Nike Shox TL3 - No Product Support from Nike

Last year I asked for a gift certificate to purchase some new workout shoes. I got my certificate for Christmas (Thank you, David & Sarah) and I set out to find my new pair of shoes (a few months after Christmas to avoid the crowds).

A little background on me and workout shoes. I'm extremely picky when it comes to workout shoes. Dress shoes, casual shoes....whatever, but workout shoes have to be perfect. I go for comfort more than for looks or even price.

So, back to the shoe adventure. My wife & I visited at least 5 different places looking for the right workout shoes. I tried on countless pairs of shoes only to have them be too tight near the toes or uncomfortable in the heel.

We make our way over to Sports Authority and to their shoe department we go. The story was pretty much the same. Shoes were not comfortable, so I looked around a bit more and saw the big, bold Nike shoe display. There were select pairs of shoes there, so I looked at them and liked the way one pair looked. Then I saw the price and thought I would just find a less expensive pair that was comfortable enough for me to deal with. My wife convinced me to try the Nike shoes on, so I did. They fit perfectly. I decided to buy them and was happy to find the perfect shoe...the Nike Shox TL3.

I've had the shoes for nearly 10 months now and they still look great:





There's one major problem with them though. The soles are tearing in an area that is shaped like a 'v' between different sections of the sole (you can see the 'v' shape in the picture above). And below you can see how the shoes are coming apart:



I've tried contacting Nike on several occasions and have yet to hear back from them. I've sent numerous e-mails to them through their customer service form on their website, I've been on hold so long I just can't take it any more...and I never get any resolution from Nike. I took the shoes into Sports Authority to show them the problem and they can't help me because the store has a 30 day return policy. This is more of a Nike product defect issue anyway, so I don't have a problem with the store policy.

I've been looking online for other information about the problem with Nike Shox TL3 product defects and found several people had the same issue. When they were finally able to speak with someone from Nike, they were told that they did not purchase a Nike brand product and Nike customer service refused to help them. The others dealing with the same issue were told that the product they purchased was a "knock-off" product, not a genuine Nike product and Nike would not honor any policy regarding their products for that reason. How could this be, when they too purchased their Nike product from authorized Nike retailers? What do we consumers need to do in order to get these companies to support the products they manufacture? What proof do they need? Where will it end?

Here is the product label:



It's extremely disappointing to me that Nike had taken such a poor stance on supporting their products and offering such poor customer service and absolutely no product support. I have been buying Nike products for over 25 years now and feel that their products are becoming sub-standard and their styles are degrading with each new year. I looked at the newer model of Nike running and training shoes and did not like one single pair of them. They have lost my business.

What is unfortunate is that I was finally happy with a Nike product again. I had been wearing New Balance workout shoes for nearly 10 years because the Nike product couldn't compete with the comfort, durability and price of the New Balance products. I thought the new pair of Nike Shox TL3 would finally be the shoe that brought me back to Nike. They were for a while until Nike customer service or lack there of ruined the experience for me.

I need to find a new pair of workout shoes, because the Nike Shox TL3 shoes that I have now don't support my feet the way they should. I can hear and feel the broken sole shifting when I walk in them, let alone exercise in them.

This next time around, I'm going to skip over the Nike products altogether. I'm thankful there are brands out there like New Balance that make quality products that last. Incidentally, none of the New Balance shoes that I have owned had ever had a defect. Even when I got rid of them, there were in decent shape for shoes that had been put through what I put my workout shoes through. They usually retire from workout shoe duty and become my home improvement, dog park & general messy activity shoes. Too bad the Nike Shox TL3 shoes are going right in the trash...or maybe they would make a good dog toy. My 2 Rotties would probably love to rip them apart.

I'm also glad there are other fitness clothing brands out there like Under Armour. Their products are far superior to Nike fitness clothing as well.