Here’s a question I recently answered:
Have you ever bought a bad pair of shoes? I got an updated version of my favorite pair of shoes, which were only supposed to have had very minor changes. I went out for a long run, and had really tired and sore feet afterwards. They claimed they only made very minor changes, but my old pair with 500 miles feels more cushioned. Usually, the new pair leaves my feet and legs feeling happy.
I have gotten a bad pair of shoes before.
I bought a pair of my favorite trail shoes that didn’t last too long. I’ve got about 700 miles on my first pair and am still using them, and only got about 80 miles out of the second pair before the tread on the sole ripped apart.
I’ve gotten a few new pairs since then that have 60 miles and 100 miles on them and they seem like they are going to last just as long as the first pair.
That second pair clearly had some manufacturing problems because they had started showing signs they wouldn’t last within about 30 or 40 miles.
That said – I don’t usually have a problem going right into a long run or a race with a new pair of shoes of a model I know my feet like, but the problem here is more likely because you bought an updated version your shoes.
There’s no such thing as an updated version (no matter how minimal the changes) that shouldn’t be considered and distrusted like any other new shoe you try out. The shoe industry makes it’s money by constantly changing shoes up so that people have to stock up on the old models they like and buy new models to have the latest and greatest.
Obviously, there are some small shoes companies such as Loco or Vitruvian that you can be reasonably confident aren’t going to change their shoes from one model to the next, but they are the exception to the rule and base their marketing around that.
If you do get a defective pair of shoes, you can usually bring them back to the store you bought them from or contact the manufacturer for a refund or replacement pair. Especially if the shoes are obviously defective, you shouldn’t have too much of an argument with trading them in.
I bought a pair of NB once that were obviously defective as the insides of both the right and the left were identical (not mirror image as they are supposed to be). I guess that’s what you get from ordering running shoes online!
I had no problem returning them…
I bought a pair of NB once where the “N-lock” feature (the strap that went from the laces to the base of the shoe) pulled out of the bottom of the shoe, which made it impossible to properly tighten the laces. This was after only about 100 miles. The store took them back graciously and exchanged them for a new pair. The second pair lasted over 440 miles with no problems and are my favorite knock around shoes today.
Blaine,
When my youngster daughter was running. She wanted a good pair of running shoes for the Hersey Track meet. We went to a place in Exeter and brought her a set of Nikes. The owners told her to take very special care of them. She ran one lap on a track. And then ran the meet. The shoes fell apart. We try to take them back but the owners said she had abuse them. She was in tears.
Luckily there was a Nike distribution center near by. We took them in and told them what happen. By the end of the week, she had three new pairs from them with an apology. Of course we never went back to that store and told all other to stay away from it. (She also to this day will only run in Nikes.)