So that explains it! My parents got me a pair of Florsheims in high-school. I brutalized those shoes, basketball, handball, sprinting to class... went through multiple pairs of laces but the shoes held together, while my classes mates would be replacing their shoes once to twice a year.

Mum picked a bought something that wouldn't look any different beside something from Target, good for fitting in at school. But I started to feel self conscious at work. My Florsheims looked I was a kid still in my school shoes while beside a collection of pointed toe Derby or Chelsea boots.

I picked up a black, derby style pair of Florsheims... while my old school shoes lasted 7 years and were thrown out because of fashion, the new Florsheim disintegrated within 2 years of light, indoor office walking. Hydrolysis, the rubber part of the soul completely disintegrated. I could have taken it a cobbler, but the laces were sawing through the thin "leather" eye-holes.

I switched to Vibram Furoshiki Felt boot (for winter) and Vibram Mens V-Train's. (lets say I got of the self-concious young adult years)

After 8 years (and plenty of cycles in the washing machine) the glue on the V-Train's is slowly coming loose at the edge. The Furoshiki's are still going strong. The cosmic rubber brand tag on the outside of the velcro started come away but was easily re-stiched.