Boots falling apart - am I being unreasonable?

DullGreyGuy

rev_henry said:

Some interesting replies thanks everyone.

Not awfully sure about the particular components of shoes but the outer layer of the sole has come away in areas revealing a porous membrane underneath that is letting water in.

They're used for HGV driving - hardly comparable to construction workers who are possibly on rough ground all day I wouldn't have thought.
Yes I do require them as PPE for work but as I buy them myself and am not self employed I am not sure why CRA wouldn't apply?

So the outsole has detached from the midsole... it's likely the midsole is polyurethane which undergoes hydrolysis and becomes hard and porous before then starting to crumble. Will always happen over time but heat and UV can accelerate it. It seems to be happening in shorter time frames these days, used to take years but now people report it under much shorter timeframe. 

If the midsole has started to crumble then the only choice would be to replace the complete sole which may not be cost effective on many shoes. If it's still fairly robust you could extend their life by regluing the sole on... need to use proper shoe glue though as it needs to be able to flex etc. 



The problem is the CRA defines “Consumer” as an individual acting for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside that individual's trade, business, craft or profession. You are saying this is for your work and so you cannot say they are mainly outside of your trade, business, craft or profession. 

oldagetraveller1

"How long should safety footwear last? Good quality safety footwear should last for at least as long as the manufacturer’s warranty, which in some cases is as much as 18 months. Generally the cheaper the footwear, the shorter the warranty, for obvious reasons."

That shows quality and longevity has really gone down the pan. 

I had a pair of Totector safety shoes for a full five years of an industrial apprenticeship many years ago (employer supplied). They did look worn after that time, but were perfectly intact. They had, what was then called, a Commando sole and heel. 

Looking at Totector's website they appear to have gone for appearance rather than substance now.