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 )

By the time the Slaters noticed the racial slur printed on the receipt, the store was already closed for the day.
Hoping to get answers about how the words got on the receipt, the Slaters returned to the store the next day. But they said they never got a full explanation, only that the employee entered a generic code.
"And it pulled up six or seven different choices, and the choice that she (the employee) chose was the very last choice," said Slater's father, Keith.
"I really don't doubt that this is the first time it happened. I'm sure it's happened before, but this is probably the first time that somebody noticed their receipt and came back and asked about it," Linda Slater said.

The store has fired the employee in question and issued the following statement:

"While we are continuing to investigate this incident, it now appears that an employee in one of our stores entered highly inappropriate statements in a form used to process a merchandise return. Needless to say, such an act was not authorized by Journeys, and will not be tolerated. This employee has been terminated.
"At Journeys, we pride ourselves on valuing and respecting every customer. We are shocked and sickened that a former associate could be responsible for an act so out of keeping with our culture and our values. We profoundly regret this incident."

Man Finds Racial Slur Printed On Receipt [KMBC] (Thanks, Taryn!)

• Graveyard Mall: Wooden Roll-top Desk Organizer for $9 + $6 s&h
• Amazon.com: Columbia Sportswear Men's Shoes from $19 + $5 s&h
• Amazon.com: Green Mountain K-Cup 50-Packs for $9 + $6 s&h

• Circuit City: Element FLX3711B 37-inch LCD HDTV $600
• American Express: Up to 5% Cash Back on Purchases with SimplyCash Business Card
• Geeks: Refurbished Dual AMD Opteron Rack Mount Servers from $200

• Hewlett Packard: $500 off $1399 HP Pavilion Notebooks w/ code NB0915
• Frys.com: Western Digital GreenPower 500GB Serial ATA/300 Hard Drive for $69.99 + shipping
• Edmund Scientific: $25 Off $50 or more w/ coupon code ES25

Arslan writes:

I wanted to tell you guys about an awesome experience I had with a company. I ordered a pair of sandals from Zappos.com. Right off the bat I got an email that my order was upgraded to two day shipping just because (standard shipping is 4-5 days and is free). I got the sandals but sadly one of straps ripped after a month. I called them and found out they actually have a joke of the day option on the menu.

I listened to the joke and then was automatically transferred to a customer service rep with no hold time. I told her what happened and she apologized several times for the defective sandals. She said because they were defective they would send me new ones for free and I didn't even have to send back the old ones. She even upgraded the shipping to overnight.

I was shocked at how painless and pleasant the whole experience was. The first thing I thought was to let you guys know. I told her how happy I was with their customer service and she gave me the email of the company's ceo (CC'd). Here's a company that knows how to win over customers!

This is the company that after training new hires, offers to give them $1000 if they quit right there, the idea being that if you're not totally committed to the unique Zappos customer-centric culture, they don't want you onboard. Looks like policies like that are reaping dividends with ecstatic customers like Arslan.

I. says:

I had an extremely frustrating experience at Target today, and thought that your readers deserve to know how the store treats its customers. I’ll start at the beginning.

A month or so ago, I purchased a pair of shoes from Target.com. Unfortunately, when they arrived, I discovered that the supposed size eight was more like 9.5 in this brand (Exhilaration). As soon as I put them on my feet, they slipped off – could not even walk across the room. When I finally made it to Target to return the shoes , I was told by a clerk, whose name is Jay, that my receipt, which I had just printed on my home computer, was not sufficient. She sent me to their store “computer” to print another receipt by logging into my account and accessing the same information I already had in my possession.

I complied with the demand, only to be told midway that I should not continue because I cannot return the shoes anyway. When I asked why, Jay explained that Cherima, the store manager, had deemed the shoes "worn" – their store policy prohibits them from accepting returns on worn items. I stated that I had never worn the shoes because they are about a size and a half too big on me, and told them I would be happy to demonstrate that to them. They were not interested in my demonstrations or in any further statements. Cherima just kept repeating that their "policy prohibits…"

I thought I was a victim of a candid camera prank, but no—they were for real. I asked to speak with Cherima’s boss. She said that he was not there since it was Sunday. The best she could do was give me the phone number of “guest relations”. I asked for a phone – they would not let me use theirs. So, I pulled out my cell and started trying to reach a human. No matter which extension I pressed, I got an automated message. After about four minutes, I gave up.

Cherima repeated their policy … again. Upon hearing it, I lost it and yelled, “I did not wear the shoes, not once!” She told me that she doesn’t think that the situation is “cause” for me to be raising my voice. At this point, I was shaking and on the verge of tears. I told her that I don’t care about the $6.74 that the shoes cost me – I was still there because of the principle. Cherima repeated the policy, showing me some dust around the shoes’ soles. Of course, the smart thing to do would have been to walk over to the shelf where similar shoes are, and show her that all of their soles look like that. But, I didn’t think of that. I asked for the manager’s phone number and left. Instead of calling the manager and listening to the policy one more time, I decided to email Consumerist. I’m attaching a couple of photos of the “worn” shoes.

If you wore those shoes you're the cleanest person in the history of the planet. So at least you have that going for you.

Anyway, these Target employees were being jerks, but don't worry— according to Target.com you can print a postage-paid mailing label and just ship the shoes back to Target.com. So, ultimately, you win. Click here for instructions.

From Harvard Business Publishing:

It’s a hard job, answering phones and talking to customers for hours at a time. So when Zappos hires new employees, it provides a four-week training period that immerses them in the company’s strategy, culture, and obsession with customers. People get paid their full salary during this period.

After a week or so in this immersive experience, though, it’s time for what Zappos calls “The Offer.” The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: “If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you’ve worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus.” Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit!

Why? Because if you’re willing to take the company up on the offer, you obviously don’t have the sense of commitment they are looking for. It’s hard to describe the level of energy in the Zappos culture—which means, by definition, it’s not for everybody. Zappos wants to learn if there’s a bad fit between what makes the organization tick and what makes individual employees tick—and it’s willing to pay to learn sooner rather than later. (About ten percent of new call-center employees take the money and run.)

Zappos employees also have no scripts, no call time metrics, and are empowered to do whatever it takes to make you happy.

Why Zappos Pays New Employees to Quit—And You Should Too [Harvard Business Publishing]

Walmart is saying nothing at all, although Stiles says that of the 200-350 people who contacted her after she posted photos of her "burns" on the internet, a few have "settled with Walmart for undisclosed amounts." The retailer has pulled the flip flops in question from store shelves, but they do still sell shoes from "chemical flip flop" manufacturer.

Kelly told WCSC, "So far I have been contacted by no less than 200 hundred and I think no more than 350 people who have said you know I had the same thing happen."

"We're scared. We don't know what we have been exposed to."

If you're new to this story and you have a strong stomach, you can check out this gallery of Kelly's injured feet , or read about others who've shared her fate. Above is the most recent picture of Kelly's feet that she has up on her site. It was taken 2-27-08. She bought the flip flops last April. Ouch! Get better, Kelly.

LaMana Photography
Burned By Flip Flops From Walmart [WCSC](Thanks, Alex!)

Crocs CEO says:

"Current macrotrends in the environment" have led to weaker-than-expected sales, according to Crocs Chief Executive Ron Snyder, speaking to analysts during a conference call on Tuesday.

The Washington Metro _ one of the nation's largest transit systems _ has even posted ads warning about such shoes on its moving stairways. The ads feature a photo of a crocodile, which is the company logo, though the signs don't mention Crocs by name..

Crocs shares plummet 40 percent after outlook slashed [Reuters]
Japan seeks design change for Crocs because of injuries [CNNMoney]
(Photo:loop_oh)

He has intended to switch to another shoe seller, but has decided to give Zappos another shot considering the email response he received.

In it, Zappos says "Regarding our decision to stop advertising and promoting free overnight shipping on Zappos, it's actually simply just that: a decision to stop advertising and promoting it, not a decision to actually stop doing it," and "It's true that we would probably get more customers if we continued to market free overnight shipping as opposed to surprising customers with it, but we decided that we wanted Zappos to be known as a customer service company, not a marketing company."

I was pretty disappointed when I read your post about the changes to zappos.com's free overnight shipping policy. Disappointed enough that I would probably not shop there regularly anymore (I run marathons and therefore go through my fair share of running shoes). Soon after reading your post, they sent me a promotional email. I responded with the following email. Their (unexpected) response is copied after my email. The fact that they replied to my email with such an explanation will cause me to at least give them another chance considering how great their customer service has been in the past.

Zappos,

I probably will not use zappos any more. I can live without the price guarantee-even though every retailer in the world has some kind of price matching ability. But the loss of the free next day shipping has turned you in to every other online retailer that I don't use. On to endless.com I go.

matt.

Hello Matt,

Thank you for contacting the Zappos.com Customer Loyalty Team!

We truly appreciate that you contacted us to let us know how you feel. Regarding our decision to stop advertising and promoting free overnight shipping on Zappos, it's actually simply just that: a decision to stop advertising and promoting it, not a decision to actually stop doing it.

This means that the vast majority of our customers will still get their orders as quickly as they have in the past. The only difference is that we made the decision to not advertise or promise it, because we found that our customers were happier when they were surprised by the fast shipping. So, if you order from us and choose the free shipping option, chances are that your order will come just as quickly as they did before!

As a side note, just like before, occasionally our warehouse may run into unexpected challenges. For example, a storm may prevent some of our employees from coming to work. If you pay for the overnight shipping option, your order will be given priority processing in our warehouse and guaranteed 1-business day shipping and handling, even during those times when we experience slight hiccups.

It's true that we would probably get more customers if we continued to market free overnight shipping as opposed to surprising customers with it, but we decided that we wanted Zappos to be known as a customer service company, not a marketing company.

I hope this helps in explaining this recent change we've made at Zappos. If you have any other questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us.

We are constantly striving to improve our service. If there is anything more we can do for you or if we could improve your experience, please do not hesitate to let us know. We are always here for you - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We like to think of ourselves as service company that just happens to sell... shoes, bags, clothing, and accessories. 1-800-ZAPPOS-1 (1-800-927-7671) or 702-943-7677.

Stephanie W

Customer Loyalty Representative

PREVIOUSLY: Zappos Zaps Price Protection Policy, Free Overnight Shipping

The charges, revealed yesterday in a complaint issued in Federal District Court in Manhattan, followed a yearlong investigation in which an undercover customs agent posed as a longshoremen's union official and took nearly $500,000 in bribes to let the illegal shipments pass through the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in New Jersey.

The undercover agent had nearly daily contact with the smugglers, who included Chinese manufacturers, a customs broker and a husband-and-wife team that owned a Brooklyn trucking company, officials said.

While officials declined to say how the investigation started, the complaint said that in August 2006, Michael Chu, 70, of Manhattan, approached the undercover agent and asked for his help in moving the illegal containers through the port. Mr. Chu paid the agent $100,000 in cash bribes to smuggle about 20 containers carrying fake consumer goods with a value of more than $24 million, the complaint said.

Besides, is using a discount code posted on a website that only some people will see really any different than publishing it in a newspaper only some people will read? They both seem to meet basic conditions for "general public" availability. In fact, if you consider that newspapers usually charge a fee for their papers, then a free website is arguably more available to the general public.

Here are the full details of their price guarantee as of Friday, October 19th 2007:

110% Price Guarantee

If you find a product for a lower price on another website, we will refund you 110% of the difference between the lower price and Shoebuy's price. We'll even refund the difference if we lower the price at Shoebuy.com!

Rules:

• The item must be in stock in the same style, size and color that was purchased from the Shoebuy.com website.
• The website where you find the lower price cannot be an auction site.
• The final price that would have been paid at the other site will be compared to the final price on your order with Shoebuy and will be included when calculating the difference.
• Offer is valid for 10 days after you make your purchase.
• Offer is valid on orders/items shipped to destinations within the United States.

For those of you playing along at home, this is the second man from Gary, Indiana that we have written about after he invoked the name of our Lord at a retail location.

What is going on in Gary, Indiana? From the NWI Times:

Police filed two counts of attempted robbery, two counts of criminal confinement and intimidation charges against Richard Brewer Jr., Detective Jeff Rice said.

Brewer, 50, entered the store on Broadway about 1 p.m. Thursday, and asked two employees for socks and slippers. The employees gave Brewer the socks he was looking for, Rice said, and told him they didn't have the slippers.

Rice said Brewer then moved closer to the employees and told them he was God.

"He said 'When God speaks to you you're supposed to give him everything,'" Rice said.

The employees realized Brewer was attempting to rob the business, Rice said, and Brewer also told the employees since he is God and visiting them, they would die soon.

'God' gets arrested, doesn't get slippers [NWI Times]
(Photo:crschmidt)

PREVIOUSLY: Sorry, Chase Does Not Accept $50,000 Checks From God

My wife had ordered a pair of sandals from Zappos. When they arrived, she found that they didn't fit. She tried to order the right size, but Zappos was sold out of her size. So here's what the company offered: she could return the sandals (for free), Zappos would refund the purchase price and they'd send her a $25 coupon toward her next purchase.

But wait — there's more! Zappos also offered to try to locate a pair of the sandals in her size from another vendor. (Hah! Sure, they will!) Fifteen minutes later, the company called my wife and told her they'd found her sandals, in her size, at another online merchant — "and," the Zappos clerk told her, "they're even cheaper at this other site!"

RELATED: Shopping Online: More Revenue From Clothes And Shoes Than Computers

In 2006, revenue from skirts, suits and shoes reached $18.3 billion, surpassing that from PCs, printers and word-processing programs, which totaled $17.2 billion, according to a report to be released today by a major trade group.

The surging popularity of clothing on the Web defies predictions that fashion — which is hard enough to buy in stores, with the aid of sales clerks and fitting rooms — would be difficult, if not impossible, to translate onto the Internet.

Less Risk Seen in Purchasing Clothes Online [NYT]

This marks the first time Amazon has departed from their brand to launch a new store, so we thought we'd check it out.

The site is decidedly girly in its design. It looks like several malls we worked at in high school, except, you know, it's a website. The store is less comprehensive than Amazon, even though it uses Amazon's distribution centers. The first 3 brands we typed into the search were not available: Nike, Lacoste and Frye...but perhaps that's just because we're not sophisticated shoe and handbag buyers. While poking around the site, it suggested that we buy "Jessica Simpson Amanda Open Toe Slingback $88.95" We'd just like to point out that we wouldn't buy Jessica Simpson herself for $88.95, free shipping or no.

Bottom line: If Endless has the shoes you want, the free overnight shipping seems worth it, and there are plans to expand the special search features. Currently one can search by color and size, and soon shoppers will be able to search by heel height. That being said, the major features appear to be the shipping deal and the excellent return policy.

Amazon launches new site for handbags, shoes [Seattle P-I]

As Satchel notes, it won't be long before we see this slogan in a all-over print sold next to F'ty Cent [sic] tracksuits on West 26th st.

Not sure where you get these, but check your local futuristic urban fashion shoppe as that looks like some Kid Robot schwag in the background. Or you could make them with your awesome brain and opposable thumb power, sucker. — BEN POPKEN

The New Ethic [Off the Hook via Don't Believe the Hypebeast]

The ninth hymen of the apocalypse just broke.

Strangely popular gaudy shoemaker Crocs yesterday purchased strangely chintzy footwear accessory firm Jibbitz. In addition to the gemstones we posted yesterday, Jibbitz also sells Halloween themed Crocs add-ons. Barf me a river.

"Crocs to Buy Jibbitz" [Reuters] (Thanks to Brandon!)

Wearing Crocs boldly shouts, "I'm simultaneously unique and trendy." Likewise, sporting Jibbitz declares unbridledly, "I have optical cancer, and I want to give it to you."

Jibbitz Official Website. (Thanks to Brandon!)

For bonus fun, set your volume on "stun" and run the cursor repeatedly over the logo.

It is made of latex and human hair. There's also motors inside that make it vibrate and bend. Disgusting. We're going to make our own sweatshop dedicated to sewing together monsters that will search and destroy these shoes. We will pay fifty-cents per day. Our monsters will double as mp3 players.

[Adam Brandler via Screenhead]

Beats pencil n' paper, we suppose.

If you're at work, watch out for F-Bombs, but finally an introspective video montage of women's shoe culture, exposed by the insight and authority that only a transvestite can bring to the subject.

On a related note, can someone get me the number of that girl with the flaming hula hoop?

The synthetic mesh and leather outerlayer bode well for durability and breathability and the carbon outersole will take many miles of pavement pounding without a dent. Pretty darn light, too. But what's that giant honeycomb wedge?

The defining feature of the Adidas A3 running line is the proprietary "A3 plate." The spring it grants doesn't come free, the enforced extension exploited our calf tendons as fulcrums, an effect that will hopefully be mitigated as we defatify.

A full run around Prospect Park in Brooklyn earned us some blisters but that's to be expected and welcomed. Footwear that puts up a fight gives better support and the actual cushioning in the long run. After settling into a warm stride, the shoe rode smooth with traction, responsiveness and alacrity.

Overall, we're quite pleased with both the quality and price of our purchase, even if it is probably the strangest looking thing we've ever willingly put on our foot.

After the jump, white, red, blue, yellow, green and pink..

Pink

"I just had an uggly experience with Shoes.com.

I received a pair of Uggs as a gift from my well-meaning, but trend-delayed brother and sister-in-law for my birthday. I decided to secretly return them for a pair of shoes that cost $15 more than the Uggs (and that don't feel like I am stepping on baby lambs)..."

Kelley continues:

"Then I checked Shoes.com's return policy. A gift can only be returned for an item of the same or lesser value. So I called the company. No, I was told by a ruthless, haggard robot on the phone. I have to pick out a cheaper shoe. They don't want any more money from me. I can't enclose a check, money order, credit card number, gold bar, wampum, nothing. I either have to call my sister-in-law and tell her that I wouldn't be caught dead in Uggs, so that I can return them, or I have to sell them on eBay.

The rep could care less when I told her that I would just return the shoes so they will lose the sale completely and I will never do business with them again. So I told her I would write on your website about my experience. Then she yelled at me to either just buy a cheaper pair of shoes or return them.

What kind of company does not want more money?

Kelly"

[photo]

35% savings and up on mens running shoes, like these Brooks Trance NXR running shoes at Sierra Trading Post. Full lineup.

For the dressier side, Scott writes, "I bought a pair of these shoes in black, and received them earlier this week. They look great & they're very comfortable, and at this price, they're a great deal!"

While the pair he purchased is no longer on sale, there's a bunch of other styles available. Save 43% on men's dress casuals shoes by Unlisted A Kenneth Cole Production. They've got others here as well.

3-4 weeks and $45-$65 + $7 shipping later, your personalized pair arrives.

You can even add your own ID, as long as it doesn't say any trademarked/offensive words, phrases or color combinations or ruthlessly guarded celebrity names, like "Heidi Klum" (whose father recently tried to sue a blogger for using the name, trademarked, in a blog post title (German)).

Pictured is our special "Consumerist" version Chuck Taylor, full view here. Notice the seamless flow of butt-ugly design from website to footwear.

• Foot Locker is running their after-Christmas sale, which you can compound with an additional 30% off code: FF6JL922

• eBuyer.com has the SanDisk Sansa m250 2GB MP3 Player for just $123 with free shipping. [via TechBargains]

• Amazon has the Seagate 8GB CompactFlash Photo Storage Hard Drive for $197 with a $40 mail-in-rebate, bringing the total to $157 shipped for 8GB of storage that works in many DSLR and other high-megapixel cameras.

• Today's Woot! is a breadmaker for $75. Not just a breadmaker, though, but one that communicate and scheme with your other kitchen appliances, should they all be part of the Westinghouse Beyond Smart series. One could also buy a loaf pan for $5 down at the local Ben Franklin. Just saying.

Highlights from Dealhack

• 128MB Secure Digital SD Card Memory Free After Rebate at Buy.com
(Get a free spare SD Card for your point and shoot digital camera)

• Philips DVP642 DivX Progressive-Scan DVD Player only $57 at Amazon
(Versatile multi-format DVD & CD Player with DivX playback support)

• Sommelier Top Picks from the January Clearance at Wine.com
(Jonathan Mitchell's top picks from the Wine.com sale—-all under $20)

• Amazon is running their Winter Clearance Event on shoes and apparel. It's heavy on ugly suede tragedies, as per usual, but there are a few nice deals depending on your taste. [via Tech Bargains]

• Today's Woot! is a winner: a refurbished iRobot Roomba Discovery for just $125, shipped. We generally have excellent luck with refurb products, and at that price the little house fraubot is nearly half-off.

Cohen estimates that shoes costing $1,000 and up account for less than 1% of total women's fashion footwear sales (fashion footwear is defined as anything other than athletic), but he acknowledges a growing group of women willing to pay more for their shoes now than they ever have been before. "It changed as early as a year-and-a-half ago but picked up steam in the past six months. Women consider footwear their signature item now."

Of course, if you care less about the burgeoning market in high-end shoes, skip right to the slideshow, featuring among others this pair of $1k Escada evening sandals (with matching $1k clutch).

On the upside, Zappo's is running a $30 a pair clearance sale with free shipping. We must get the Uggs out of first place.

So that leads to a natural question: What products, created by the movie industry at the behest of paying corporations, would you actually like to see produced? And does seeing a company's brand extrapolated to the future make it seem cooler or somehow cheapen it?

[via Mr Kamoji]

• Or if Timberland isn't your style, try the clearance sale at Kenneth Cole. While there are a few men's items, there is quite a bit more for women. Slickdeals has a listing of items and coupon codes.

• Today's Woot!: The Creative MuVo 128MB MP3 Player for $25, shipped. If you bumped yourself up to the $50 range, you could probably quadruple your storage amounts. If you need a second, beater MP3 player maybe, but the prices on these things are in a continual freefall.

• For instance, the 2GB SanDisk Sansa MP3 player can be had at CircuitCity.com for just $115, after using the coupon code TDAZTESAAD. Free shipping, to boot. [via BensBargains]

• And while you're at Ben's Bargains, take advantage of their list of $10 videogames on sale at Amazon. The list includes some quality titles, too, in between the BeyBlade and Hamtaro pap.

• Amazon has the SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo—the same memory card used by the PSP and most newer Sony products—for $78, plus an additional $10 off if you want to use a mail-in rebate. Amazon is still claiming Dec 23rd deliveries for standard shipping, but go for 2-Day if you really need it.

• Both Zappo's and Shoe Buy have sales running, with free shipping on every order. Zappo's has more clearance items, although you'll have to do some digging to find shoes that have been discounted more than a couple of bucks.

• Today's Woot!: Mark of the Beast Fitness Wrist-Mounted Blood Pressure Monitor for $25, shipped. We know nothing about keeping blood pressure low, because if we kept ours at a reasonable level, we'd be out of a job.