New balance shoes with “unbalanced” customer service.

In November 2024 I bought two pairs of New Balance shoes at Atterbury Value Mart in Pretoria. I did not wear them immediately. I started to wear one pair in August 2025. The other pair has not been used at all. One month after I started to wear the shoes it came apart on the side. After a detailed inspection it became clear that the top part of the shoe was not properly attached to the sole because too little material was used on the side for sufficient bonding. In short, a manufacturing problem. I took the shoes back to the store in Atterbury Value Mart. After three days they informed me that they are not going to replace the shoes because the period for returning has expired (which is six months). Nothing was said about the bad workmanship. They did not even take the shoes to verify the manufacturing side of the problem. I am experiencing a second dilemma. What about the pair that I have not yet used. I suppose it will follow the same route. That motivated me to write this review. Customers should we warned. Wear your New Balance shoes immediately and expose them to harsh conditions within six months to detect bad workmanship. Alternatively, look out for another brand which offers better quality. New Balance hide behind their return policy instead of focusing on problems related to the manufacturing of their shoes. I was not surprised to read similar complaints on Hellopeter (e.g. Francois 2 July 2025), but what surprises me, is the lack of response on the side of New Balance to address the issues the clients are complaining about. They couldn’t be bothered.