Johnson’s Workwear – Severe Drop in Quality & Poor Online Returns Experience

I am posting this as a warning to other buyers, especially those considering ordering online. We have bought workwear from Johnson’s for many years. Their shoes, socks and overalls used to be of exceptionally high quality — durable, practical, and well-suited to real working conditions. You only needed to buy once every couple of years because the products lasted. That is no longer the case. We recently placed an online order and every item we received was substandard compared to previous purchases, despite being sold as the same products. • Housecoat: Previously light, breathable, and practical. The current version is extremely thick, stiff and uncomfortable. Even after washing, the fabric remains hard and unyielding. We live in a hot and humid climate, and these overalls are completely unsuitable. This is not a minor change — it is a fundamental downgrade in fabric and wearability. • Socks: Advertised as cotton rich, but they are largely synthetic. Only the heel and toe areas resemble the older quality. The rest of the sock is slippery, lacks structure, and causes the foot to slide inside the shoe. At R119+ per pair, this quality is unacceptable and comparable to cheap multipack socks. What makes this worse is the returns and refund process: You must pay your own return costs, send the item to a store yourself, and complete additional admin to ensure the return is processed correctly. For products that are clearly inferior and inconsistent with past quality, this places an unfair burden on the customer. My advice: Do not buy from Johnson’s online. The quality is inconsistent, and based on this order, I cannot confidently say that Johnson’s still offers reliable workwear at all. We will not be buying from Johnson’s again.