Shoes, But Not The Fun Kind

That's exactly what I look like when I run!
Just kidding, Kara Goucher is super speedy and
much hotter than I.

I've never really been a shoe-gal.  I like shoes, obviously, but I'm super picky about them and would much rather spend the money on clothes or other accessories.  My goal is to have one pair of black shoes, one of brown, black and brown boots, blue sneakers, and black and brown sandals.  That's really all I need to be happy, but today I was reminded of that other type of shoe that seems to eat up all my money i.e. running shoes.

When I started running, five years ago, I did not have proper running shoes and gave myself a stress fracture in my right foot.  It was incredibly painful, very inconvenient, and not something I'd ever like to do again.  Since that time, I've spent thousands on good quality running shoes so I can avoid wrecking my feet, back, knees--everything.  The trouble is, the makers of quality running shoes know that people like me have a real need for their product, and they try to squeeze as many pennies out of runners as they can.

My brand of choice is Nike.  I'm not saying that they're the best and I'm certainly aware of the fact that their business practices are often unethical, but they are the only brand I've tested (it costs a lot to test out shoes!) that have provided a shoe that works for my foot, so I'm stuck with them.  Nike knows that I'm going to need to keep buying their shoes, so they keep changing things.  I replace my running shoes every six months or so--depending on how many miles I put into them--so every time I go back to Nike, my old variety of shoes is gone and now I have to try to figure out a whole new shoe, which takes up a lot of time and money.

But I've figured out a way around that.

In a kicky shade of red!

Two years ago, I found a shoe that I really liked: the Nike Air Max + Moto 6.  I then waited until the shoe had been around a little while, and bought up all the pairs I could find on clearance.  That means I got two years' worth of shoes that I like for about half price.  Now, I'm down to my last box, which means in six months time, I will need another new pair. Nike is already up to Max + Moto 9, so I'm going to try out the Moto 8 and see how those work for me.  If they do, then I'm going to grab a closet's worth and stash them away til I need them.  Not only does this system save me the hassle of going to the store or interrupting my running routine while I wait for shipping, but it also saves me money!

What else could be bought in bulk and hoarded like this?  I've tried it with food and that was a mistake, but there must be other things that people need to acquire semi-regularly that don't go bad that can be bought in large chunks.  Does anyone else have a system like this?