Are LK Bennett shoes worth the price?

[issy196]

Starting a new job in about a month or so and desperately need some decent new shoes.

The nicest ones I seem to have found are these LK Bennett ones - www.houseoffraser.co.uk/shoes-and-boots/lkbennett-floret-closed-courts/d759162.pd?ef_id=WjGChwAAASr@DxiK:20180222185311:s
The only issue is the £195 price tag. They're more expensive than any shoes I'd normally buy, but I'm also aware of the fact that I'll be wearing them for 12 hours a day. Has anyone had experience with these shoes or other LK Bennett ones - are they comfortable enough for work and would they last me a few years?

The other options I've been looking at are a Kurt Geiger pair (£100), Dune Aurora (£70), Stuart Weitzman (around £300). Stuart Weitzman seem to have good reviews but a little too pricey for me, I haven't seen much written about the other two.

Otherwise if anyone would like to suggest some other shoes I'd be grateful to hear those too! My only criteria are black suede court shoes, heel between 3-4 inches. For some reason I prefer the soles to be cream rather than black. Decent quality (not New Look or Primark!) and comfy enough to wear all day, but not going to break the bank - I'd say my limit is around £200, assuming they'd last a while.

My feet and I thank you all in advance!

OP, LKB customer service can be a little dodgy. I do have to check myself not to kick off because, depending on the person serving you and their manager, they may not actually give a shiny and it ends up being counterproductive. I try to be extra polite instead.

I make it a point only to buy during the sales so at least I don't feel so aggrieved for their poor customer service and generally being less organised and professional than other high street stores that don't charge as much.

I believe I did fret before about damaged protective lining on the soles of shoes and LKB took them back no questions asked. Are you near one of their stores? I do all my collections and returns at one of their stores which is on my way to work. The opening and closing times are not very work-friendly though.

Exchanged the shoes in store. Almost didn't happen but 20 minutes, 3 phone calls and a heated debate later, I will finally have the bigger size.

I'm not going to type it all out on here as honestly it is still making me so angry. I will not be shopping there again, I was seriously tempted to just ask for a refund instead of an exchange and then purchase the shoes from John Lewis or House of Fraser etc. I definitely would have done it if hadn't been for the 20% discount.

Maybe I'm just moody but the whole experience has made me so angry and upset. There were three employees crowded round at one point (I'm not even sure why, I was dealing with the manager already and the rest kept coming over to poke their noses in) and I felt like they were just ganging up on me.

I really do like the shoes themselves, but their customer service is crap. I thought I was quite reasonable with them, I understand that the slightly damaged soles would have made it difficult for the manager to accept a return, but they came with marks on. I wore them inside on carpet for one day, surely that isn't unreasonable?

I'm going to stop now before I go on a proper rant. If anyone stumbles upon this thread in the future looking for advice (I know it's happened to me when I've been searching before) my conclusion would be - comfy shoes, terrible customer service. Personally I find the shoes really nice, though I do have very narrow feet and can clearly see how they might not be comfy for others. Admittedly you could definitely find decent shoes elsewhere for a lot cheaper, but these ones are just so pretty. Though buy from a department store if you can!

this thread isn’t doing LK Bennett many favours is it?! Sorry you didn’t have a good experience OP, not nice feeling ganged up on in a shop.

I’m disappointed by the wear and comfort of my LKB courts, so I won’t be buying from them again.

Someone should send this thread to LKB

I have rather a lot of LKB shoes (not as many as TSSDNCOP though ) and generally find them to be exceedingly comfortable unless they are the really high ones. Russell and Bromley I find the same, particularly their Stuart Weiztman collection, I can wear them all day happily.

I've been shopping at LKB for at least 15 years and they either have fabulous staff or incredibly snooty staff. I don't go on a shopping expedition dressed to the nines but find they soon change their tune when they finally realise I'm probably going to buy several pairs in one transaction.

What I have found is that the quality has definitely gone down in recent years as the pricing has gone up. I now tend to only buy in the sales as I was quite happy to pay around £150 a pair full price but refuse to pay the £200 or more they charge now.

Sorry you had a bad experience OP.
You will find lots of MN threads about poor LK Bennett service, especially relating to returns. I am quite cautious about shopping there because of these.

OP, sorry for your poor experience at LKB. Having other staff gawk at you whilst their manager tries to fob you off is not going to teach them anything about customer service and therefore, things are unlikely to get better. Good tip about buying from a department store.

Rant away. Many times, I have wanted to flounce in their store. I put up with them only because I like the shoes but they are taking their customers for granted. In today's tough trading environment, that is a very risky strategy for them if they don't get their customer service act together soon.

PS I was just on the House of Fraser website and already looking at alternative brands for sandals. Such a lot of choice on there - though the House of Fraser website is crap!

Unfortunately I don't think LKB would care at all if they saw a thread like this! As domestic mentioned, I had a quick look through MN and Google and there are hundreds of posts just like mine. I've read quite a few about refunds being refused for faulty goods, seems to be a recurring problem.

I've realised they fucked up the prices too. I purchased the shoes at 20% off in the sale weekend and a dress in the actual sale, as it was already discounted they didn't offer a further reduction. They've now split my order into two and split the discount between the two purchases. Overall, they've taken the correct amount of money but I'm sure if I try to return the dress, they'll only refund me for the discounted version of it, which is £15 less than I actually paid.

All I wanted was a nice pair of shoes for my new job, and to get them in plenty of time to wear in before I go on holiday. Now I've ended up almost crying in one of their shops, being screwed over by terrible customer service, undoubtedly I'm going to struggle to get the full amount refunded for the dress, and best of all - my shoes won't even arrive before I go on holiday now! Paid £5 for delivery as I don't have time to go into the store again, only to check my voicemail this afternoon to find out that the shoes are being delivered from Scotland and won't be here before early next week, and that's being optimistic.

Lucky escape, OP - I can't believe how their quality has deteriorated in the last few years. I have shoes from there from about 25 years ago which are utterly different quality from those now....

15, not 25 years!