Those that love the Woodland brand of shoes - think again! This has been my favourite brand from the time I was 13 years old and today I am 37 so that says a lot! I have only worn Woodlands shoes always and found them exciting design wise and hardy which have lasted me years.
I used to swear by them however since last year my experience with this brand has taken a hit. I bought a pair of woodlands brown shows worth Rs 5000 (approx US$ 130) in September 2007 and by November 2008 it cracked. This is a pair of shoes which has a hollow sole that gives it the bouncy feel. The hollow is supported by little pillars of rubber which connect the bottom and top of the sole.
In November two of these mini pillars broke and the show started cracking up. I went back to my shop on Commercial Street, Bangalore. The guy at the shop took it back saying he will either repair it or get me a new pair. Since it had just crossed one year he was not sure of the new pair. After a month he got back to me saying that the company can repair it but cannot give me a new pair. If I want to buy a new pair I have to pay 60% of the price. I was upset but said ok get it repaired.
The same day I bought two more pairs of woodlands since I liked the design. After another month he gave me back the ’repaired pair’ which when I started wearing I realised was not repaired at all - it was just sort of sealed together a bit and I started having the same problems. Also in one month the new pair I had bought started losing its adhesive and I had not even used it for more than 10 days!!
I have not gone back to the shop and I don’t think I will. I thought you guys should know that a loyal customer who spends at least Rs 20, 000/- (approx US$520) every year on woodlands shoes will probably never buy one again and wont recommend it either. My only sadness now is that I will miss woodlands since it has been a friend for so long. But then again, friends should behave like friends.