JD Sports Trainers - Not fit for purpose?

norris7

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone could let me know where I stand on this issue.

I bought a pair of trainers from JD sports for my husbands birthday (on debit card). He was very happy with them, tried them on in the flat, they were comfortable, so wore them to work. Within five minutes he was in agony as the trainers had rubbed so badly at the back that they'd rubbed away a large chunk of skin were blistered. He ended up having to call someone to pick him up and change his shoes as he was in agony.

We returned to JD sports exactly a week after my original purchase with the receipt, and asked if we could swap them for another trainer. The manager informed us that was they had been worn outside we were not entitled to a refund or store credit. My husband showed him the back of his heels (which were still weeping?!), and the manager suggested that the trainers just needed breaking in. My husband doesn't have particularly weird feet and had never had this kind of rubbing before. The manager advised us that he couldn't re-sell them, to which my husband pointed out that he couldn't wear them.

The manager then offered to return them to Adidas to see if they were faulty. If they were we could have a refund. There is of course no manufacturers fault, they're just a bad cut or shape for my husbands feet. We were sent back the trainers today, and unsurprisingly no fault was found. This means we're left £50 out of pocket as my husband can't physically wear the shoes.

Over a week after the blistering first occurred, his heels still aren't healed as the sores are in such a place that they get irritated by his normal footwear. He also has a job that involves being on his feet for most of the day.

I suppose my question is, do we have any power to take this further. We've bought something that my husband is unable to use and has actually caused him damage. It isn't just a matter of changing our minds on a purchase and we'd of been happy with store credit. I've read in previous forums on the subject of returning items to JD, that a lot of the time it's just down to goodwill. Are these shoes fit for purpose? Would it be worth considering the Small Claims court?

Many thanks in advance.

miduck

You have no right to a refund/ exchange. Had your husband been fitted at a proper shoe shop and then had problems, the shoes would not be fit for purpose. In this case, it seems that they are fine as a shoe, but do not fit his feet correctly and hence the blistering.

Might be worth investing in some "1000 mile" socks (or equivalent) - I get shocking blisters, but these help protect my feet, or at least give them chance to heal!

System

i dont think ive ever bought footware that hasnt rubbed [sometimes quite badly] they eventually wear in.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Too small a size I reckon. A lot of new releases are a snug fit so always advisable to go up half a size. What kicks were they?

withabix

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

What kicks were they?

Say what?

shocky_2

You are entitled to a refund/replacement only if the trainers were not fit for purpose or were not of satisfactory quality. If the trainers were faulty (e.g. a sharp bit of plastic sticking out at the back of the shoe) then you'd get a refund, but you can't get a refund if they are just a bad fit for your husband's feet.

The damage to your husband's heel sounds quite serious. I sympathise as I have also bought ill-fitting shoes which rubbed away the back of my heel. But I haven't had anything as serious as your husband and I usually realise there is a problem quite quickly. I'm quite surprised that your husband did not realise this when he tried on the trainers, perhaps he was just being polite as it was a gift?

It might just be a case of "lesson learnt", after a bad experience last year I am now careful to try on shoes properly maybe your husband has just learnt the same lesson!

Techhead_2

Was he really in agony?

I think we have all had blisters from self fitted shoes before when breaking them in. You can even buy pads to protect the heel during the process.

paddyrg

Trying them on briefly in the flat isn't going to break them in fully, so going for a full day at work was a bit of an error, especially if he isn't a desk jockey. Sympathies, but new shoes take time to mould themselves too your feet. Perhaps heal the blisters and try again, slowly this time instead of jumping into a whole day. Maybe actually using them as trainers for a short jog, or a walk around the block. Soon enough you might find they relent and actually become really comfy!!