Recently, someone wrote to me to ask,

I am looking for a clarification. You state [that X brand of boots] are moderate value for price paid, however is that at the full retail price?

The writer of this email was looking at my the boot reviews that I have written and posted on my boot wiki on my website.

Good question, and thank you for the opportunity to clarify.

Let’s look at…

… the word “value.” Value means

Value (val-yoo): the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange.

In my case, I am talking about the worth of a pair of boots for which they can be purchased (medium of exchange being money.)

I am referring, specifically, to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), or some people call “full list price.” Few people actually pay full MSRP for anything these days, especially boots that you can find at various prices by doing some simple online price comparison shopping and applying ubiquitous discounts.

For example, I rate Harley-Davidson boots as having low value for the price paid. Actually, I should say that these boots present a low value for the (manufacturer’s suggested retail) price charged.

Yes, that is indeed an important distinction. When a pair of H-D boots on the company’s branded website have an MSRP of US$190, yet one can find those same made-in-China boots all over the web from other retailer for half that amount, then I assert that these boots present a low value (that is, low relative worth) for the price charged.

I also factor into my opinions — and these are solely my own opinions — that boots made by machine at low-bid mass-production factories in China have a very low value because the boots are constructed poorly and are made of leather sourced from who-knows-where. The price assigned to the boots is to provide a significant mark-up to the company to make profit from guys who like to be a billboard for the brand. Nothing more, nothing less.

Further, boots that present moderate value for price charged include most commercial mass-production boots made in Mexico. Boots made in Mexico are generally good and materials are sourced from Central and South America. Manufacturing quality is average. These types of boots fall generally into the category of “you get what you pay for.” I have dozens of boots made in Mexico, and I am generally pleased with them. Not fancy-custom, but not horrible, either.

Anyway, whenever you read one of my reviews when I state my opinion that boots present a poor, moderate, or good value for “price paid,” I am referring to comparison of value against the MSRP. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.

Life is short: wear good quality boots of good value, and they will last a long time.