Buying shoes is one of those things that you just have to do from time to time in order to live in a normal society.

What would you do if you kept telling your wife that you needed a pair of black shoes, but she refused to let you go get them and also refused to get them for you?

That is what happened to the husband in this story, so he finally said he was going to go shopping for them that weekend, which prompted her to buy him two pairs right away. Unfortunately, she didn’t buy the shoes he wanted.

I get being frugal with money, but this is kind of insane. His wife is just wasting money at this point, and he still needs new shoes.

What should he do? Let’s read the whole story to decide.

WIBTA for buying the shoes I actually wanted.

I (35m) have 4 casual shoes (bought at least 10 years ago) I wear in rotation.

Dark blue, Olive green, grey, and white + blue.

I have expressed my wanting(2years) new shoes, preferably all black or mostly black.

My wife(34f) always gets upset when I say I will go to the store and buy a pair. “I can get them for you” is always her response and I drop it because each time seems true.

I really don’t understand why she is mad.

2 weeks ago I said I will finally go and get it because they are very good sales at the mall in our city.

We get into an argument and again I give in because she said she was going to mall to buy a gift and would get it.

She didn’t even get him what he wanted.

Last night, when we had a full house of her parents, grandparents, and siblings over she goes and presents 2 boxes of shoes with a smile.

Neither was black and 1 looked like actual clown shoes.

These shoes were also ordered online and not bought at the mall so I do not know the cost associated with them.

He had to take matters into his own hands.

She was so happy about finding the best shoes and all the family was giving compliments.

I did not make a scene but they were definitely shoes I would not buy myself.

I went to the mall today and prices are not as low as it was before.

He can pass his shoes on to someone else when he is ready, not before.

I’ve put the new shoes in the closet but she is expecting me to retire the other shoes and start wearing these new ones. Preferably to her brother as he would like them and they are kept in good condition.

WIBTA if I went to buy a pair of shoes I actually wanted?

I don’t like the idea of spending unnecessary money but I dont think I can swap my old shoes for these.

AITA?

It is clear that this family has a very tight budget, but why would his wife refuse to let him buy some shoes? And if money is that tight, he shouldn’t be passing any shoes on to other people, as he will still need them.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a waitress who refused to return a tip after a party returned to the restaurant with a complaint.

Let’s take a look at what the people in the comments on Reddit have to say about this story.

This guy needs to do his own shopping.

This person makes a really good point.

Here is a commenter who says their communication skills are terrible. I completely agree.

Don’t wear shoes you hate.

He is an adult; he can get the shoes he wants.

If someone has a specific taste in shoes, they should buy their own shoes. It really doesn’t make sense why his wife doesn’t want him to shop for his own shoes, though. If anything, you would think she would be happy to have one less thing on her to-do list.

I have a feeling that there is more to this story than is written about here. Money is clearly tight, and I wonder if he (or his wife) has some type of issue with shopping. Regardless, if he needs the shoes, he should be able to get a style he loves.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a family who is resisting pressure from the HOA to remove their tree and lights.