Fashionable feet don't come cheap.
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You have to wonder what's going on when a pair of designer shoes costs as much as a car payment, a house payment or even the house itself. Shoes are the new jewelry for discriminating feet -- but still. Even name-brand department store shoes can be costly, and understanding good value may save you from making a big blunder.
Where the sole meets the road, what the heck is driving up the cost of shoes? Well, there are lots of reasons a pair of shoes might cost more than you expect: