The Angry Consumer... GBX shoes

Papazita · #1 04-04-2010, 10:43 PM

GBX Shoes.

They suck.
No one buy them.
Ever.

I needed a new pair of shoes for work and picked up a pair of GBX "dress/casual" (I guess that's what the style is called...)
I really couldn't care less about what brand of shoe is on my feet; as long as they don't look rediculous and are appropriate for the occasion, I don't care what they are.
They seemed ok in the store...

I wore them to work for the first time today. Halfway through my 9-hour shift I notice a hole in one of the seams on the upper part of the shoe. The hole got bigger and bigger as the night went on. It's now big enough to fit 2 fingers into.

As for the fit, they seemed very nice at first. After 9 hours, though? My feet are bleeding. Seriously. My entire right heel is covered with bulging, squishy, bloody blisters. The left has one blister and a lot of bruising. I can't stand with my feet flat because of the pain.

The kicker? $80 for these freaking things!

It just proves that brand-name $80 Chinese crap is the same as no-name $20 Chinese crap.

I just sent off an irate email to the company, complete with pics of the shoes and my bruised and bloodied feet. I think this is the first time I've ever bothered to contact a company to gripe about their products, but come on, what the **** man? I can't even stand up now after wearing these things!

Auzzie-Phoenix · #2 04-04-2010, 10:52 PM

If you're going to spend $80 on a pair of shoes/boots for work, you might as well break down and buy some Swat tactical boots. They're durable, and relatively comfortable (like wearing a sneaker... but in boot form). The downside is that they don't breathe as well as I'd like, but hey... they're boots. Added bonus? Side zipper that lets you remove them quick and easy. The laces are just to provide a good fit. Once the laces are tied, you just use the zippers instead.

Papazita · #3 04-04-2010, 10:56 PM

Come on, you know where I work... I think tac boots would be going just a bit overboard! (then again...)

warwick.hoy · #4 04-04-2010, 10:58 PM

Dansko Professional staple clogs. Seriously, they last forever and even if they do get effed up they can be repaired easily by a cobbler. They used to be made in Poland, for a while they were made in China (I have a pair made there and they are just fine) but are now made in Brazil. They are pricey but will last a lot longer than 4.5 hours.

yellofury · #5 04-05-2010, 12:32 AM

I guess it depends on:

A. If you are male or female
B. Line of work you are in

I feel your pain though
I used to get cheapo shoes for my job as a chef
I stand on my feet 5-6 hours at a time
and Im a big guy and I have learned one thing:
you cant skimp on shoes

I used to buy $12 Wal Mart sneakers and use them for 3 months and toss em in the garbage for a new pair but my feet almost always hurt
My wife said we need to get you some real shoes
So I got some Birkies Chef clogs (80-100 bucks a pair) and so far I have yet to have pain in my feet
it felt like a miracle!!! PLus they are made of the same kind of material as Crocs
you remove the insert and hose em off

My wife tried the Danskos and she was in incredible pain after a week
we got our money back thank goodness because they are super expensive
then she got MBTS and they are quite pricey as well
but so far she has told me these are the best shoes she has ever had

rollerberg2000 · #6 04-05-2010, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

Dansko Professional staple clogs. Seriously, they last forever and even if they do get effed up they can be repaired easily by a cobbler. They used to be made in Poland, for a while they were made in China (I have a pair made there and they are just fine) but are now made in Brazil. They are pricey but will last a lot longer than 4.5 hours.

Don't have personal experience with these, but my wife works in a dental practice on her feet sometimes 12+ hours per day, never has any complaints about her feet. In fact, everyone in the office is REQUIRED to wear them, the boss buys them for the employees, and they are required to take them off before they go home. Pretty strong endorsement right there, unless you need steel toe protection.

Me I use under 50 dollar NB sneaks, I've used them in a plant environment, on concrete, for five years, and no problems other than replacing them every year or so.

MJ5150 · #7 04-05-2010, 09:38 AM

$80 is not much for nice shoes. I wouldn't expect much for $80 these days.

I definitely wouldn't go out and buy some off the wall brand like GBX. GBX??

-Mike

DigMe · #8 04-05-2010, 09:57 AM

GBX is a crap budget brand. Their leather casuals are almost as bad quality-wise as Skechers. I speak from experience and I only buy decent brands of these shoes (leather casuals) now because I've had two many of the others that absolutely fell apart into an unusable mess on me (3 pairs of Skechers, for example).

Now my leather casuals are Clarks and Doc Martens. They have been very durable and they look good.

bc

MJ5150 · #9 04-05-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigMe

Now my leather casuals are Clarks and Doc Martens.

I like Clarks and Rockports.

-Mike

Marco A. Mayer · #10 04-05-2010, 10:33 AM

Timberlands are great. They last for eternity and are really comfortable.

MN_Bass · #11 04-05-2010, 12:16 PM

docs are great, reliable boots, i can only wear them with my bad back. GBX do suck, I just bought a pair of sandals on vacation, didn't last long. Lesson Learned.

P. Aaron · #12 04-05-2010, 02:51 PM

Being in pain all the time, I got PO'd and bought some Western style boots.

I wore them for short periods before going a whole day with them. It can be easier on the feet. Or, try bringing a second pair of shoes & switch out if they start hurting your feet. I discovered this with rented shoes at my wedding.

With that said, even if they take an extended time to break-in, the seams shouldn't be coming apart.

Sorry about the sore feet.

Pilgrim · #13 04-05-2010, 04:19 PM

Fashion brand footwear is usually junk.

If you're going to spend a lot of time on your feet, shoes like Docs, Red Wings and Dunham boots are well worth considering.

if you want a fantastic shoe/boot, look at Ecco. They're not cheap, but their sizing is so consistent that if you know your shoe size (european sizing) you can buy them on Ebay and get 'em at half price.

jumbosilverette · #14 04-05-2010, 04:28 PM

I've got two pairs of GBX slipons and couldn't be happier. Send yours back for a refund: life's too short for ill-fitting and crappily made shoes.

Pilgrim · #15 04-05-2010, 04:31 PM

I have also learned from experience that feet do not improve as you get older. You can get away with a lot while you're young - but once you pass that 40 mark (give or take) it's a different game.

bassteban · #16 04-05-2010, 05:20 PM

I have some GBX *hiking* boots, although I wouldn't truly *hike* in them. They did cost a good $70-$80, but IME that's about average for shoes. They're not bad, not great. I do appreciate people speaking their mind on crappy(in their opinion/experience)products. I tend to read reviews on any purchase over $50.

DerHoggz · #17 04-05-2010, 08:59 PM

You live in Ohio right? Could be something in the air or water.

karya · #18 12-10-2010, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigMe

GBX is a crap budget brand. Their leather casuals are almost as bad quality-wise as Skechers. I speak from experience and I only buy decent brands of these shoes (leather casuals) now because I've had two many of the others that absolutely fell apart into an unusable mess on me (3 pairs of Skechers, for example).

Now my leather casuals are Clarks and Doc Martens. They have been very durable and they look good.

bc

Yes I agree, Clarks Shoes definitely are durable and look really good. I have a bad foot problem and can only wear certain types of shoes. I love the way they feel. I got my first pair as a gift, I am looking into purchasing a new pair my self. Where can I purchase clarks for a reasonable price?

Atoz · #19 12-11-2010, 01:10 AM

I prefer engineer boots at work, but I know that doesn't work for everybody.

OtterOnBass · #20 12-11-2010, 02:02 AM

When I started working on my feet all day, I went for some expensive shoes (for me). I dropped a hundred on some Born, and I liked the cool style. After about 7 months, the uppers started opening. At about a year, it was bad, so I contacted the store (Younkers) and they gave me lies and insults. (There's plenty of stores that want my business, I recommend going elsewhere...) Born itself took about a month to respond, and another month to send me replacements. A year later, and these comfy shoes are showing the seams again. They're great shoes, but the decorative stitching doesn't seem to last.