Thursday, September 19, 2019

Has Anyone Ever Heard of Seventynine S/9 Shoe Company?

I've needed new summer sneakers for a long time. Not only are my two pairs old, but they are full of holes. The fabric just doesn't last long,l even if the soles are still good. And then even worse, one pair began causing strange foot pain. Yes, it was time to buy new shoes.

I need light flexible shoes and over the years had bought quite a few pair of Sketchers. And I had bought my shoes in the states when visiting my parents. They've been dead for a few years already, so not only were my shoes old, but I needed to find shoes in Israel. In the states I had done well in outlet stores, buying good brands at fantastic prices. It certainly never bothered me that the style was "old."

This summer I'd been checking out shoe stores. And I was waiting for sales. Apparently I missed the big sale this week on Election Day, but I wouldn't have traded the enjoyable visits I had with children and grandchildren for discounted shoes, even two pairs for the price of one.

Rather desperate for new shoes, yesterday I went to the Sketchers store in Jerusalem and was horrified to see that their "sale" was half price for the second pair. I didn't really want to buy two pairs, especially at the prices offered.

Since I'm in the Hamashbir discount "club," and they have good/name brands I went there. After checking out the women's department and the sports shoes, I finally found the "bargains." I tried on shoes that seemed attractive and comfortable at a price I was willing to pay, and they were discounted, too. I just had never heard of the brand,  Seventynine S/9. Have you? I checked online, and there's nothing about the company at all, just stores/sites where you can buy them. They are made in China, no surprise.

I ended up buying two pairs at a total price which was less than one pair of the least expensive in Sketchers. Actually, I wore one pair out of the store and found them comfortable, even after my evening walk. But as you can see, they already look soiled. That's not the end of the world. I'm sure they can be cleaned pretty easily with wipes, if I want.

The fabric stretches, like stretch jeans/denim. As long as the elastic (in the heel) doesn't give out quickly, that's an advantage. Ever since shoe uppers became synthetic, rather than genuine leather, many people, including yours truly, have found that problematic.

Even though the sale price of shoes here in Israel is higher than the discounted ones in the states, I still saved a lot of money. My day's transportation Shiloh-Metropolitan Jerusalem Unlimited only cost me NS13.50, less than $4- instead of close to one thousand dollars for roundtrip travel to the USA, even more when you add all the other expenses a trip to the states includes. Because my feet are sensitive, I must try on shoes, so I can't imagine buying online. BTW when I googled these shoes the price was more than I had paid. I had discovered the same thing when I checked prices for the perfume I like versus the discounted price I paid in Hamashbir.

If there's anything newsworthy about the shoes, I'll blog again on the topic. I'm still curious about reports if you have any.

Happy Walking and Happy Shopping

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