Have you bought new shoes for new year?

Is it a tradition to wear new clothes and shoes when a new year arrives? I wonder if partly it is due to technology and quality of these products in the old days cannot last too long. Thus, is there still a need to buy new shoes each year?

Recently, I commented at a blog about this issue. Would you buy a pair of shoes at $40 each year because you want/need a new shoe each year? Or would you buy a pair of shoes at $150 that is very likely to last you at least 4 years?

By comparing price, $40 is less than $150, but if the $40 pair of shoes can last or is to be worn for a year while for the $150 pair of shoes is 4 years, then the latter is cheaper as it has slightly better value. Of course each defines own set of values, such as risk of not lasting so long and new-looking-ness of the shoes.

Most will agree that branded doesn't necessary mean good quality, but unbranded usually means little or no efforts were put into its quality.

For me, there isn't a need nor a want for me to get new shoes each year and "old" looking is not an issue. My pair Dr. Marten leather shoes bought at $109 more than 4 years back still in good condition, and last year a US$40 Timberland leather shoe I bought in US still looks as new.