I buy them in France....in the summer you should be able to find a good selection on. sale!

When are you going? Les Soldes usually begin end of June/beginning of July and the discounts are very good.

We're arriving August 2 and spending the first week in the Brittany area. The last three night of the trip we'll be in Paris.

well, the sales will be over by then, they are in July and the best stuff goes early. I can't see any reason Arche shoes would be cheaper in France unless the exchange rate were something it hasn't been in years (where a euro would cost less than $1 or something). I don't know exact comparisons but whenever I've seen them in France they are very expensive, of course. YOu might find a better selection, and at least in person, you can try them on. Even during the sales, they don't discount everything, only stuff they are trying to get rid of (end of lines, maybe end of the season and then not everything).

I'd just go to a store and see what you find, they sell them at Galeries Lafayette, for one place.

You can check prices yourself. This is just one of the sites that comes up when you search 'arche chaussures'
http://www.la-botte.com/catalogues/mq_arche.shtml

Yes, they are less money in France even not on sale and even with the value of the $. They also have way more in terms of selection. Summer sales for this year are June 27 to July 31, 2012. I have gotten shoes at a reduced price after the Winter sales have officially ended. If u google Arche u can find the location of the Arche stores in Paris. Also it is possible that there will be Arche stores in Brittany -- look on the Arche site. Or if no ARche store, they may be sold at stores in Brittany. I have gotten Arche shoes all over France and at good prices.

Compared to prices in the USA nothing but nothing is cheaper in France. This is why so many French come to NYC for short shopping trips. As for the summer sales in France.....you will still pay more than in the USA. As an example I always buy Tecnica hiking shoes. In Paris they cost 108 euros which is as of today $142.78. (todays rate is 1 euro=$1.322) I bought a pair in the USA last month for $89. The difference being 60.4% higher in Paris.

Don't know about Arche shoes, but a Longchamp Les Pliages purse was still less expensive in Paris when I was there last when the exchange rate was similar to what it is now. That's compared to the Longchamp store in Soho NYC....

I have purchased a good number of men's Mephistos in France and the price is usually less for the same model than what is typically found in the USA. I do not go to France to shop but there may be some advantages to buying in France as overall choice and sale prices may be advantageous.

Arche is a French company so my thought was that they would be less expensive there. Ten years ago I bought my one and only pair of Dr. Martens in London for a fraction of what they cost here. And I'm wearing them right now!

We are headed to NYC soon so I'll check for any sales while there.

Thank you for all your responses.

Arche in NYC has very good sales.

Please report back if you do shop for them in Paris; I'd like to hear about the price difference.

There is the VAT which adds on a lot and I don't think shipping amounts to that much for a pair of shoes, so what might seem logical (that French things should be cheaper in France) often isn't. But Arche shoes could be as some US companies really charge a lot for those niche European brands, way beyond what they should for a normal markup.

Some French things are more expensive in France than the US, actually, I know certain cosmetics are, for example, such as l'Oreal.

I remember pricing an Hermes watch at various vendors in different cities. The US discount price was less than the Paris price.

I don't think there is a single answer to this quandary; you just have to check prices before you shop.

You might get the VAT refunded if you buy in Paris.

I'm curious about the shoes, as I like Arche.