The first thing I do with new skate shoes is use super glue on any stitching areas that I know I will wear from skating. Then use shoe goo as needed in areas that wear out after that.
I can see on those Half Cabs it is the stitching that is coming undone more so than the shoe wearing out, which causes any and every shoe to fall apart, no matter what brand, or how well it is made.
Sure some shoes have better areas of support / stitched areas than others, but as you are pointing out, different people wear their shoes in different areas.
With all these new Vans shoes (and Pro lines before them) the side foxing rubber area that holds the sole to the upper suede sits pretty high, so that will often take more of the wear than a lower side, but in turn you can also move your feet in different ways so the wear will be different, eg not wear out the usual ollie area, as the foxing rubber side takes care of that, but the shoe will also wear up above that more, as per your shoe.