So this year I bought a pair of Woolies Studio-W shoes from their W-Collection for work. I needed shoes for work purposes, and decided to buy the more expensive leather shoe with the idea that the higher price and the “better range” of shoe would result in better quality. I was bitterly disappointed.
I began my working career at the end of January this year, going into the professional world. I needed to buy smart, working clothes. Naturally Woolies would be my first choice, as they have branded themselves as being a high quality establishment, producing clothing to last. This was not the case with me.
I paid a little extra to get the Studio-W shoes, on the advice of the sales staff who said that the shoes were top quality, and were built to last. I figured this would be a better idea than buying a pair of shoes that were half the price, but would not last. I am all about good quality, and generally prefer to spend a bit more when buying something so that it would last a little longer. My running shoes which take a pounding were quite expensive Adidas running shoes. Although they were expensive, they lasted me 4 years before I traded them in for new ones. And even when I traded them in, they were in decent condition. This theory that I applied for buying running shoes, I applied for my work shoes, expecting the same result.
Maybe I missed a sign that said that Woolies shoes only last 10 months, and maybe it was wrong for me to assume that they should last longer than that.
The shoes had a hole right through the middle of the sole (exposing my sock to the elements), the heels on the soles had completely worn down, and the soles were coming off of the rest of the shoes. And after my shoes were taken in, the assessment was that it was normal wear and tear. These expensive shoes have had the shortest lifespan out of all the shoes that I have owned, and frankly I am quite disappointed.
The service that I experienced was also not great. I dropped off my shoes last Friday, and the customer support person said that I would get a call over the course of the weekend to hear the status of my shoes. The call never came. I had to drive to Woolies, only to find they had no idea what I was talking about. I phoned a few times, and only now (Wednesday) I got a call to find out the status of my shoes. Until then I had to borrow shoes for work.
This is not the Woolies that I have grown up knowing, with both the quality of the product and the service disappointing me. So now I have to go buy new shoes. Hopefully I can find a pair of shoes that will last more than 10 months, otherwise my working career could get very expensive.
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