"Planned obsolescence is a miserable excuse for design and material selection. I'd like to see a return to cobblers, others have noted, armed with new tools to repair and rebuild rather than discard. The damned PU midsole material performs well, for a time, then degenerates, making the whole shoe trash. This discussion triggered a swell in my mind that I have to excuse myself to evaluate, it may solve 30% of this problem......."