Weird question about a lifting shoe repair.

[CommanderFun]

So, when I first got lifting shoes, I looked around for a good balance between doing the job right and affordability. I ended up finding some reviews approving the Reebok Lifter PR "cross trainers" (I don't think I'd call them a cross training shoe though). The worked pretty well for a while. But then one day, putting them on before going to the gym, the metal loop the arch strap goes through straight up snapped apart while I was pulling the strap tight. Looking at the damn thing, it looks like it was thin metal plating over a cruddy grainy center that looks like that same zinc stuff they use as filler for coins. This happened to the right shoe, and my right foot has usually been pretty good about staying arched, it's my left that's had issues in that department thanks to an old ankle sprain I stupidly never got treated. I figured so long as that foot has the added support, I should be alright. Of course, a few weeks later, the left one snaps in half in exactly the same way. So I'm curious, has anyone ever had something like this happen, and successfully replaced the loop with something stronger? I'd hate to have to replace these damn things entirely after owning them less than a year.

[bgl500]

I owned a pair of Do-Wins and the slider buckle broke on mine. To remedy I replaced it with a key ring and it worked great. Not necessarily pretty but effective. Cheers.