I used to be intimidated about bringing clothes to the seamstress at The Common Thread, a tailoring shop located in an upscale shopping/tourist enclave on the Upper Cape called Mashpee Commons. I ventured in last week with a pair Escada slacks ($8.00 new at a Hospice thrift shop) that needed to be hemmed.

When I went to pick up the slacks, the proprietor explained that she was "running behind." Her tailoring business has been booming this fall. When I mentioned this to a friend, she said that she had also taken slacks in for alteration last week and that her seamstress had told her the same thing.

Imagine, Americans repairing, altering, reusing and recycling! Does the economy need to practically collapse around us before "Shop Until You Drop" ceases to be the new national anthem? Given a president whose response to 9/11 was, "Go to the mall," shopping has been patriotic.

After decades of being drunk on dollars, we might actually be sobering up. If the clothing repair business is strengthening, what could be next? Here's an idea: customers could start buying shoes that can be repaired.

The shoe repair industry plummeted in the 1960's, with a 40% drop in stores, and has continued to decline leading into the 21st century. If shoe repair sees a resurgence, it will provide jobs for former prisoners who have learned the craft while doing time.

If you have a toddler in the market for shoes, Stride Rite is the place to go.

Except that it's really expensive. But Amazon.com is offering these very nice toddler shoes for just $9.89, marked down from $44.95. According to the company:

The Sky from Stride Rite is made for that adorable stage between crawling and walking. Enhanced with the ultra-comfortable natural motion system, these little shoes are packed with features to help build walking confidence. A contoured landing lends stability and balance, while innovative flex grooves help babies keep their balance. The outsole also wraps up to the toe and heel for protection. And just for moms, there's a new hourglass shape that make it easier to slide shoes onto those squirmy feet, plus a lace-up design that ensures a perfect fit.

If you want them, order them right away. They're unlikely to last long.

If you or your son is in need of some inexpensive but serviceable dress shoes, Red Wing has you covered with these, available at Bargain Outfitters for just $16 including shipping when you use the coupon code BF503. The list price is $110. According to the company:

Red Wing®... top-quality footwear since 1905! Stylish shoes built to last. That's these Moc-toe beauties. For dress. Semi-dress. Or casual wear. Everywhere you go, you'll fit right in, always looking your very best. Go ahead. Put on the miles! Right now, a minor style change paves the way for you to save BIG bucks OFF the usual in-store price!

Lookers:

• Hip, full-grain leather uppers
• Cushioning rubber outsole delivers top traction
• Red Wing Skeleton System for stability
• Removable, nylon-lined, polyurethane insole for comfort
• Moisture-wicking nylon lining
• Padded collar
• Each approx. 4" h., 18 ozs.

This has been my Crocs summer.

Ever since I bought two pairs of the ugly yet comfortable shoes on sale at a local department store, they have been affixed to my feet. I have worn them almost everywhere. A few weeks later, my wife got a pair. We also got a pair for my soon-to-be two-year-old son. At times, we look like an advertisement for Crocs. Our initial enthusiasm for the shoes is starting to wane, though.

First of all, the original model Crocs don't provide great arch support. Their Swiss-cheese like design makes them impractical during the rain. They are not great for driving long distances either. Crocs has introduced new models to address these shortcomings, including the the odd looking Crocs venture leather dress shoes for men. There are also Crocs Ambler winter boots. Crocs even has something called jibbitz, "jewelry" to adorn Crocs.

Oh brother.

Don't miss the rest of our series on Overrated people, places and things!

Judging from Crocs' share price, many other people have grown tired of the trendy shoes as well. Shares of Crocs, which once were favorites of Wall Street, have plunged almost 90 percent this year. Moreover, loads of stores have cheap Crocs knock-offs, a trend which will only get worse.

As Crocs continues to struggle, it will likely continue to add new products. Eventually, the company will have to lower prices. When that happens, perhaps consumers will find the ugly shoes appealing yet again.

I blame the decline of Crocs -- as I do most things -- on President Bush. Last summer, the most unpopular president in modern times was photographed wearing a pair of the trendy shoes. Thank goodness this did not happen when he was meeting with the likes of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin or North Korean dictator Kim Jung-il. I am sure his enemies in Congress would have interpreted this as a sign of weakness as well.

Let's hope Bush sticks with wingtips and the odd loafer or sneaker as a footwear choice. Going trendy again could have disastrous consequences for all concerned.

DealDetectives.com reports that "ShoeBuy.com is offering 20% OFF Crocs when you use code EMLSUMBLOWOUT08. Sale prices start between $22 & $24 for Adult Sizes." Shipping is free and, if you're a new customer, you'll save another 10% for registering."

This is interesting evidence of further weakening in demand for Crocs but it's probably not really necessary: the stock has gone from $70 to $5 in less than a year.

But if you still like Crocs, and won't settle for the knockoffs, ShoeBuy.com has a good deal.

Amazon.com has Kenneth Cole's Unlisted Men's Quick Draw Slip-On shoes, shown at right, for $24.48, 65% off the list price of $69.95.

To be fair, these aren't as good as the Kenneth Cole stuff you're familiar with -- Unlisted is the label's lower end label, but it's still very good stuff. According to Amazon:

You'll be casually cool wearing the Quick Draw slip-on from Unlisted. This ultra-stylish loafer has a smooth leather upper, a padded collar, and a squared bicycle toe. It also features a fully cushioned insole and a flexible textured outsole for a sturdy step on a variety surfaces.

If you're into canvas slip-on shoes, American Eagle has a great sale -- and they're nothing than the stuff you can get at Payless for more money. Take a look:

• AE Runaround Shoe (Black): $9.95
• AE Runaround Shoe (Grey): $9.95
• AE Old School Sneakers: $14.95

All of those are regularly $29.50.

Teva is currently selling its men's Estio and women's Estia shoes for $14.99 -- shipping is free with the coupon code TevaDads08.

The shoes have a list price of $55 and look comfortable and, better yet, they're environmentally friendly! According to Teva:

Loaded with trashy features like post-consumer recycled PET canvas upper, lining and sockliner cover and 50% post-consumer recycled rubber outsoles; the Estio will make your feet happy while giving you that warm fuzzy feeling ... part of our new Curbside collection, shoes incorporating post consumer recycled materials.

Now those are some shoes you can feel good wearing and feel good about wearing -- and you'll feel fiscally responsible too. A win win win!

Imagine that you are the human resources manager for a large firm. One of your most important duties is to find exemplary employees and to mold them into a stellar workforce for your company. One day, your general manager calls you into her office and asks you how you intend to build the very best employee group that your company has ever had. You reply; "I know, we'll offer them a bonus to quit!!!"

It may sound a bit strange, but that's exactly what one cutting edge Internet retail company does. An article by William C. Taylor, former associate editor of Harvard Business Review, explores the amazing success of Internet shoe retailer Zappos. In his writing, Bill Taylor reveals that part of the strategy utilized by this company to build its exceptional work force is; Zappos pays new employees to quit! Bill explains the strategy like this:

"After a week or so in this immersive (intense training) experience... it's time for what Zappos calls "The Offer." The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: "If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you've worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus."

Bill goes on to say; "Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit! Why? Because if you're willing to take the company up on the offer, you obviously don't have the sense of commitment they are looking for."

I think this strategy is absolutely brilliant. In the short term it's a picayune expense when compared to the long term costs of having a person on payroll who dislikes or even resents being there. It's an endlessly compounding investment in employee morale, resulting in a group of employees who can look among themselves and say "we really do like working here."

It would be my guess that Zappos reaps more than 10 times its investment in this strategy by just reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity, among other ancillary benefits. This is just one more prime example of how setting aside conventional wisdom can quickly vault a company to unprecedented success in the marketplace.

If you're not familiar with Famous Footwear, let me give you a quick overview: they sell overpriced shoes produced by run-of-the-mill brands -- nothing at all special. They advertise "The Famous 2nd Pair," wherein you get 1 additional pair half-priced for every pair you buy. But it seems to me that the prices are already marked up enough to make this something less than a great deal. Outlet shopping this is not.

But I was in there yesterday to help my brother pick out shoes for a job interview and, in addition to the mediocre overall experience, they also had some of the dumbest slogans I have ever seen in my life. Especially this one, emblazoned on an oversized sign hanging on the wall: Life is short, buy the shoes.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of it so I did a little research on this ad campaign. I found this explanation from the company's VP of marketing: "We wanted to create a joyful experience for our consumer. She loves shoes and sees them everywhere, in clouds, flowers, butterflies."

Excuse me while I puke, giggle, and puke some more. A word to the wise: if you see shoes in clouds and butterflies, please seek help immediately. That sounds like something out of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.

I don't know if you have a Steve & Barry's in your area (You can find out here) -- but if you like affordable clothing, you should find out. I stopped by today and they were having an amazing sale: Everything was $8.98 -- sweatshirts, jeans, shoes, winter coats ... everything.

For $8.88, a got a pair of Starbury basketball shoes, endorsed/worn by New York Knicks star Stephon Marbury. They have many different styles -- including more casual shoes -- and they're very comparable to other brands that would set you back several times the price you'll pay at Steve & Barry's.

Like the shoes but don't have a store near you? You might be able to find a pair on eBay.

In step with the Adidas slogan of "Impossible is nothing," race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not just endorsing Adidas shoes, but is also reported to be working with Adidas in the design of clothing items. The press notice from Retailing Today (registration required) reports that Earnhardt is a life-long fan of Adidas.

The Retailing Today press notice quotes Earnhardt: "I've been wearing Adidas my whole life. It's who I am. Throughout my career I've been fortunate to partner with brands that fit my lifestyle, and Adidas fits. I've been working with Adidas on the design of a new suit and I'm wearing what we came up with at Daytona."

Additionally, Retailing Today indicates that Adidas is in the process of introducing its JR Nation line, which shall feature men's and women's t-shirts, hats and jerseys. Dale Earnhardt Jr. debuted the Adidas three stripes at the 2008 Daytona Speedweeks, which began on Feb. 9 and ends Feb. 17. There is no immediate indication of exactly where Adidas shall be displaying these clothing items for sale or the potential price points for these items. But the partnership may indeed help speed sales.

Last night I was accused of being "womanly" by a friend who thought my shoe collection was excessive. The point of this post is not to call my friend a misogynist pig but rather, I want to offer my defense.

First, my shoe collection isn't that bad -- I probably have about 8 pairs of shoes, all of which I wear regularly. So Imelda Marcos I am not. I also almost never pay more than $30 for a pair of shoes. I buy them at stores like TJMaxx, generally off the clearance rack. I've gotten several pairs of Pumas for $20 this way.

Not only is my shoe collection harmless but I would argue that it's financially savvy as well. In his great book A Million Bucks by 30, cheapskate-savant Alan Corey offers this tip: "Buy one pair of multipurpose shoes a year. Don't buy any others."

I respectfully disagree. First, unless you live in a brand new condo and never venture outside, your shoes will look pretty ragged after wearing them every day for a year. Second, this won't really save you any money because one pair of shoes worn every day lasts just as long as one paid of shoes worn once every five days. I own a lot of shoes for a guy, but they're all in great shape and I'll have them for a while because I don't wear them every day.

In the long run, I won't end up spending any more money on shoes than someone who buys them less frequently and I'll actually save money because I buy them opportunistically -- not by running into the first store I can find after my current ones fall apart.

And mixing it up in the footwear department makes you at least seem classy.

Don't get me wrong, a thrift shop is an excellent place to buy shoes. I wear a size 6 1/2 and find a bonanza of high quality footwear at my local thrift shop whenever I go there. Nine West and Bass are two of the brands I picked up recently -- current styles even! Just shine 'em up and they are ready to go, helpfully broken in by someone who updates their shoe fashions once a year.

But there, right next to these gems are the knock-offs. These shoes may look good -- in fact they probably haven't been worn much. But they come from cheap mall stores (Payless is one example) and probably cost around less than $20 new. My guess is that most of them proved so uncomfortable that the hapless buyer quickly shunted them off to the thrift shop. That's where most of the cheap mall shoes that I made the mistake of buying ended up.

I don't want to disparage Payless too much. It is a great place to buy children's shoes. My kids find their shoes comfortable and fun (there are lights and sparkles aplenty) and when they wear out I can toss them and let them buy another pair.

But shoes such as these are so cheap to buy new that there is no reason to pick them up at a thrift shop. They may be priced at $5. But look a little harder and I bet you'll find a much nicer pair that originally cost $75 or more selling for $8. Now that's a deal.

This post was written as part of a series on how to thrift shop smarter. Read more on what to buy, and not to buy, at thrift stores.

First off, let me confess that I don't get shoes. A 50+ year old buddy of mine still wears boots he bought in high school, and that makes sense to me.

Nonetheless, I am aware of the investment many people, (dare I say primarily women?) make in footwear. A new product on the market, Camileon Heels, may provide them a way to save some money on fine footwear.

The rasion d'etre of Camileon Heels is that their shoes transform between high to low heels, effectively doubling their utility. To change from one to the other, the wearer need only manipulate the cleverly-engineered heels with a motion no more complicated than that required to load a coffeemaker. The wearer need not even take the shoe off.

Camelion Heels are made from Italian leather in styles meant to outlast faddish footwear. As you might guess, they don't come cheap; most run slightly over $300, although at the moment a couple of styles are selling for 20% off.

For the traveling businesswoman, these shoes might be worth considering for her road warrior ensemble. And Transformers fans will think they've died and gone to heaven.

I don't usually embed ads, but this video shows clearly how the shoes work:

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