£850 shoes fell apart after 2 wears

[Tonightsthenight91]

Hi all, looking for some advice.

bought a pair of heeled shoes for £850 from a well known designer department store back in November. They’ve been worn twice and the inside has completely dislodged, slipped down to the toe area, and essentially grafted to the metallic outer. Further more the sole of the shoe has worn away more than I would expect, and have developed crater-like dents in the bottom.

To add, the part where the lining has slipped down has came away so much as to reveal very obvious Chinese writing, it’s a french fashion house so that’s very confusing. This department store has been sued in the past for selling counterfeit goods.

I have emailed pictures and a complaint to the store but they’ve told me online and in store are two separate entities. I have called the store numerous times and no answer. Problem is I don’t have the receipt, only the date I bought them (to check cctv?) and a bank statement. I’ve still got the box but there’s nothing on it.

any advice? I’m so annoyed 😩

@Tonightsthenight91 Can you show us some pictures of the damage OP?

I work for a higher end footwear retailer and and deal with faulty goods etc myself. As others have pointed out, a lot may be down to management discretion and depend on the general condition of the shoes. It may also depend on Balmains relationship with the store you purchased from, eg. I have brands that offer us a 1y guarantee on any fault - I’d give you an automatic refund and send the shoes to my supplier for them to credit me. I have other brands that would want the shoes back for inspection, and they would organise repair etc. I’m happy to give my opinion on condition etc if you think it would be helpful 😊

With a bank statement showing the transaction, and you having the item, the retailer should have no issue tracing the transaction so don’t worry about a receipt.

This is normal for Louboutins, they are actually advertised as 'carpet shoes' and shouldn't be worn outside.

How on earth do they get away with that?

@frozencarlotta Its to protect themselves from claims like this!!! Do they look like everyday shoes? Stating when they should be worn is a bit like saying don’t wear something in the rain. If you pay for something with stated limitations, that’s a choice. Many seem to take it though. Expensive does not mean more robust. Expensive means they can price that high due to reputation of the brand for lots of reasons but not necessarily robustness.

@TizerorFizz but thats on a par with buying a car and not being allowed to drive it, or a book and you are not allowed to open the pages.... its makes no sense at all

Shoes - go on feet and are worn outside
Slippers - go on feet and are worn inside

From a legal point of view, it makes sense to state the wear that’s most suitable for the product. So what if they are equivalent to slippers? If you know and look after them in that way, surely that’s ok? They are not mechanical. They are not a book. Simply not the same. More like a delicate fabric with limited use. As long as that is clear to the purchaser then it’s ok. Might not be what you want, but others accept it.