one in the photo above, *sighs*). The pink Merrell Allegro costs P2,700++ (~$61). I was convincing myself that comfort would give justice to the extra P700 that I need to shell out. Then I saw the same shoe design on their New Arrivals display. Only, it was brown suede. I tried them, and it wasn’t long before I found myself paying for them. But I was surprised that they cost P3,200++ (~$72), P500 more expensive than the pink flats.

Actually, it was my fault because I didn’t check the tag before I decided to buy the shoes. I just assumed that since both pairs have the same design, their prices are the same. I forgot to take note that the suede one was supposedly a “new design”, hence the higher price tag.

• They’re boring. I understand that having a neutral color can look plain and ordinary. But after looking at them for a while, I feel they don’t look good anymore–don’t look like they’re worth that much anyway. Then a week later, I allowed myself to a little shoe window-shopping, and there I found the flats that I should have bought. The cute and pocket-friendly ballet flats that address my need for comfort, style and flexibility. I could buy three pairs of these ballet flats for the price of my Merrell shoes.

And that’s where regret comes in.

But what’s bought is bought. No sense in fantasizing what I could have bought with the money instead. So I guess, the relevant question now is “How were the shoes?“

I have used them once, and we did quite a walk that day. They’re fairly comfortable, although I feel that I may have to break in them before I get the “comfort” that I paid for. Other than that, they seem promising.

But still a little boring, yes.