I agree that spending $100 plus for a shoe that will be destroyed is a painful reality, but if you think about it, the techy skate shoes of the late 90s retailed for $80-$90 in the US, which would be equivalent to $150-$170 today.
We might have to readjust our view of the dollar in today's world if we want better quality shoes with more skate specific features.
Obviously sucks because rent, groceries, etc. are expensive and wages haven't gone up.