MARY JANE SHOES - Repeat Failure of School Velcro Straps

On 18 July 2025, I purchased a new pair of size 2 Mary Jane school shoes for my 11-year-old daughter to replace her existing pair. The only issue with the previous shoes was the Velcro strap, which I had raised with the store before. Unfortunately, as I had misplaced the receipts, the store manager consistently maintained that they were unable to assist.

In November 2025, the newly purchased size 2 shoes developed the exact same problem: the Velcro strap failed again, on both sides. This time, I still had the receipt. On 24 November 2025, I contacted Green Cross to report that the Velcro strap had given up barely again, despite the fact that my daughter wore the shoes only four days a week and was on school holiday for the entire month of August.

A Green Cross consultant contacted me, advised that the store where the shoes were purchased had since closed, and indicated that the matter was being escalated and that I would receive urgent feedback. This was after I had provided both the receipt and photographs of the shoes.

While awaiting feedback, my daughter was forced to continue attending school with shoes that had broken straps, which negatively affected her mobility. Unfortunately, during this period, on 3 December 2025, my daughter lost one of her shoes at the school playground. Due to the faulty straps, she had been forced to remove the shoes as walking had become uncomfortable. I immediately reported this to the consultant, who advised that the matter could not be addressed without the missing shoe.

As an organisation that prides itself on orthopaedic care and quality footwear, I am deeply disappointed by the poor durability of the shoe straps and the slow response in resolving this matter. This delay ultimately resulted in my daughter having to remove her shoes at school for comfort, which should never have been the case for a school shoe marketed for everyday wear. This situation could and should have been avoided had the product quality and response time aligned with Green Cross’s stated commitment to orthopaedic care and customer service.

With the new school year about to resume, I caution other parents to carefully consider this experience when purchasing school footwear, as reliability and timely support are crucial, especially when it comes to children’s everyday school needs.