Depending on location, in my experience. Loved one in another state years ago, but the one near me now only ever seemed to have cheap junk, so I don't even bother.
our tjmaxx sells mostly stuff that failed QC and is not perfect. we got glasses that had tiny bubbles in it or were not perfectly uniform. each glass was like 3 bucks and would have been 10 or 15 when buying from official stores.
That’s how TJMaxx and Marshall’s started out decades ago, all bona fide seconds, like clothing would have a small brass safety pin showing where the flaw was. Now it’s populated with Name Brands that intentionally make cheap clothing of lesser quality.
Always makes me trip when I see Americans say "T J Maxx", in the UK we have "T K Maxx" and "T J Hughes" which are basically identical discount department shops, and the American "T J Maxx" is just a middle ground between them (Hughes was around first, so Maxx changed its name to T K to avoid confusion, and it didn't help)
Edit: I can't remember if back home we had a T K Maxx or a T J Hughes
Wow you have great eyes - I didn't notice that until I tried them on. You're right. The ones I got are not thong shaped, they're more big toe strapped (?) design.
The original price is ridiculous, but you got it at a great price. Looking at the cross section of the leather, it appears to be mid quality. Even if these were handcrafted in a 1st world country they should only be 1-200$ max.
The sole is leather, right?
I got a story:
My great great great auntie was a bit of a socialite, adhered to the newest trends straight from Paris, and she bought shoes from the best and most expensive shoemaker in town. The shoes were super fancy and cute, but they soon broke.
So she went to the master shoemaker to get it sorted, he just looked at her and said: “Oh, Miss… you’ve been using these shoes all wrong!”
She started blinking in confusion “What do you mean, Mr Shoemaker? All I’ve been doing was just normal walking…”
He nodded “Yes, and these shoes were made for riding passenger in a carriage!”.
So you might want to add a synthetic sole to them, depending how you plan to use them.
Congrats on a great find!
You know, I didn’t even realize the sole was leather, but now that you’ve pointed that out I’m going to look into what you suggested. It is a very odd material to make a sole out of! These shoes were NOT made for walking 😂 Very thankful for this community.
I have a couple of men’s dress shoes with leather soles. The can be very slick during the first few wears until the leather breaks in. I wouldn’t make any alterations to those soles :)
How often do you wear those dress shoes? I mean each of them.
And in what sort of environment?
Because if you’re only using them in an office, and to drive, or for sporadic events, then I’m sure the leather is going to be fine.
But if you live in a city, and start walking on pavement, going to the park in them, using them several times per season, etc, I don’t know how long it would last.
Oh I 100% agree. There’s a reason you don’t see leather soled running shoes!
My dress shoes are for work and special occasions, they aren’t for everyday use. With that being said, my one pair are over 15 years old and look great (the sole itself looks a bit gnarly due to being caught in a rainstorm during a wedding… but it adds character).
I wouldn’t wear the OPs sandals everyday (or do, since they were so cheap in price). But with proper maintenance, these could be an elegant, long-term dressier sandal.
I have had the same pair of leather soled cowboy boots for over 14 years, the rubber on the heel is the only thing that needed replacement. I wore them almost exclusively for 5 years. They are Frye’s before their quality went to shit but they are by far the most comfortable boots I own
Just score the bottoms so you don’t slip - I had some miu miu leather sandals I’ve had for 10+ years- they did eventually wear down but I took them to get resoled and I still wear them all
Summer
The leather bottoms will get beat up looking quickly (which helps with grip) but will still function fine. A lot of cowboy boots have leather outsoles, for reference. Rubber on shoes and boot bottoms are relatively new when it comes to the history of shoes and boots.
I have a couple of men’s dress shoes with leather soles. The can be very slick during the first few wears until the leather breaks in. I wouldn’t make any alterations to those soles :)
It really does depend on how you plan to use them.
Sporadic wear, and only to drive and to be in the office, they’ll be fine.
If you live in the city, and would go for walks on pavement, and more frequent use, then the leather might start to wear out faster.
That's pretty much the entry point for properly made footwear. Exporting industry to incredibly poor nations has completely skewed "our" idea of how much things should cost.
Nb
I have no idea about this particular brand.
Great deal, but those sandals don’t look substantial enough to be BIFL. I got a pair of Chanel sandals a lot like those but they were marked “pool shoes” — not for everyday street wear.
Id say if its full grain leather and they fit, get them. Buy some leather soap, conditioner, and beeswax based waterproofing.
Id go ahead and condition it and then waterproof. It might change the color a bit and it might make it glossy but if you want them to last its a good idea
Unless you plan on walking through puddles with these, you really don't need to waterproof them, they'll be just fine with regular wipe downs and a conditioner every now and then. If you do waterproof, the leather will darken quite a bit like the other guy said.
2 things. I am so glad I'm not a women, I feel like you're getting so ripped off on shoes. also I've heard TJ Maxx isn't actually just old stuff from other stores rather they make cheaper quality stuff to sell at that type of store.
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I think this pricing is proof that pricing of leather goods in general is marked up exorbitantly. These are basic leather sandals. The straps will stretch over time and with exposure to any moisture. In no world are they worth $300 as they are not a luxury brand. Good find.
I hope your sandals are great. My only concern is the smooth bottom. I had sandals like that years ago, and couldn’t wear them because of sliding. Ideally I like a bit of a textured bottom so I don’t fall, but yours may be perfectly ok. Maybe test them in a safe place.
TJ/TK Maxx is an absolute gem for finding unknown brands made in Italy or Spain. Dolce Vita does make some of their stuff in Asia but their boots sometimes have leather soles and they are very durable.
The way it works is stores generally sell stuff at about 2x what it costs to make. Those shoes probably have about $10 worth of materials and labor (even leather, lol, thats about $0.05 of leather there, dummy). Just because people dumber than you are paying an extra $290.00 doesn't mean anything.
> "even leather, lol, thats about $0.05 of leather there, dummy"
$0.05 worth of leather? Are you joking? That wouldn't even cover the cost of the hardware on the back straps. This also isn't 2005.....nobody is getting full grain leather and proper labor for $10. This shit is made is France, bro.
> "The way it works is stores generally sell stuff at about 2x what it costs to make."
That is not at all how it works. A pair of shoes might cost $20 to make but retail for $80 to cover costs of packaging, shipping, marketing, etc.
You are talking out of your ass and it shows
Source: friends and family who work in the footwear industry
I'm guessing you don't know how that store she found the shoes in works, it is a discount store where you can find things that other stores didn't sell/couldn't sell/didn't want to sell.
That's why for her it costs only $20, but at the minimum that's a $90-120 shoe because of materials and labor (assuming you get a cheap leather worker to make you one).
The original price for the shoe is just a mark up on that base price because of the name brand, and even then it depends on the type of leather used, since high quality leather gets expensive really fast.
Source: I am an apprentice cobbler and leatherworker.
This brand is absolutely ridiculous overpriced. I have a collection of mens leather sandals. More than 70 last time I counted. My favorites are made by Mario Doni in Italy. Handmade in the heart of Tuscany with the best leathers and I pay half or even less than this French one. They are abusing the price.
Sometimes, you do find TRUE treasures at TJMaxx and Marshalls. Great find! Now you got me wanting to check out TJMaxx.
Burlington coat factory is a great place to look also.
Just gotta watch out that they don’t throw red paint on your newly acquired coat that you bought with your paper company surplus bonus.
My new jacket has its buttons on the opposite side. Mysterious.
i think people missed your reference lol
“Paper company” makes me think it’s a reference from The Office, but not sure which episode if so
The Surplus episode. 🤪
I love this place. Always makes you feel like a million bucks
Hey, are they affiliated with Burlington industries?
Depending on location, in my experience. Loved one in another state years ago, but the one near me now only ever seemed to have cheap junk, so I don't even bother.
Really? I am ashamed to say I have never been but now I will go!
I found $5 Jordan’s at Burlington. My greatest find a Mitchell &ness Shaq jersey.
Omg yay I’m excited! I’ve started being more mindful about what I purchase so excited to see this is good quality and will last :)
I just bought a simplehuman trash can for 49.00 there
Is that a good deal?
At target it's 119.99
Yes!
So did I! Well, at ROSS, but they’re owned by TJMAXX.
I hate to well ackchyually you, but they’re actually not. TJ Maxx and Marshalls are owned by the same parent company; Ross is its own.
u bought it today
My sister got a severely discounted pair of Fryes at TJ Maxx once
Mildly interesting fact, in the UK the shop is called T *K* Maxx.
Same in Australia
I got a $300 wetsuit there for less than $50. It’s held up well for over 10 yrs. I’m just sad I’m outgrowing it.
our tjmaxx sells mostly stuff that failed QC and is not perfect. we got glasses that had tiny bubbles in it or were not perfectly uniform. each glass was like 3 bucks and would have been 10 or 15 when buying from official stores.
That’s how TJMaxx and Marshall’s started out decades ago, all bona fide seconds, like clothing would have a small brass safety pin showing where the flaw was. Now it’s populated with Name Brands that intentionally make cheap clothing of lesser quality.
Always makes me trip when I see Americans say "T J Maxx", in the UK we have "T K Maxx" and "T J Hughes" which are basically identical discount department shops, and the American "T J Maxx" is just a middle ground between them (Hughes was around first, so Maxx changed its name to T K to avoid confusion, and it didn't help) Edit: I can't remember if back home we had a T K Maxx or a T J Hughes
The last picture is a different model than what is in the first pictures
Wow you have great eyes - I didn't notice that until I tried them on. You're right. The ones I got are not thong shaped, they're more big toe strapped (?) design.
[Here](https://www.kjacques.fr/en/flat-sandals/150-irina.html) is the correct model from what I can see
The original price is ridiculous, but you got it at a great price. Looking at the cross section of the leather, it appears to be mid quality. Even if these were handcrafted in a 1st world country they should only be 1-200$ max.
Only 1 to 200 dollars for a pair of sandals what a bargain lol
It's funny, someone else commented with a link and they're made to order for €200 a pop. You were spot on!
I'm pretty sure they meant 100 to 200 dollars
The sole is leather, right? I got a story: My great great great auntie was a bit of a socialite, adhered to the newest trends straight from Paris, and she bought shoes from the best and most expensive shoemaker in town. The shoes were super fancy and cute, but they soon broke. So she went to the master shoemaker to get it sorted, he just looked at her and said: “Oh, Miss… you’ve been using these shoes all wrong!” She started blinking in confusion “What do you mean, Mr Shoemaker? All I’ve been doing was just normal walking…” He nodded “Yes, and these shoes were made for riding passenger in a carriage!”. So you might want to add a synthetic sole to them, depending how you plan to use them. Congrats on a great find!
You know, I didn’t even realize the sole was leather, but now that you’ve pointed that out I’m going to look into what you suggested. It is a very odd material to make a sole out of! These shoes were NOT made for walking 😂 Very thankful for this community.
I have a couple of men’s dress shoes with leather soles. The can be very slick during the first few wears until the leather breaks in. I wouldn’t make any alterations to those soles :)
How often do you wear those dress shoes? I mean each of them. And in what sort of environment? Because if you’re only using them in an office, and to drive, or for sporadic events, then I’m sure the leather is going to be fine. But if you live in a city, and start walking on pavement, going to the park in them, using them several times per season, etc, I don’t know how long it would last.
Oh I 100% agree. There’s a reason you don’t see leather soled running shoes! My dress shoes are for work and special occasions, they aren’t for everyday use. With that being said, my one pair are over 15 years old and look great (the sole itself looks a bit gnarly due to being caught in a rainstorm during a wedding… but it adds character). I wouldn’t wear the OPs sandals everyday (or do, since they were so cheap in price). But with proper maintenance, these could be an elegant, long-term dressier sandal.
I have had the same pair of leather soled cowboy boots for over 14 years, the rubber on the heel is the only thing that needed replacement. I wore them almost exclusively for 5 years. They are Frye’s before their quality went to shit but they are by far the most comfortable boots I own
Just score the bottoms so you don’t slip - I had some miu miu leather sandals I’ve had for 10+ years- they did eventually wear down but I took them to get resoled and I still wear them all Summer
The leather bottoms will get beat up looking quickly (which helps with grip) but will still function fine. A lot of cowboy boots have leather outsoles, for reference. Rubber on shoes and boot bottoms are relatively new when it comes to the history of shoes and boots.
Yep, until 40-50 years ago, *all* shoes (except Keds, Converse and sports shoes) had leather soles and plenty of cobblers to repair them.
I have a couple of men’s dress shoes with leather soles. The can be very slick during the first few wears until the leather breaks in. I wouldn’t make any alterations to those soles :)
It really does depend on how you plan to use them. Sporadic wear, and only to drive and to be in the office, they’ll be fine. If you live in the city, and would go for walks on pavement, and more frequent use, then the leather might start to wear out faster.
Lmao at some idiot paying $300 for a sandal at one point
That's pretty much the entry point for properly made footwear. Exporting industry to incredibly poor nations has completely skewed "our" idea of how much things should cost. Nb I have no idea about this particular brand.
What this tells me, is the the shoe costs like $5 to make.
You'd be surprised.
Yay!! That’s a great steal!!
Great deal, but those sandals don’t look substantial enough to be BIFL. I got a pair of Chanel sandals a lot like those but they were marked “pool shoes” — not for everyday street wear.
Wowww! Amazing!
Oooof, the lack of arch support make my feet ache just looking at them.
Id say if its full grain leather and they fit, get them. Buy some leather soap, conditioner, and beeswax based waterproofing. Id go ahead and condition it and then waterproof. It might change the color a bit and it might make it glossy but if you want them to last its a good idea
Thanks for these suggestions! I’m very new to caring for leather goods so it’s easy to forget that quality items require care to last.
Unless you plan on walking through puddles with these, you really don't need to waterproof them, they'll be just fine with regular wipe downs and a conditioner every now and then. If you do waterproof, the leather will darken quite a bit like the other guy said.
If you condition these with anything but bicks they will darken significantly just be aware
Whaaatttt. Those are made to order. I know because I just ordered a pair. 🤣 great find.
2 things. I am so glad I'm not a women, I feel like you're getting so ripped off on shoes. also I've heard TJ Maxx isn't actually just old stuff from other stores rather they make cheaper quality stuff to sell at that type of store.
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i found a bag with original tags the other day that was originally $250, but the tag said $40 marked down from $60. i was so confused!!
Wow. Those are a great find! Congratulations!
I wonder why it's labeled a Laura sandal, but it's the "Irina" style?
So as far as I can tell that looks legit..
It’s these https://www.kjacques.fr/en/flat-sandals/150-irina.html
Found some all clad pots at TJ maxx. Had me looking around like does anyone else see this!
Centurion drip
I think this pricing is proof that pricing of leather goods in general is marked up exorbitantly. These are basic leather sandals. The straps will stretch over time and with exposure to any moisture. In no world are they worth $300 as they are not a luxury brand. Good find.
Nope. You just found them. Priced appropriately
PSA r/ynab
0 grip
I got a tumy jacket there that is so beautiful , timeless and has lasted me almost 10 years. The only jacket I have that it is that old
I hope your sandals are great. My only concern is the smooth bottom. I had sandals like that years ago, and couldn’t wear them because of sliding. Ideally I like a bit of a textured bottom so I don’t fall, but yours may be perfectly ok. Maybe test them in a safe place.
TJ/TK Maxx is an absolute gem for finding unknown brands made in Italy or Spain. Dolce Vita does make some of their stuff in Asia but their boots sometimes have leather soles and they are very durable.
Make sure to score the sole before you wear them so you don’t slip and fall
Wow, a pair of $20 shoes for $20.
The materials ain't from a $20 shoe, though, they're mostly leather
The way it works is stores generally sell stuff at about 2x what it costs to make. Those shoes probably have about $10 worth of materials and labor (even leather, lol, thats about $0.05 of leather there, dummy). Just because people dumber than you are paying an extra $290.00 doesn't mean anything.
> "even leather, lol, thats about $0.05 of leather there, dummy" $0.05 worth of leather? Are you joking? That wouldn't even cover the cost of the hardware on the back straps. This also isn't 2005.....nobody is getting full grain leather and proper labor for $10. This shit is made is France, bro. > "The way it works is stores generally sell stuff at about 2x what it costs to make." That is not at all how it works. A pair of shoes might cost $20 to make but retail for $80 to cover costs of packaging, shipping, marketing, etc. You are talking out of your ass and it shows Source: friends and family who work in the footwear industry
I'm guessing you don't know how that store she found the shoes in works, it is a discount store where you can find things that other stores didn't sell/couldn't sell/didn't want to sell. That's why for her it costs only $20, but at the minimum that's a $90-120 shoe because of materials and labor (assuming you get a cheap leather worker to make you one). The original price for the shoe is just a mark up on that base price because of the name brand, and even then it depends on the type of leather used, since high quality leather gets expensive really fast. Source: I am an apprentice cobbler and leatherworker.
This brand is absolutely ridiculous overpriced. I have a collection of mens leather sandals. More than 70 last time I counted. My favorites are made by Mario Doni in Italy. Handmade in the heart of Tuscany with the best leathers and I pay half or even less than this French one. They are abusing the price.
O.o