School trainers only lasted 4 months – worth a claim?

Against better judgment we bought our daughter expensive school trainers (Nike air force pro’s) and the material in the heel has worn all the way through to the cup, and then the sole in the heel is wearing through on both pairs.

She’s walked to school and back everyday (20 – 30 minutes each way) since September, which I don’t think is good enough for the price we paid.

They have a 2 year warranty for defective or faulty. This isn’t a manufacturing failure, more that the materials used aren’t up to scratch IMO.

We’re going to contact them but does this seem genuinely not fit for purpose?

Are they advertised as walking trainers or fashion items?

‘Lifestyle’ I expect. She’s probably covered about 120 miles in them.

Our kids have always used Air Force, never had a pair do that in over 10 years…they normally eventually go at the back where they try and put them on without undoing the laces.

These were the normal AF1s though, not sure how the Pro model differs.

They are the AF1s actually.

shes always untied the laces, but the heel has still gone through.

Sounds about right for trainers worn almost daily…

Why is she wearing trainers for walking, shirley a decent pair of clarks leather shoes or simmilar* would be a better choice for school & walking to school.

Trainers are for running/gym class etc. the clue is in the name.

*kickers leather shoes used to be the shoe de jour in my day, so just get the modern equivelent of that.

If you don’t ask you don’t get….

Nike have a 1 or maybe 2 year warranty based on the production date on the tongue lable.

I have not purchased any of my last 5 pairs of Nike. They wear out (typically where the big toe flexes), I take them to the McArthur Glenn Nike outlet and swap them for something else. Canada though, YMMV 

 Sometimes with receipt, sometimes without.

You could also email CS and ask.

If you don’t ask you don’t get….

Ask what? the OP bought his daughter some Nike fasion trainers and wonders why they are ruined after less than 6 months of general abuse by a teenager?

Just had a warranty refund accepted (got to post them off) for a pair of 3 month old scarpa crux that have worn through the heel cup inside, previous pair were the first pair of shoes I’d worn through the sole before the rest had disintegrated 3 years in.

Don’t ask, don’t get.

Why is she wearing trainers for walking

Perhaps she just ran to school slowly everyday? Why would walking in trainers wear them out faster than running?

I was a big fan of Nike SB shoes

i recently bought a new pair and they lasted about 2 months before splitting at the base- a bit of skateboarding and the odd cycle, Id bought them off Amazon & nike refused to warranty because they’re not an official seller 

Why would anyone choose Clark’s leather shoes as a shoe to go walk in.

What a weird choice*

* I have a pair for work. They are not for walking in. Be for ever at the cobblers getting the soles replaced.

4 months does seem a bit poor. Even my Merrell vapor gloves have done much more than that and they are like an inner tube for the sole of the foot….. Hell if I got 130 miles out my runners while using them for running I’d be pissed.

Our kids have always used Air Force, never had a pair do that in over 10 years…they normally eventually go at the back where they try and put them on without undoing the laces

I was going to say the same. They’re both at college/uni now but the routine at the start of a new school year… buy two pairs of plain black Air Force Ones for the Binnerettes. They walked to school every day, 20 minutes each way. Both sets of Nikes lasted the year.

Have she been dancing on angle grinders en route? 😉

I’d definitely complain. They’re not cheap, after all

I own both clarks and some Merell shoes… I use both for ‘walking’ in.

Very different types of walking, mind!

What I’m trying to say is the kid needs a decent leather shoe for school/walking to school.

And a pair of trainers for trainer duties.

Two very different types of shoe. Horses for courses.

I used to work in a sports shop.
Some of the absolute crap heap shoes we used to get back in as “defective” was a joke.
Unless they had been obviously abused, they would almost always get a replacement pair.

An old woman bought in a pair of Adidas running shoes that her disabled husband had worn out. The sole one one side was completely worn – not just the outer, but the mid sole all the way to the upper. She admitted that he walked with a pronounced limp & dragged that foot on the ground rather than lift it. They were 18 months old. We didn’t even sell that version of the shoe any more, which she wasn’t happy about.
Manager replaced them for her with absolutely no quibble.

Do you still have the receipt? Or maybe find the purchase on a bank statement.

What I’m trying to say is the kid needs a decent leather shoe for school/walking to school.

Would a leather trainer be acceptable.

I’m not sure what relevance leather has to being a suitable school shoe.

It’s not 1974 anymore.

Any well made shoe/trainer/boot should last longer than 4 months unless she’s being dragged to school by something. Under regular walking even the shittest shoes I’ve had have lasted longer than 4 months…..

What I’m trying to say is the kid needs a decent leather shoe for school/walking getting the living shit kicked out of them on way to school for looking like a dweeb

FTFY Grandad 😉

Ask what? the OP bought his daughter some Nike fasion trainers and wonders why they are ruined after less than 6 months of general abuse by a teenager?

sorry, didn’t realise it required explanation. 

currently he has zero chance of getting a refund, if he tries for a return and gets nothing he is at least no worse off but may get lucky.  I think Nike can cope 

FTFY Grandad

Was just coming along to say they could keep the trainers for when they got to school to run away from a good kicking.

But seems you have it already covered

Good luck with any claim; store/Nike *may* be feeling generous…

Warranty returns direct to Nike are really easy – We always buy our 13yo son Nike trainers off the website.  We’ve returned his last 3 pairs as they’ve never lasted longer than 6 months and he only walks 250m to school and been given a refund each time.  As they give you a refund we just buy a different style in the next size up.  Each time ours have been returned it’s due to a design fault as you look at the shoe and think “why’ve they put a hard sharp thing next to something really soft – it’s clearly going to push through and make a hole”

What I’m trying to say is the kid needs a decent leather shoe for school/walking to school.

Are you my Nan? 😆

Definitely.

Our boys play a lot of football, so we don’t expect a pair of boots to last all that long, but one set lasted about three months which we raised with Nike (who we’d bought them from direct). We had to post them back which wasn’t a bother as they were knackered anyway – we still had to buy another pair though as he still needed new ones – but the warranty was accepted and they gave us a full refund.

@trail_rat

Would a leather trainer be acceptable.

I’m not sure what relevance leather has to being a suitable school shoe.

It’s not 1974 anymore.

It’s very much 1974 at all the academised high schools around here. Trainers are verboten unless in PE.

Clarks got a mention up there as an alternative, based on recent  experience they be lucky to match these Nikes!

It’s very much 1974 at all the academised high schools around here.

Weird isn’t it – Blazers, tie and leather school shoes are somehow meant to make academic thoughts flow….until you are at uni and all that bollox is binned yet curiously education continues unimpeded!

I always knacker my trainers in that area. Does she have the hideous gnarled feet of a gibbon? If so that might be the issue.

She’s walked to school and back everyday (20 – 30 minutes each way) since September,

Just came here to say well done. Not enough kids doing that nowadays, good effort.

Whatever all, you do you and I’ll do me.

I know if I wear a runing trainer or a basketball boot, or tennis shoe style footwear as a daily drive, for 6 months straight, as my main shoe, it’s gonna get busted up and stink, and drop to bits, or all of the above.

🙂

Under CRA goods have to be of acceptable quality and inside of six months a failure is deemed to be inherent unless the seller can prove otherwise.

Two years’ warranty also.

Why would it not be worth a claim? Merchant in the first instance, Nike as a fallback.

Under CRA goods have to be of acceptable quality

https://www.nike.com/gb/t/air-force-1-07-pro-tech-shoes-2mKLRJ

It’s marketed as a basket ball shoe/trainer. Not for tramping rough tarmac pavements and going to school in with all the abuse that that entails.

Basket ball courts generally have very nice/smooth wooden floors.

Good luck trying to sue Nike for false advertising, when they specifically say it’s footwear for playing basket ball.

AF1’s are not really sport shoes, and they last way longer than ‘school’ shoes. If people want to pay through the nose for Clarks or other shit then that’s all good. AF1’s are way more suitable for the walk to and around school than whatever the shoe shops are selling.
I’d say that the vast majority of kids at secondary school round here wear black AF1’s as they just last (so OP, yep, put a claim in).

Edit

Good luck trying to sue Nike for false advertising, when they specifically say it’s footwear for playing basket ball.

Air Force 1 (the non pro version) are clearly marketed towards school kids.

As cool today as when it first dropped more than 40 years ago, the AF-1 is a classic you can count on. Its durable construction and grippy tread will see you through breaktime after breaktime. And while they look great fresh out of the box, they remain cool even when covered in scuffs and scrapes. In fact, they might be even better.

https://www.nike.com/gb/t/air-force-1-le-older-shoes-4dFJ5B/FV5951-111

I’ve never had nike trainers last long tbh (af1s included). Ive just got a new set of af1s actually so Im not anti nike, but i dont expect too much. Adidas seem to last wayyyy longer for me. Not sure if anyone else has found this. Anyway I wore DMs for school and they lasted for ever but aren’t to everyone’s taste haa.

It’s not 1974 anymore

And if it were. They’d be Clarke’s commandos and you’d wear the badge.

Another who’s daughters wore AF1 for school, fit with school regulations and comfier than Clark’s. They walked around 20 minutes to school, they outlasted any Clark’s. Sounds like your daughter may shuffle her feet, my right shoes always wear quicker due to a slight limp.

Clark’s shoes for kids are terrible, you’d have been back already for a refund before the AF1’s had worn out.
Anyhow, Nike seem pretty good at honouring their warranty. Quite a few at my running club have got refunds on expensive (vaporfly/alphafly) racing shoes so definitely worth a punt.

At my daughters school the af1s are the example picture of what is not allowed. Surprised any allow them with that wacking great tick on the side.

Lightweight running & fashion trainers in not lasting shocker.

I would ask them and see.

But we were the embarrassing parents who insisted on shoes in line with uniform policy and that they were decent brand such as Clarks (who did replace a premature wearing pair), Kickers, DM, Hobbs etc, all bought in the sales.

Surprised any allow them with that wacking great tick on the side.

You can’t really see the tick unless you look closer.

Lightweight running & fashion trainers in not lasting shocker.

That’s not what this style is.

For reference, this is the shoe they all wear round here.