Depop is my go to!

Demonia or YRU are possibly the beat platforms to buy. They are a bit expensive but they generally last long, of course that's if you take care of them.

Ask over in r/gothboots :)

Demonia will be your best bet, they have simple to extravagant styles

Are you able to order online? Demonia is like the best place to start with platform shoes

demonia?

I ♡ Killstar, they have a lot of different boots and platforms, etc.

I second this^^^ depop and poshmark too. Thrift them instead of paying for them new

Go on eBay and source used New Rocks or Buffalos. It'll save you some money, and save you from your platforms breaking and your feet hurting.

I think T.U.K sells platforms. Mostly creepers though.. 😅

I’ve been getting into Depop and Poshmark lately. I just got a pair of Demonia platform sandals for $60. That particular style was retailing around $120 and they’re pretty much brand new.

Depends on what you consider affordable

You can get boots of a variety of levels of quality. Unfortunately that is reflected in the price. If you want boots that will last you 10 years, it will cost around $400 new.

If you’re after cheaper, you will likely need to replace them in 12-18 months. But will likely cost around $100-150. If this is what you’re after, Demonia is the best bet.

If you’re after very durable and long lasting though, the leather boots range from New Rock is the ideal boot.

Some second hand new rocks can be fairly cheap, considering.

Affordable=poor quality, most of the time. If that's your priority, expect to spend more money having to continually replace them after a while -- they won't be made to last as long as a high quality boot can. You can repair when needed, but that will only go so far as long as the boot was made with adequate construction and materials. Alternatively, an affordable option could be secondhand finds of better quality pieces, of which there are several secondhand websites you could browse through (eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, Vinted, etc). Note that platformed footwear don't match the quality of regular boots due to the fact that they are only made for fashion rather than longevity/functionality and the soles are typically just glued on, not thoroughly stitched through (if even possible with thick soles), hence the reason for the infamous sole splitting (paired with poor application and enough stress on the soles from the more frequent the shoes are worn). A lot of the popular fashion boot brands like Dr Martens, Demonia, New Rocks, etc, have declined in quality, so they are more like mid-tier level.

You could check out some alt boots that may be good quality if they offer any platformed models (again, if any for cheaper via secondhand): Angry Itch, Gripfast, Grinders, Nevermind, NPS, Steel Ground, and Underground UK, as well as some quality combat boots such as: Solovair (the "better Dr Martens"), Thursday Boots Co, Nick's, Jim Green, Red Wing, etc.

If you're only seeking to have something "more interesting" than plain boots alone, consider the option of DIY and apply some topical modifications to a pair of good basic boots (which again can be found secondhand for under retail prices, if at all) into a darker aesthetic. Some DIY mod examples: paint (using the proper paint type per footwear material), embroidery, replace the laces with another style, apply a piece of ripped tights over and woven through the treads, install any variety of hardware (safety pins [decorative or a means of attaching things with], chains, zippers, studs/spikes, studded trims, d-rings/key rings, boot straps/harnesses/wristbands, keychains/pendants/beads [through laces, eyelets, pull tabs], repurposed misc metal parts), bat wings accessory in the lacing, repurposed misc objects or parts of them, etc. Browse images for ideas, whether of pre-made "goth" footwear you could mimic or of others' own DIY goth or punk shoes to see how they have come up with ways to alter such.

They’re spendy, but I got a pair from DuoBoots last winter and they’re lovely.

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Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack.

They don't seem to have any right now (looks looks like the pastrix is sold out), but you could keep an eye on Fluevog. They're one of the only ethical shoe makers I know of that does more alt designs.

Here's a pair of them second hand if you're a size 8

John Fluevog | Shoes | Space Edition Pastrix Laceup Spike Boots | Poshmark https://share.google/GHZRGXa2PfCHwbjtr

There's also this boot https://share.google/38WLAWdvLYnyIZNfI from Thursday, but it's not as dramatic as your examples.

New rocks!!! They are expensive but last so so well

If you know a good cobbler, you can get any boot that is re-soleable and have them add a platform sole instead. I have a cobbler but haven’t done this because I’m not big on platform shoes but my friend has had her guy change her shoes to platforms.

I get mine from Doc Martens, particularly the Audrick ones that went on sale a short while back. Not sure if they still make the Audrick style anymore or if they have any left in stock, but there's always the Jadon ones, though I rarely see those on sale

new rocks, expensive but really comfortable and sturdy so it’s worth their money

Jim Green sells a quality classic combat boot for wide/large sizes. Not a platform like Demonia, but will last you longer and better quality than others. Also goes with more outfits and is more comfortable for a wider variety of terrain. As someone who is leatherworker and beats THE HELL out of my shoes, I am impressed at their quality for the price point.

If you really want a platform, TUK sells men's sizes (but is a little overpriced imo- not as low quality/overpriced as Demonia but still mid quality at best) I'm not a fan of "vegan" (aka plastic) leather (it's simply not as durable and long lasting) but TUK isn't a terrible choice.

New rocks aren't as good as they used to be but are still a decent choice. Make sure you get the leather and not the vegan offerings.

Doc martens are overpriced but aren't as terrible as most people say imo as long as you get the soft leather and make sure to get them on sale.

Solovair is a better option for old-school styled hard leather doc martens but don't have as many platform options. And are overpriced imo.

Fluevog is expensive but good quality. Very alt styling but not a lot of platforms unfortunately.

#IN GENERAL:

...you want to look for leather and Goodyear welted ("resole-able").

Good quality boots should cost you at the VERY least 150$ and you should be skeptical of anything below that price. I also wouldn't go above 400$ for anything not custom or VERY high quality construction & leather (full grain, exotic, etc).

Make sure to pay attention to the finish of the boot when you can inspect them - pay attention to the hardware! If you can feel sharp edges on the inside of the eyelets, that's a bad sign that they've cut corners elsewhere too (plus shitty eyelets rust and tear up laces). Same goes for stitching errors, loose stitching, etc.

"Genuine leather" is actually the lowest grade of real leather. Ideally, you want full grain leather. I like my boot leather tumbled for softness but that's a personal preference.

Solid brass hardware is best because it won't rust and the finish won't wear off. Nickel coated brass is fine, but be aware that the finish will wear off eventually. Stainless steel isn't terrible if it's ACTUALLY high quality stainless, but a lot of the time the title is given to lower quality steel that will rust (so be aware and try to keep it dry!)

Be aware that heavier platforms can get EXCEPTIONALLY tiring after a while, so make sure your boots aren't super heavy if you're going to be walking or dancing a lot.

Tall platforms need ankle support.

If your foot moves too much in a shoe, it will give you blisters. Make sure the fit is snug but comfortable. Use thick socks or insoles if you need to.

Pay attention to width. Just because you can shove your foot into something and it doesn't immediately hurt doesn't mean it won't be painful later on.

I’m a big fan of T.U.K.’s platform shoes. The quality is pretty good. YRU shoes are shoes good too (although I don’t wear YRU shoes casually), but the quality isn’t the greatest. Jeffrey Campbell makes awesome platform shoes as well.

I know demonia is the popular option, but I haven’t purchased anything from them before because I’ve heard they are poor quality.

If you have lots money to spend, I would invest in a pair of new rocks. Everyone who has a pair religiously swears by them.

I recently a pair of Trashville 518's from the Demonias official website and they're dope as fuck

Have you checked out Demonia’s website, demoniacult.com ? I have 5” bravo 109’s and I love them. Unfortunately they’re discontinued but there are many other options in the 4-6” range.

New Rock have changed the composite of their soles, no longer have padded tongues and their leather is a bit more thin. I recently bought a newly released pair and noticed all of this right away. They will probably still last a while, but not quite as long as their older models. Only get them on sale.

Jeffrey Campbell makes some pretty high platforms, they really aren’t inherently goth but some styles are pretty versatile and can definitely lend themselves to alternative style.

new rock

What a Goddess!