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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask Adidas for help?

26 replies

cazzimazzi · 27/08/2018 10:46

My 14 year old has Cerbral palsy affecting his lower left limbs. He’s very able and attends mainstream school, has had very little need for support and just gets on with it. Recently we’ve been advised he needs to wear a leg brace on his left leg to try and straighten his leg and encourage him to walk differently. Wearing it means he needs to wear two different shoe sizes. He’s a typical teenager and lives in trainers (school have said they will allow him to wear trainers as normal leather shoes cannot fit the leg brace in). I contacted Nike and Adidas to see if they could help. Nike, via telephone were extremely helpful and said they would look into it and get back to me. Adidas refused point blank, via phone, to help and said I would have to purchase two pairs of shoes. I contacted Adidas via twitter and they advised me to go into one of there stores to try on different shoes and see what style would work. We did, it wasn’t an enjoyable experience despite the wonderful staff in the store who did everything they could to help. We tried on many pairs of shoes, most wouldn’t accommodate the brace and my son became increasingly frustrated and upset by the whole situation.
I contacted Adidas the following day giving the model number and sizes we would need. They replied with a message saying they were pleased we had found some shoes but would not be able to let me buy an odd pair. To buy two pairs would cost me over £250. I again explained the situation but the only answer I got was it was something they would definitely look into doing in the future but for no there was nothing they could do. AIBU to be annoyed a multi million global company cannot help???
Nike replied recently saying I can buy two pairs of trainers on line, take out the two sizes I need, send back the ones I don’t need and they will refund me one pair.

OP posts:
trojanpony · 27/08/2018 11:02

YANBU to ask for help.
But they have said no and YABU not to accept that.
You have a perfectly viable solution with Nike.
So...Use Nike?

I would have posted thanking / praising Nike rather than trying to shame Adidas into giving you a subsidised product

FuckPants · 27/08/2018 11:04

Just use Nike?

Why are you trying to shame Adidas? To be blunt, it's not their problem.

GlossyGlossy · 27/08/2018 11:06

If Nike have agreed to help, why are you still pursuing Adidas? If they've said no, there isn't much you can do.

I understand the frustration and it must be difficult if it's going to cost that much money but you've had a decent offer from Nike, go with that and forget about Adidas.

Sirzy · 27/08/2018 11:09

I would class it as more a case of “how fantastic that Nike will do that” rather than complaining about another company not wanting to give things away tbh!

MarmaladeAtkinsX · 27/08/2018 11:09

Actually, I think OP has a point and more apparel companies should be aware of people with different requirements and support them where they can - we can personalise colours and embroidery so why not fit too? Well done Nike.

Since having DC I can’t get in to my beloved Adidas and Nike is my trainer of choice - so I might be biased.

Original poster
cazzimazzi · 27/08/2018 11:11

I am using Nike but I just find it wrong that such a high profile company are unwilling to offer help. I contacted Nike and Adidas at the same time to give us options. There must be hundreds of other people who have the same problem with different size shoes, Nike clearly have a desire to help and accommodate whilst Adidas haven't.

OP posts:
crunchtime · 27/08/2018 11:12

ODD SHOE SCHEMEIf you or your children have different sized feet, here at Clarks we can supply most of our shoes in odd sized pairs.Instead of having to buy two pairs, you can have one pair to fit both feet. There's a surcharge for this service, 25% for children and 50% for adults on top of the usual shoe price.It is recommended that both shoes should be tried on for suitability and advice taken from the staff before purchasing.For further information please contact your local store or customer care on 01458 899901.

clarks do it
there are other websites that will also do it-have a quick google

Jammiebammie · 27/08/2018 11:14

I have to wear different sized shoes for the same reason, I’ve found quite a few shops are actually rather helpful, some have odd sizes left after sales etc.
The outlet shops (Nike/Adidas) also sometimes have odd shoes remaining, only issue being you don’t have much choice!

You get websites where they sell odd shoes/different sizes for disabled people or those who are amputees.

Nike are being amazing by offering to do that for you, they really don’t have to - so I would go with them and write a lovely email thanking them.

magoria · 27/08/2018 11:15

Why does it have to be Adidas or Nike am I missing something?

Teenage boys can grow like weeds. £125 on a single pair of trainers is lunacy.

There are many other brands out there which I am sure you could get for a lot cheaper.

rainingcatsanddog · 27/08/2018 11:15

Crunch time- OP's son is a teen so will want to wear a cool brand like Adidas/Nike.

Original poster
cazzimazzi · 27/08/2018 11:17

Oh and just to be clear I haven't asked for any freebies or discount. I am more than happy to pay full price for a pair of shoes.

OP posts:
ellendegeneres · 27/08/2018 11:18

Yeah but what I don’t get is why op is getting so mad at Adidas.
Nike are doing a wonderful thing. Likely to be costing them in order to do some good pr and customer relations.
Like others, I’d be singing the praises of Nike and thanking them and leaving Adidas to review their policies and schemes as in the future this may be something they are able to offer.

GreenTulips · 27/08/2018 11:18

There are schemes for people with different size feet it's not that unusual. I'll see if I can find it.

Well done Nike!!

ProudThrilledHappy · 27/08/2018 11:19

To be fair Op those are some pricey shoes, there are other brands that would be a lot more reasonably priced for two pairs.

I can understand your frustration, but you have found a company that are willing to help, maybe instead of being annoyed with one company on twitter you could instead go on there to tell others how amazing Nike are

Notquiteagandt · 27/08/2018 11:19

This is a very common problem.

Speak to the hospital as friends in simular prediciment have had a "matching service" help them to find their pair so speak.

So say you are left foot 6 right foot 8. They will find someone who is the opicite so u can share the costs.

There are loads charities who help match people up.

Also loads shoe shops have odd shoes left over. Ie. Scuh and office bave seconds sites that always sell odds.

Maybe worth getting in touch with them.

Original poster
cazzimazzi · 27/08/2018 11:20

I have sent Nike an email, not just about how helpful they have been but also the customer service via telephone has been outstanding. I will take note and do another post letting making people aware of how great they have been, handily to know for anyone else in the same situation x

OP posts:
ellendegeneres · 27/08/2018 11:20

cazz but you want two pairs for the price of one, right? So it is a freebie.

Don’t get me wrong, under the circumstances I can’t blame you for trying. I don’t know that I’d have had the balls to, but fair play to you. Just smile, send Nike a fabulous email thanking them and move on 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster
cazzimazzi · 27/08/2018 11:24

I really had no idea so many other shops did this so thanks for all the help and links.

OP posts:
rainingcatsanddog · 27/08/2018 11:30

I'm assuming that OP's son is wearing £125 trainers as he can't wear "normal" £70 Nike that my teens can wear.

Original poster
cazzimazzi · 27/08/2018 11:37

Raining not sure which normal ones ur referring to. We've had to buy ones which will accommodate the leg brace. Not sure if u've ever seen one but they are wide therefore not all trainers will fit round them.

OP posts:
gamerwidow · 27/08/2018 11:46

It is short sighted of Adidas not to help. Think of the positive publicity they’ve squandered.
Go with Nike instead it’s great they choose to support children with disabilities.
To those moaning about the cost of the shoes perhaps you should consider that letting the OPs son fit in with his peers in this way is so much more important when he is forced to be different in so many other ways. Let the kid have his expensive shoes FFS.

IceBearRocks · 27/08/2018 11:48

We have similar issues ...is just buy the two pairs ..... Sometimes it's nice to have a break from the AFO or brace so he'd need two shoes the same size anyway. DS has work AFO's on both legs since he was a baby.
Cheap supermarket trainers work really well too but I'm guessing it won't go down very well with the teenager.
If it is and AFO and it goes around his foot too...take out the insole so you get more room in the shoe! We've always found that Nike and Vans work well.... Adidas are usually too shallow.

Gersemi · 27/08/2018 11:49

cazz but you want two pairs for the price of one, right? So it is a freebie.

The trouble is that the second "pair" will be totally useless to OP.

Of course Adidas don't have to do anything, but their attitude is ungracious, to say the least, and you'd think they might take the view that it's worth being helpful for the good PR.

IceBearRocks · 27/08/2018 11:57

My son wears AFO'S similar to the ones on the right ...his are plain blue!!!!

To ask Adidas for help?
Original poster
cazzimazzi · 27/08/2018 12:02

Ice bear - yes they are the ones although my son has them in black. He's not actually wore them yet as we're abroad at the moment and he's mostly barefoot. He hates it, it's the first time he's ever needed any kind of support.

OP posts:
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