I was so excited to find Inov-8’s Terroc running shoes in our local Cotswold Camping store two years ago!
I had started some gentle running a couple of years earlier. Trying to keep off the road and paved surfaces to help preserve my old knees. I’d been buying trainers ‘for off-road’ from a nearby sports shoe specialist ‘Lace-ups’ and I generally found what I was given inadequate – poor grip on mud and wet grass, and before long the uppers would become detatched from the sole.
The Terroc sole looked terrific for grip, and the shoes seemed even lighter that those I was used to. So out came the wallet, and running became more rewarding. For a while.
11 months later this is how they looked!
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| Inov-8 Terroc 330 – pair #1 June 2009 |
They look over-used, but in fact this is a result of 20-25km a week on average or less. The holes developed at around 8 or 9 months and progressively got larger.
Of course I contact Inov-8. I emailed and emailed. I sent the pictures. And I never received a reply.
You expect the producer to take care of product quality, but it seems Inov-8 have a different policy. Cotswold should have some influence, but even for them – a reply to resolution took more than 3 months.
I convinced myself that the design had been modified and took a new pair last September expecting a longer life and better result.
Look at them now:-
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| Inov-8 Terroc 330 – pair #2 September 2010 |
Like the previous pair the problem developed after about 7 or 8 months so at 12 months they are unusable.
As last time I emailed Inov-8 asking for their advice. As last time no reply.
Are Inov-8 innocent of customer service? Do they care about their product in the market place? And what do they think about customer satisfaction?
Hmmm – That's not a huge mileage, but there again it's not low mileage either. The wear in the uppers are consistent – the tears and holes seem the same for each foot. I would suggest that this is because the shoe isn't being washed regularly enough and so the dirt that gets trapped in the mesh upper is slowly tearing the upper in the crease lines.
I stick my shoes in the washing machine and have virtually no upper wear at all after similar mileage.
Thanks for your comment Alan. This is an intriguing explanation, but hard to believe that a small amount of dust and mud should have such devastating effect! And how have these shoes been tested I wonder? I have rinsed them from time-to-time, but never washed then in an automatic washing machine with detergent or soap.
I am aware that there are walkers who seem to love them. Do you run in them yourself, I wonder? Does running have a different effect on them.
Also I wonder about the difference the ground makes. Off-road trail (ie firm ground) vs off-road off-trail (ie soft ground).
I would still take this up with your retailer (you should not have to deal with Innov-8) and try to get a replacement pair or at least some money off your next pair?
Hmmm, I have Roclite 370's, 315's and Terroc 330's. My first pair of Terroc did the WHW and Coast to coast walks plus many shorter trips besides. The uppers are still in very good shape thoough I've worn the sole tread out now and have replaced them. They seemed to be wearing far too quickly so took them back to retailer who took photos and sent to Innov-8 who only took a week to tell retailer to give me a new pair. I second Alan's advice!
Thanks for the comment David. With my first pair – after one or two months waiting for a response from Inov-8 I decided to go through Cotswold. They took almost 3 months to get a response. Inov-8 were amazed that the soles looked completed unworn and wanted the shoes, pictures were not enough.
Needless to say pair number two is the same. The soles are relatively unworn.
The only difference is I now don't have a receipt to say I bought them less than 1 year prior to the problem.
But why don't Inov-8 reply to customer Emails? Is it because they have too many to deal with? They do have an aftersales email address….