You've got to be kidding me...

OK, so I was at the doctor's office last week and saw a J Crew catalog on the table. The only thing I knew about J Crew was that the First Lady wore something they sell. So I flip through the catalog and notice these:

You might be asking why I was so bemused about them? Well, for one thing, the 2006 catalog had a price tag of $198. And for another, I bought the same style of shoe (albeit with a more round toe) at Target in 2006 for a mere $14.99.

Granted, my shoes are gold metallic pleather and not the real mccoy, but still... For a shoe you wear knocking around to the grocery and playgroup? Almost $200? Even if I won the lottery, I STILL would NOT PAY that kind of money for a pair of every day, regular shoes. I wouldn't even pay that much for a pair of ballroom shoes in actual real gold leather. I did pay $99 for a pair of silver ones once upon a time, though. Nadia by International Dance Shoes.

Which apparently are now over $150 depending on where you buy them. My, my how time and money flies in the last 12 years...

OK back to the topic at hand. My Target house-brand shoes have been used and abused over the last three years. They've weathered pregnant lady feet, gardening and all kinds of abuse. I think I've got my $5/year out of them. The real question is "Would their high-ticket cousins have stood the same test of time?"