Is your footwear not lasting as long as it used to? [View all]

Is it just my imagination, or is there a whole lot more crummy products out there in footwear land?

My new running shoes every spring usually have a very thin layer of mesh/nylon/breathable fabric that pierces ever so easily.

The last pair of rain boots I purchased started leaking around the sole within 30 days, so fortunately I was able to exchange those.

My latest pair of winter boots also split along a seam (well, one of them has), but they are a year and a half old so there will be no returns or exchanges there.

Each of these items cost me close to $100 (more for the winter boots), so it's not high-end but it's not the cheapest stuff either.

Is there any particular brand of footwear that you still swear by?