The "Boots theory" of economics is garbage, just utter nonsense. I don't understand why people keep mentioning it here without applying any critical thinking. It simply doesn't apply to the vast majority of actual consumer products. Some of most durable, longest-lasting footwear I ever bought was also among the cheapest. By contrast the expensive stuff tends to be fussy, fragile, and impossible to repair. This generally applies to apparel, electronics, automobiles, appliances, bicycles, firearms, etc.