Neal Templin at the Wall Street Journal had a defective running shoe. Within 4 months of buying the shoes, an eyelet failed, so he took the defective shoes back to the store. This is where his tragic tale of rejection begins.
From the WSJ:
At the store, they told me they exchanged shoes only for the first month or so. Four months for a running shoe was ancient, they said. Some customers bought shoes every month.
That was news to me. I typically keep running shoes — which I use for a regimen of walking and sprinting — for a year or two. And I had never, ever had an eyelet fail in any shoe, even ones that were completely worn out.
He was instructed to contact Nike. So he did. They asked him to mail the shoes to them. So he did (for $7.) Nike “determined there was no manufacturing flaw” and mailed them back to him.
When he called for comment on his story, Nike changed their tune.
I was seeing red. Here, I had dropped $85 on shoes that were poorly made. Then I had been forced to spend another $7 only to be told, effectively, tough luck.
I spent nearly half an hour on the phone pretty much yelling at the Nike customer representative. I talked to her boss. That didn’t work either.
When I asked Nike to comment for this column, a spokesman replied that the company had in fact been honoring return requests for the same model of shoe I had bought. “It appears that your recent claim should have also been honored,” he wrote.
So we suppose the answer is — it’s almost impossible to return a defective running shoe — but it helps if you write for the Wall Street Journal. Or actually, maybe it doesn’t. According to Neal, he gave up and found a way to lace his shoes without using that eyelet.
How It Felt to Be Kicked by a Running Shoe [WSJ] (Thanks, Mike!)
(Photo: smcgee )
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While I was still a grad student, a person from Rebook came by to talk about shoes. They design running shoes with a three month lifespan. After that, many of the cushioning materials they use have broken down. A chunk of this is actually because the kinetic energy of the impact is converted to heat which the shoe isn’t particularly good at radiating.
I was surprised to find the lifespan was so short, too.
A) If running shoes are used as — gasp — running shoes, then yes, typical lifespan for a pair is anywhere from 2-4 months depending on terrain.
B) That should teach you to buy Nike shoes for anything other than fashion. Want good running shoes? Pick up some Asics or Mizunos. Want some cheaper running shoes that still hold quality? New Balance.
This is eerily and precisely the same thing that happened to me recently with a pair of New Balances, only I wrote them a physical letter.
I am a manager at a shoe store. It really depends on the shoe and how much someone wears it. That being said 6 months is THE industry average for a running or tennis shoe. This is not based on me wanting to make more sales, this is based on how fast a pair of shoes typically wear out. 4 months is definetly out of the manufacturers defect stage in most cases, believe me I know people try to return 4 month old shoes fairly routinely. If you run on the same pair of nikes for 2 years, I can almost guarantee you that the shoe will show signs of excessive wear.
Fact: Most people seriously underestimate how often they should replace shoes.
Additionally fact: Close to 90% of people will try to buy a shoe that’s too small and doesn’t leave enough toe room.
And one last note, I’ve seen shoes that have come back after only a day or two that look like they’re four years old. Now I almost always do those returns to try to keep the customer base happy, but I do returns at least once a month for customers who have simply been too rough on their shoes. And it’s not like Nike is likely to grant the store an RMA# for the return, so what Neal Templin really was asking was that he be given a free pair of shoes, comped by the store at a total loss to the store of 2 pairs of shoes plus the shipping on them all while apparently having the shoes break down at a period of time that is fairly normal and consistent for running shoes.
My advice: A good pair of any type of shoe is going to cost at least $150 dollars or so.
A good pair of shoes can be found at a shoe store with a knowledgable staff. The people of my city are in good hands because in addition to the store I work for we have about 5 or 6 other stores that really understand what is needed in a good pair of shoes.
Always get your feet measured people’s feet continue to grow well past the point most people think they stop, ie. pretty much your whole life. Get shoes that have good toe room and aren’t too narrow.
and finally, learn how to tie shoes. I know that sounds mean, but seriously most people don’t tie their shoes properly which looks less neat, which I don’t care about, but properly tied shoes almost never untie on their own.
Get a shoe with a removable footbed and try it with some sort of orthotic support.
Ask the salesperson to recommend a shoe for you based on your foot type. They should probably be able to think of 3 or 4 off the top of their head. If they can think of any stick around, if you get a puzzled look go elsewhere.
Well, The Wall Street Journal preaches free enterprise and that businesses are good and government protection for consumers is bad. So I am happy this happened.
I refuse to buy Nike shoes anymore for the simple reason that they fall apart to quick.
After my boycott of Nike i switched to Merrell shoes.
I had one of the eyelets brake a little over a month of owning them. After getting off the phone with them, they sent me a new pair with 2-day air and a shipping label for the old pair.
good times.
I have returned two pairs of running shoes to Nike and never had a problem. My only complaint is that instead of getting your money back you get only get “store credit” that can only be onsed on their webpage. Other than that, I’ve never had a problem.
This is why I don’t buy expensive running shoes. Don’t get the bottom of the barrel either. I usually pick up the previous model New Balances for around $50. I’ve ditched Nike, Asics years ago. New Balance all the way.
I weigh about 140lbs and I can use a pair of shoes for maybe a year if I treat them well. I know heavier people that burn through shoes.
Also, an eyelit failing isn’t that uncommon, especially after 4 months. Deal with it.
I have returned two pairs of nike’s and other than the fact that they only provide store credit that can only be used at their webpage, both instances have been pleasant experiences.
Not only should you be holding Nike accountable, which is notoriously a shitty company, but also the retailer where you purchased the shoes. A company like REI would have taken the shoes back with a smile, realizing this is what good customer service looks like and appreciating your business. On average people tell 12 friends about a bad experience and 1 about a good. A good company knows this and acts accordingly. The flip side is that a good running shoe, according to most orthopedic doctors, say 6 months is the life of a running shoe that is used on a regular basis (more from a cushion/support stand point).