The cheap hiking shoes I got last year are wearing out, and not just the padding behind the heel, but the soles are losing their tread as well.

So, since I'd had a $40 REI gift card, $10 REI dividend, and $10 REI coupon sitting around for several months, I figured I'd go to REI and get some new shoes. Last year I didn't buy my shoes from REI because they were all priced from like $80-$120 at REI and why would I want to spend that much money on shoes when I could get them for $45 from somewhere else?

But, when Lesley got her shoes there, they gave her very personalized attention and helped her find the right shoe. Normally buying a shoe isn't complicated, but when there are a lot of options and different shoes are made for different feet, that's worth paying a few dollars extra for. Plus, her hiking shoes were of better quality than mine. So, with my cheapo shoes from last year falling apart, I realized I might not have saved much by buying something cheap.

So, with my $60 of credit, we walked to REI last week to get some new shoes. From the 18 or so options, I got some recommendations from the salesperson and tried a couple on. I had a hard time deciding because they didn't fit just right, but then he made some custom shims which made them fit very well.

I wore them to hike this weekend and they were more stable and comfortable and provided more grip than my old shoes. It's nice to have new shoes and I hope these shoes last for a while.