It goes back to the old tale of "being too poor to buy cheap boots" that US consumerism has forgotten. We are addicted to cheap stuff, not good value stuff. Cheap is not always good value.
I've found $30 sneakers at Wal-Mart that compare to $90 sneakers from Brooks, they are compatible with my feet like Brooks, they don't last as long as the Brooks but they last more than 1/3 as long.
Trouble is those were only available for a short time, I've gone back and there's been nothing that good.
It goes back to the old tale of "being too poor to buy cheap boots" that US consumerism has forgotten. We are addicted to cheap stuff, not good value stuff. Cheap is not always good value.