MBT shoes damaged due to 'wear & tear' after 3 months....no comeback?

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Squonk

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Mrs. Squonk bought a pair of MBTs in October '07. She walks a lot (~4 miles a day) and both shoes have developed holes in the bottom. When she bought the shoes she told the retailer the amount of walking she does and he said no problem. However, she brought them back today to the same shop today looking for some satisfaction and was told there was no comeback (she dealt with a different sales person this time)..the 1 year warrranty on the shoes does not include wear & tear. Does Mrs. Squonk have any comeback in this situation? Who dictates what's meant by wear & tear? Who should she talk to about this? Thanks.
 
Clubman - Maybe but Mrs Squonk to the retailer the level of use and they uttered 'No Problem'
 
How many steps do you walk each day?

Maybe you have heard the recent guidelines about walking 10,000 steps per day. How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.

10,000 steps is recommended as an ideal to walk each day and that about 5 miles & the OP's wife is 20% below the "expected".
MBT's cost a small fortune, I would expect to get at least a year out of them, doing approx 10,000 steps/5 km per day. Personally I thought they were too expensive so I bought a pair of good hiking boots (TK Maxx...cost less than €20 & still going strong).
 
I would suggest you send them directly back to MBT in Fermoy. There is a right and wrong way of walking with these shoes which should have been shown by a properly trained retailer. However, it looks to me that there might be a problem. I sent mine back after 8 months to be resoled but that was entirely due to how much I wore them. After all that, I was advised by an orthopaedic surgeon that I would be better wearing shoes with my orthotic insoles in them because my ankles were quite stiff and he put that down to the MBTs.
 
I contacted the NCA (www.consumerconnect.ie) as recommended by Clubman. They basically said its a question of wear-and-tear (no refund due) versus manufacturing fault (refund due). However the definition of wear-and-tear is vague. The NCA recommended I go to a cobbler to get an independent assessment. So, that means, the question boils down to this: if someone walks 240 miles (4 miles a day, 5 days a week for 12 weeks) should the sole of a shoe 'survive' that? If yes, then there's a manufacturing issue (or the shoes are being used incorrectly). If no, then the shoes have suffered wear-and-tear.
 
I would think quality and the purpose of the product would also be factors here.

MBTs are supposed to promote the benefits of walking and they are a very expensive product. I would have thought they should withstand more wear and tear than this.

On the other hand if it was a cheap pair of sandals from Pennys I wouldn't be too concerned if they became worn after this much use.
 
lightup said:
On the other hand if it was a cheap pair of sandals from Pennys I wouldn't be too concerned if they became worn after this much use.
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If it was a cheap pair of sandals from Penneys, I think Mrs. Squonk would be looking for a new set of feet!!!
 
Yeah - maybe MBT or the retailer make claims about the footwear in question that would make that sort of wear and tear reasonable and thus strengthen your argument for a repair, replacement or refund? There's always the Small Claims Court if it comes to it and you are so inclined...
 
Squonk said:
'She dealt with a different sales person this time).. Who should she talk to about this? Thanks.
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Could she go back and speak to the manager? Explain the situation in a reasonable manner and maybe he/she would meet you half way? ie- second pair at half price?(I believe the use is excess). Threatening with the Small Claims Court would be extreme (I know Clubman was just stating it as an available option and not specifically advising the OP to follow that route).
 
I wear MBTs all the time & i walk about 6 miles per day. I just recently threw out a pair that I had for 4 years so I definitely think that your wife should be getting more wear out the shoes than a couple of months.
 
joanmul said:
I was advised by an orthopaedic surgeon that I would be better wearing shoes with my orthotic insoles in them because my ankles were quite stiff and he put that down to the MBTs.
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Are "ordinary" shoes not better for your feet than MBT's anyway ? I would not wear MBT's if I got them for free.
 
Me neither...they are just about the ugliest things I have seen on feet...a close second to those plastic brightly coloured things I've seen around lately......
 
MrMan said:
Whats an MBT?
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Masai Barefoot Technology - apparently the Masai have nice strong quads from constantly walking on shifting sand, these shoes mimic those little balancing movements and give you a better gait and build up your quads.
 
What would happen if a Masai wore MBT's in the desert? Doubly "nice and strong quads" or would they just fall over?
 
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