The simple answer is… Nothing!
One is oozing customer service and the other has none!
Caring for people in their 80’s often means a trip to Budgens ( a small supermarket chain) and helping them on with their Hotter shoes.
My most recent interaction with both of these resulted in two things.
One: A phone call from me on behalf of my client to thank them for their consistently caring customer service and Two: Yet another email of frustration.
To say Hotter Shoes gave me the cold shoulder is an understatement.
Here is what I was complaining about.
The soles of these shoes are crumbling/disintegrating/falling apart.
Hard to be clearer than that.
Of course all shoes, over time, suffer from wear and tear but these soles were just…well…see for yourselves.
A local shop, selling Hotter shoes, told me this…Wait for it…
‘Has she worn them much?’
‘Probably not by the look of them’
‘Ah well, that’s the problem. They will disintegrate if you DON’T WEAR THEM.’
I have to tell you I wasn’t feeling particularly down that day but this totally lifted my spirits. I started to laugh so hard I got stitch.
Then I looked at the assistant. She was serious.
‘Really?’ I asked.
‘Oh yes. You will have to speak to Hotter if you have a problem.’
If I have a problem…
Customer service? Zero. Unless you consider a good laugh…
So I emailed Hotter shoes explaining that their shoes had been purchased by mail order and they needed to be replaced.
Simple?
Ha!
Here are some extracts from emails from HOTTER.
Dear Ms Ducal
Thank you for your recent email to Hotter on behalf of ******
There is more than one black pair on record,
but from the pictures I cannot identify the style.
If you have any more information as to the style
and size of the black shoes, it would be helpful to us.
If you would like to return the shoes for inspection as faulty,
we would be happy to look at them.
**
They offered to send a pre paid postage label.
It never arrived.
Oh and they can't identify their own products?!
So I emailed again.
(My client said not to bother. I said, No, that’s exactly what they want us to do)Dear Ms Ducal
Thank you for your recent email.
Please accept my apologies that a returns label has not yet been received.
I have arranged for another returns label to be sent out today, this will be delivered shortly.
With regards to the Black and Beige (there were 2 more pairs with same problem) pair that have experienced a similar problem, if an item develops a potential fault, in the first instance, we would advise to return it to the point of purchase for inspection and further advice.
If the shoes were purchased directly from our mail order department, we will hold a record of the purchase on ***** account. In order for us to check our records, we would be grateful if you could provide the name of these shoes, the style name should be printed inside. (Yes. I already told them they were purchased from mail order)
Once we have been able to establish a record of purchase for these shoes, we will be able to advise further.
If the shoes were purchased from an independent retailer, they would need to be returned to that retailer as the record of purchase would be held with them. (Stop stalling!)
I trust the above information is helpful to you.
**
So, I don’t know if Hotter ever got their act together but just know this.
One her favourite dresses she couldn’t wear because the shoes she wore with it were not longer wearable.
Budgens staff however could not have been nicer. They greeted my client like a long lost friend/royalty every time she went in.
They made her daily trip to the local shop a real pleasure.
Since the lady in question passed away last month I rang the shop to say thank you for their unstinting customer service.
Hotter? Well, let’s see what they have to say for themselves now!
P.S. Since writing this I have discovered that Hotter have indeed sent a refund for the faulty shoes. I still wonder if anyone else has had this experience or was this lady just incredibly unlucky? Meanwhile someone should speak to that shop assistant. 😉
Yep, I’m having the same problem with disintegrating soles with my Hotter shoes. The uppers are fine but I recently had an awful experience of the soles literally melting away from beneath me when out walking with friends.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
NewForestGal Hmm. Not so hot eh? Take photos & demand refund. Let me know how it goes….feel a newspaper article coming on…
I purchased a pair of hotter cloud shoes from a charity shop on Monday for £7.99! As they were unworn I was delighted to have found such a “bargain” However, on wearing them for work today I was gutted when they disintegrated before lunch! Not such a bargain after all! ?
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
Hello Helen.
My wife has experienced a whole series of failures of the soles of Hotter shoes. The soles simply crumble and turn to a black powder. We’ve had to regularly contact the company and ask for compensation as one pair after another go the same way.
Of course, they’ll refund only the price at the time the shoes were bought and replacement cost has typically been double that. Other makes in her shoe cupboard do not exhibit the same problem.
We have often been given the same reason – that *not* wearing them causes the breakdown as the air cannot circulate.
Strangely, they told us the opposite in reply to a complaint in August 2013. They wrote: “However, if the
sandals have seen a large amount of use, the problem may
be down to the general wear and tear of the sandals.” That was after we had provided the attached pictures. As you can tell, they had seen hardly any use. The sandals appeared fine when packed for a holiday but disintegrated when my wife wore them on the first day
Today, I need to write yet again as four more pairs are looking unhealthy.
Thank you for your interest in this.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
StewartWould Appalling isn’t it! With your permission I could share this link on facebook and twitter. See if #hotter respond?
same thing happened to me just the other day! Shoes disintergrated as i was wearing them! only worn them a couple of times. I’m returning them to Hotter
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
@ann Do let us know how you get on!
Yes same thing happen too me today. Only worn once, and my shoes fell apart. Like in the pictures but worse. Post back to hotter, so waiting for a replacement.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
Hotter shoes phoned me to tell me, they are not going to replace the shoes as the shoes are a few years old and I should have worn them, that’s why the soles crumbled.rubbish I payed over £85 for these shoes approx 2 years ago. And forgot I had them. Rubbish customer care service.not going to buy any more hotter shoes. I thought they were supposed to be good quality shoes.
I had the same problem,I sent the shoes back to hotters, but had a phone call. To say they are not going to replace the shoes. Hard luck. I won’t be buying any more hotters shoes .ps they were new,only worn once.
Still shouldn’t disintegrated.poor quality
I am very angry.as I my shoes crumbled. I felt so embarrassed as I only worn the shoes the first time. Yes it is appalling.
bad it’s it, you won’t get any pair. I had a awful phone call. I felt I was being told off.
Had the same problem. Hotter won’t do anything about it if you think about posting the shoes back.
Hi, I wished I took pictures of the shoes I sent back, but hotters have kept them. So I’ve lost out.
There is clearly a big problem with Hotter shoes. A chemical reaction in the rubber is causing them to crumble especially when stored. I wore a pair for the first time today and found myself half an inch shorter within 10 minutes of walking.
This has happened with several pairs of Hotter shoes at different periods of time.
A great shame as these shoes are so comfortable. Its about time the company came
clean and looked into this problem instead of fobbing off the very people keeping them in business.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
I’m dismayed at reading this. I’ve been a devoted Hotters customer. I’ve bought loads of shoes from them, and from their stores across the land, and the local outlet store. I’ve come to realise in recent years that they will fall apart – and not just after a long period of disuse. I think it is irresponsible of the company to offer 3 for 2 offers regularly if they know there is a likelihood their shoes could fall apart if not compressed (ie used) regularly. How many of us buy and save shoes for special occasions or certain outfits. Is it fair to expect those shoes to fall apart the minute we pair them together for such? My daughter and I sent back seven pairs of shoes in October on the advice of c/service who arranged collection. They were addressed to the lady concerned who had intervened and come to our aid. More than a month on they still haven’t received them … have we got the receipts for the collection they arranged? I’m 80, in failing health, was packing for a surprise hol the day they were collected and worried about a gully drain repair as the man concerned had vanished for five hours without repairing it. Is it any wonder I can’t find the receipt from Hermes? However, the collection service must have a matching record linked to the two parcels concerned? Both of which were not only addressed to the lady to whom we spoke but had our names and addresses inside and some background from me. My daughter, a former journalist, has kept pictures. She’s taken the company to task because she points out there is no info in the shoe care section of their website on – these shoes may fall apart at the sole if not worn regularly. Some of our shoes had been worn regularly, others looked immaculate on the inner sole and upper exterior but still they crumbled. We’ve read of people buying on online auction sites and trying to return otherwise beautiful looking shoes because the soles have collapsed. This is a real very issue to an award British company and there should be enough word of mouth, online, for the bosses to address what is potentially a huge issue for them. We have stopped buying Hotters. We love the product, while it works, but some of these shoes are unfit for purpose. Thank you for providing a forum to bring it to light.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
Yet another Hotter Sole disaster. What are they doing?
Surely something more than individual complaints needed.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
I have had this happen to several pairs of Hotter shoes now. Yesterday I went out shopping in a pair of Hotter shoes that I wear infrequently, but which looked fine, and within 10 minutes of leaving the car most of the soles had disintegrated and I had to go straight home. I have been a Hotter fan for about 20 years and have about 10 pairs in the wardrobe, some of which were bought for a particular occasion and worn only once. I am now frightened to wear them in case they crumble while I am out. I tried returning one pair for an explanation about 2 years and was sent a £10 voucher and no written reply or explanation.
Perhaps You and Yours (Radio 4) should investigate? That might shake Hotter up.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
Today a 10 year old pair of Hotter shoes that I occasionally wear, which should fit nicely between hardly ever wearing and wearing too much, just fell apart as I was walking, leaving half a heel on the pavement.
OK, these are 10 year old shoes but the uppers are in very good condition. I don’t think I will be returning these to Hotter as no-one else seems to have had any joy in that department. What I will be doing is NEVER buying another pair of Hotter shoes and putting the word out that Hotter are rubbish.
Merry Christmas to you all and I hope, for your sake, that Father Christmas does not leave you a pair of Hotter shoes under the tree; or for that matter wear Hotter shoes himself as I don’t think he will get too far on his delivery round.
Hotter shoes should have a “Use by” date. I had a brand-new pair (well wrapped up and dry) stored at the bottom of my wardrobe for some time (maybe five years). I thought I would start wearing them today on a short practice walk up to our local Waitrose. Bits were dropping off them all the time everywhere I went. NEVER BUY HOTTER SHOES is my advice
My boots about 6 years old and hardly any wear disintergrated today Boxing Day 26/12/16. I have a newer pair and concerned they might go the same way.
What can anyone do ,had to return home in a taxi in my stocking feet as boots just fell to pieces ,I have 2new pairs upstairs and I am now frighten to wear them ,will hotter please help
Today I bought a new pair of hotter shoes from eBay. I wore for 20 minutes and the soles simply crumbled.unable to wear.
Another sad story … I have a pair of brown nubuck Hotter shoes which I wear only in winter, and then only with brown pants, so they show very little sign of wear both on the upper and on the sole. I have had them at least 5 years and they are very comfortable so I was sorry this winter to find the rubber crumbling on both shoes at the heel between the sole and the upper. Sent an email to Hotter which they apparently did not take the trouble to read since their obviously standard reply included “this is an uncommon problem” and “caused by general wear and tear on the shoes”. It seems their idea of customer service is “we don’t want to know”. I used to recommend Hotter shoes to friends but never again.
Have a pair worn regularly for 18 months,then soles just crumbled away and disintegrated.Uppers still like New.So disappointing,but cannot face the hassle of a fight with Hotter.
This company needs sorting out!! Hmm. Who best to tackle this? I will put some feelers out and report back. They really can’t keep getting away with such poor quality goods and customer service. Watch this space… and thank you to all who have commented.
I had a week wearing my new Hotter Stream shoes that I had bought from ebay & like other people’s shoes the soles have started disintegrating. Luckily I didn’t pay much for them. Until I read these comments I thought theywere fakes! This is the first time this has happened though my previous Hotter shoes lasted for a year & then started splitting on the soles. Prior to that my other lace up Hotter shoes have lasted for years. I still have some that I have bought over the last 5 years unworn, still in their boxes, so I wonder how long they will last. A pity as they are very comfortable but as the shoes can’t be stored which is ridiculous, never heard that about any shoes until now & as the quality has gone down hill so rapidly no point in buying any more. I’m glad I never paid the full retail price.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
I bought 2 pairs of unworn Hotter shoes still in their boxes on e-bay. Both pairs disintegrated after a few hours of wearing them.
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
i have had same problem today and I found hotter company very unhelpful I was walking today and fell over a man helped me to wall he said o your boots are broke they had crumbled without any warning unreal I cant believe it ihave told hotter I want manager to contact me if not I going to trading standards
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
I have been wearing my Hotter shoes perhaps once a month and went out in them this morning for an hour and on getting into the car noticed cracks all around the soles and the toes of the sole completely gone! On inspection the sole was disintegrating before my eyes I thought I had trodden in some obnoxious chemical and really paniced until I found these posts!
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
This happened to me- the soles of a brand new pair I bought second-hand disintegrated yesterday-the first day I ever wore them to work! Only fit for the bin…Glad I didn’t pay the full price and will never buy Hotter again!
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
I have also had soles crumbling which is very disappointing. It is not always possible to wear them regularly eg sandals in the rain – so I have started to wear a different pair each day around the house. This is a pretty ridiculous solution and the shoes I presently own will be the last!
Apologies for my slow response, however I am about to contact the BBC watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
Hello,
I have had this problem with Hotter, M&S shoes and Padders. In fact Padders uppers seem to peel away from the upper as well. All shoes did not have much wear as was keeping them for best. Very disappointed indeed.
I am about to contact the BBC Watchdog programme about the cool response from Hotter. Please let me know if you don’t want your comments forwarded to them. Thanks again, Helen.
I .bought two pairs of Hotter shoes and a pair of sandals from a charity shop which were boxed brand new and still had their new labels attached. The soles of these shoes disintegrated the first time I wore them and all I could do was throw them in the bin. I paid twenty pounds for each of the shoes and ten pounds for the sandals. All I can say is that I am glad I didn’t pay the full price from Hotter. At least the money went to a charity. These shoes were clearly not fit for purpose.
You can add my wifes experiences with Hotter shoes to the list. She has several pairs of Hotter shoes that have started to self distruct after little or no use at all. Some were bought for her as presents by her friends. Contact with hotter brought much the same replies as previousley reported including a promised return label that never arrived.
have had 3 pairs go now. totally disintegrate and makes right mess/trail behind. I am returning mine this week and want an explanation or how they should be stored. I have recently bought their boots and worried same thing will happen.
I’m so pleased to have found this site. LIkewise I complained to Hotter some time ago (? Two years) and they denied any knowledge of the problem. SInce then at least three more pairs have disintegrated and the last straw is that two pairs of boots have done likewise in the last two weeks. As others have said, the uppers are in perfect condition, and especially with the boots, I only need to wear them when the weather requires it. I live in the country so they are not fashion boots that one would wear regularly. I’m really fed up as I really do need to wear their wide fitting shoes. It’s not as if they are cheap.
Hi Patricia, yep this problem goes on and on. I have reported Hotter shoes to BBC’s Watchdog consumer programme but not received a reply. I will chase them (the BBC) up next year…Haha. aka tomorrow 🙂 I’l keep you posted. Helen.
Hotter Shoes … Environmental Friendly Shoes ….
their FB page has many photos from customers, of crumbled soles on ‘photos from others’
” one shouldn’t expect soles made of polyurethane to last any more than 4 or 5 years (that is from their manufacture date, not your purchase date ) –
Think of the shoes limited lifespan as the price you pay for the comfort, support, resilience and shock absorption they deliver .. ” .. if only for a few minutes !
Soles that will crumble in a shoebox will crumble in a landfill. Yippee!
I have had the same problem with 2 pairs of Hotter shoes. Both had the same black crepe soles and just suddenly disintegrated. Had worn them a few times but the day it happened there was no sign of any impending problem when I put them on. I was sat at the table drinking coffee and when I stood up it looked like someone had dropped some soil on the floor. I then realised it was my shoes making the mess. The sole of one foot had broken up and the other was starting to crumble. This was my second pair to go like this but the first time it happened I was out walking in Nottingham and thought that I had walked through something that had caused my soles to crumble.
Seems as though it was not my fault that the first pair bit the dust ( or turned to dust) but rather a general problem with Hotter shoes. Neither pair had been heavily worn and never for long periods at a time so were both in very good , almost new condition. Now the only place they can go is in the bin. Not so HOT after all.
I have just informed Hotter that a pair of Winner shoes, probably purchased many years ago, but have been in storage for 99% of that time, have also got the ‘Crumbling Sole’ syndrome. I had the same problem with a pair of ankle boots and sandals a few years ago, but have to say both were resolved to my satisfaction.
I have just had the bog standard reply of it most possibly being down to wear and tear, despite me stating they had hardly been worn. I have just sent off a reply with clear photos, so now it’s time to ‘Watch this Space’.
I’ve also stated that much cheaper shoes stored with them, are still perfectly wearable.
If I see shoes I like, I buy them immediately, as it’s a rare event, but it doesn’t follow that I’m going to wear them at that point.
A ps. to my previous post.
If I think there might be an argument this time, but they want the shoes back – which is standard practise, as they took my boots and sandals back for ‘examination’ before replacing / refunding – maybe I’ll say I’ll only send one back, as rumour has it that there might be a TV investigation on the matter, and they’d like to see the problem we are all discussing on an actual shoe. ( No names mentioned ! )
And an update from my previous 2 posts. No questions asked after sending my shoes back ‘For Inspection’. A full refund of the purchase price BUT only credited to my account for when I purchase another pair. I’ll have to ‘Hang Fire’ until I see a pair that I know will not be going into storage, because as this is the third pair I’ve sent back with the same problem, I won’t be buying anymore after this episode.
Sincere apologies for delay in replying. Have just moved house! More soon…
I wore my Hotter shoes once about a year ago and stored them.
Put them on today, walked for 15 minutes and discovered the soles were disintegrating. Just found this website.
Is there any up to date information on how people have got on with the company? Surely the shoes are not fit for their purpose? How can the company still manufacture them. How ridiculous that they need to be worn. I am so disappointed as they are so comfortable. Are Mens shoes the same? My son has some for school. What consumer rights do we have?
Sincere apologies for delay in replying. I have just moved house. I haven’t given up on this issue just not had time to follow up. Will try to get to it in next few days.
This issue also applies to Padders and Ecco shoes. It seems that they must all get their soles from the same manufacturers.
Hi, and thanks for your input. I do apologise for my tardy reply.Apparently the BBC programme Watchdog did a feature on crumbling souls and asked for further information from viewers. I had tried contacting them ages ago and had no reply. Hopefully they might pay attention this time as another reader and contributor to my blog has forwarded all our complaints to Watchdog. That was about a week ago…nothing yet but will post as soon as I hear anything. thanks again for taking time to reply. Let’s hope we get some answers! Cheers, Helen.
I have worn my black lace up boots (purchased in Hotter shop) three times this Winter. Discovered both heels are disintegrating when I put them on this week. I am a pensioner and was advised that these boots would be a good reliable and comfortable purchase, instead of which they could have caused me to fall.
Hi, and thanks for your input. I do apologise for my tardy reply.Apparently the BBC programme Watchdog did a feature on crumbling souls and asked for further information from viewers. I had tried contacting them ages ago and had no reply. Hopefully they might pay attention this time as another reader and contributor to my blog has forwarded all our complaints to Watchdog. That was about a week ago…nothing yet but will post as soon as I hear anything. thanks again for taking time to reply. Let’s hope we get some answers! Cheers, Helen.
Did anyone see last nights Watchdog program on BBC. They had a feature on Clarks shoes and their soles breaking up and requested viewers who had similar experiences with any other makes of shoe to provide them with details.
Hi, and thanks for your input. I do apologise for my tardy reply.Apparently the BBC programme Watchdog did a feature on crumbling souls and asked for further information from viewers. I had tried contacting them ages ago and had no reply. Hopefully they might pay attention this time as another reader and contributor to my blog has forwarded all our complaints to Watchdog. That was about a week ago…nothing yet but will post as soon as I hear anything. thanks again for taking time to reply. Let’s hope we get some answers! Cheers, Helen.
Having just seen the same problem on ‘Watchdog’ concerning crumbling soles on Clarks shoes, I have informed them of this link and Hotter having the same problem.
Hi Sue, do let us know if and when you get a reply from Watchdog. As you can see I am finally back into my website but we can email if you prefer. Helen 🙂
Just returned a pair of men’s crumbled sole winter sturdy shoes to the most rude and patronising manageress at Kendal store. I was told they should have been worn. They were tough WINTER shoes and could not be worn in summer. As looking at previous reviews, why offer 2 for 1 if shoes don’t last? Have worn Hotter’s for years but that was my last experience. I have never been made to feel so bad and spoken to so rudely. I will try another brand.
The soles disintegrated on my expensive Hotter shoes also. I wrote to them and got the same brush off. Return them to where I bought them. They were a few years old and were my go to shoes, but not worn daily. The uppers still look new. I will not buy Hotter shoes ever again and would recommend the same to family and friends.
I contacted shoe repair people and one said he could fix them but they would cost more to fix than to buy a new pair. One made a comment about what do you expect when you buy cheap shoes-which these were not. Most said they were unrepairable.
This is such a disappointment and with so many people having problems with these soles deteriorating like this, you would think they would find a different method of making the shoes.
Thank you for adding your comments to this blog. Another customer (scroll up to see) has since contacted Watchdog, the BBC consumer programme, as have I but neither of us got a response. Truly shameful. I am going to try twitter. See if that wakes them up!! Helen.
I bought a pair at a resale shop that looked as if they had never been worn! Beautiful high quality shoes!
To my dismay, I noticed them crumbling while at a doctors visit. This was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life! I wish I had seen this website before I bought them!
I had to laugh when I found this website! I too have been caught out by the hotter shoe sole disintergrating scandal. I wore mine for approx five yards after leaving my car before I had to resort to walking in my stocking feet to another shoe shop to purchase a pair of shoes to return home in. There is really some issue with the manufacture of these soles!! Perhaps hotter really do need to take stock and get their act together and investigate. Surely this amount of incidents show that something is wrong? Hotter must feel they are not losing out as they still seem to advertise and grow in popularity. Perhaps more needs to be done to show hotter that their attitude is not acceptable.
Thanks so much for your comments. Hotter are truly awful and seem oblivious to an ongoing issue with their product! As you will see from previous replies, I have tried BBC Watchdog and twitter. To be honest as the media is so full of Brexit **** at the moment I think it is hard for anything else to get noticed. I am in Australia until mid April then I will get onto various media outlets including national newspapers. Hotter must not get away with their shoddy workmanship or whoever manufactures their soles…and customer service is appalling. Watch this space and don’t give up, I haven’t. Helen
Actually Hotter WILL now replace all these faulty shoes with crumbling soles, regardless of age, but have chosen not to publicise this goodwill gesture because of the very large numbers involved!!! So don’t give up – keep contacting them regularly until you wear them down & they do the decent thing.
Thank you. Have a look at the latest post! It seems this topic is getting hotter…sorry. But joking apart it is time to get the media involved. I will let everyone know when we get the right result.
SHIT SOLES LEAVING BLACK MARKS A
Yup!
I am so glad I found this site! I inherited my late Mother in Law’s collection of hotter shoes. I can’t afford to buy such expensive shoes but need wide,round toed, deep box shoes due to a medical condition. A pair of winter boots I wore disintegrated and like others thought I had trodden in something corrosive. I am pretty active and had worn them for several weeks. Two days ago I fished out a pair of blue suede shoes. Half way round the shops they started to disintegrate. I have a balance problem and was lucky I did not fall as the soles were catching on the uneven pavement. Luckily I was with my husband who gave me support literally! Due to the safety factor they sadly went into the bin. As I have no idea where they were bought I felt I couldn’t send them back. My MIL was a bit of an Emelda Markos and I have a huge selection of these beautifully comfy shoes that I have been keeping for “best”. I will now give each pair a trial round the house before wearing outside as I really don’t want the danger of a fall away from home.
Like others I am elderly (74) but active and on low income. It’s not the expense that worries me so much it’s the safety factor. Disintegrating shoes will cause falls especially for people like me who are somewhat disabled due to balance. I do think this aspect has been overlooked. No matter how old the shoes or where they were bought ,if a car ‘s high quality tyres disintegrated like this there would be far more reaction and a product recall would take place. These shoes are not fit for purpose and if I find any others in MIL collection I will notify our local trading standards Office and I will keep them, and this website to hand .
You have hit the nail on the head. Never mind customer service (because Hotter don’t provide any) but the crucial issue is health and safety and as you put it, ‘their shoes’ are not fit for purpose. Thank goodness they don’t make car tyres!! It’s time to take these complaints to the media as Hotter themselves and Watchdog have declined to get involved. Hope to have some answers for you soon. Please keep any other Hotter shoes you come across. Thanks, Helen.
Thank you for this information. I had exactly the same problem this morning which is why I searched for ‘Hotter crumbling soles’. I love the comfort of Hotter shoes for my wide feet and as I’ve had a pair of Hotter leather boots for over 25 years & I’m still wearing them, I didn’t realise there was a problem until I dug out a pair of ‘Easy’ sandals which had been store for a few years and still looked in great shape. But when I tried them on & walked around the house I noticed black marks all over the carpets & realised the black soles were crumbling! I’m worried now as I’d just ordered a few pairs of sandals & boots in the online sale and obviously don’t intend to wear all of them every day, but with specific outfits. Also sandals and boots are seasonal products, they should realise that they won’t be worn for long periods and go back to the old type of soles which have lasted me a long time but are still comfortable and only have the usual wear & tear through walking. I will contact Hotter over this issue & won’t be purchasing gain until they say they’ve rectified this problem (which I have never in my life seen before even with my cheaper shoes).
Thanks for your comments. Please post again when/if you get a reply from Hotter. They seem to be living under a stone! Helen 😉
Has anybody taken the crumbling sole complaint to trading standards.The shoes are not of merchantable quality?.
Thanks for your comments. Excellent idea.Watch this space.
Have just had the same issue with the Rosella sandals – bought online some years ago, worn for special occasions but not so much recently. At least I probably got them initially in a sale …. Disappointing though as I’ve had no previous issues with Hotter
My 87 year old mother has a pair of Hotter shoes which look in beautiful condition- until you look at the soles. On a recent walk they crumbled away, leaving very deep, uneven cavernous areas. There is no sole left at all in some areas, meaning they cannot possibly be worn. I will be taking them in to a local Hotter shop in the hope of being offered a replacement, but unless they have changed the composition of the soles, I’m afraid the same thing will happen again.
Had this problem a few years ago with a pair of Hotter shoes and was told by assistant I had been storing them incorrectly. Have about 15 pairs of Hotter shoes, sandals and boots and just today – on holiday- walked into a smart shop for a coffee and to my embarrassment left a trail of black. Owner wasn’t pleased! Only have Hotter shoes with me, but nothing I can go walking in! Will take them to Skelmerdale as I don’t live too far away.
I’ve just got out my hotter winter boots, lo and behold the soles are crumbling apart. Hardly not used enough, as you don’t wear boots in the summer!! I shall be contacting Hotter, but after all the negative posts on customer service don’t hold out much hope. Cheaper shoes just don’t seem to have this problem, why do hotter???? I will jot be buying again and will be telling everyone not to but their goods as they just turn to rubbish.
I have just had the same happen with a pair of crumbling soled little-worn, well-stored Hotter boots.
I am trying to decide whether it is actually worth investing time and money in complaining.
Have you got anywhere with complaints? If so, to whom? Thanks!
Bought pair of ladies Hotter shoes for partner on Ebay. Looked virtually new and unused. Guess who left the coal dust marks all over our dentists carpets and through house on getting home. Soles crumbled with one wearing. The sole material in question is unfit for purpose which makes the goods not fit for the purpose intended. Trading Standards need to take action. Shoes are stored and unused, it’s a part of their normal life. Special care or regular wearing should not be needed! Will not buy Hotter shoes again.
Thank you Robert. Sorry for slow reply. But yes, trading standards, I will look into it this coming week. Hotter should not be getting away with this!
I bought one pair of shoes from Hotter store, and I was worn only once for 3h (only walking for 30 minutes). My foots was totally in pain, I have both legs with wounds because of this shoes. I’m very disappointed because I bought this boots for comfort which seems it’s not like I though.
I went to the store and the manager was not nice, she didn’t listen to me… she was told me I can’t receive my money back, just to replace with another pair of shoes. I didn’t find anything what I like over there, so I refuse to buy something, (just to buy!! ) I’m disappointed about this shop! From now behind, I will be more carefully at what I will buy and from where!!!
PS: Also the colour seems to not fit! (One shoe is shine and another is mat).
Thank you Elena,for your comments. Hotter really are appalling! Footwear not fit for purpose. I hope to make some progress soon. watch this space. Helen
I purchased a pair of Hotter Shoes as brand new off ebay. They fell apart as I was driving and part stuck to my clutch, are Hotter likely to replace. Pleased to have found this site as like an earlier poster I thought that they must have been Fakes.
Thank you Rose for your message. Sorry for the delay in my reply. Family issues have been taking precedent at the moment but with every comment I read the angrier I get.It’s appalling that they are getting away with such shoddy workmanship. We need to find ‘their achilles heel’ There must be something we can do…Hmmm
Its happens to us on a couple of occasions the shop in question found want to know or the email got the same answer
Thought this was just happening to me, have had quite a few pairs disintegrate whilst wearing them, one pair the soles totally fell off while out shopping leaving a trail of black bits right round the shop. Had to call in a shoe shop and buy new shoes(not Hotter). Have three pairs of Evita sandals all fallen apart in the last few months. No more Hotter shoes for me.
Have just had a weird experience. Bought a pair of lovely clearly never worn boots from a charity shop. Wore them to walk the dog just a 20 minute pop round the village. By the time i got back the boots had no soles they had literally crumbled away! Having bought them in a charity shop im not worried about taking them back but it is quite odd that hotter would either donate or sell boots with such a fault. They were literally brand new so I bought in good faith assuming someone had bought the wrong size!
Hi Jacqui, Sorry only just seen your post. It is incredible that HOTTER are still getting way with their dreadful, unreliable and in some cases downright dangerous goods! I have tried contacting them (Ha!) and writing to various radio and tv shows that deal with such things to no avail. There must be someone with a voice that actually cares but haven’t found them yet. I will keep looking and thanks for your post. Helen.
I threw the first two pair out, new but soles. Crumbling. My third pair are still with me my forth pair which I put on this morning fell to crumbling dust. So time to do something. I have a lot of hotter shoes and boots, about forty pairs., so this is very worrying. Will start by calling head office then on to trading standards.
I have now had two pairs of hotter shoes, both pairs disintegrated, very disappointed
Yes I have had just the same thing happen with a pair of Hotter Saffron sandals. I have two pairs, a beautiful red pair that are absolutely fine and a second pair of brown sandals that have crumbling soles having had very little wear. Very disappointed.
Worn Pair hotter shoes for work and the started to crumb as i moved a round the office so embarrassing. Upper shine and new and soles like i walked in acid. Have a six of pairs gifts . was thinking of complaints but see it a waste of time and is a design fault.
Again, I have had two horrible experiences. First when at a garden party, walking back to the car my sandals gave way under me. The sole had broken in half and the rest crumbled all over the ground. So embarrassing. Had to hobble in stocking feet to the car. The second occasion I took a pair of Hotters out of the wardrobe I have had for a few years and, guess what, the same thing happened Nothing left of the sole or heel, yet the uppers were in a brand new state just like the sandals. Disgusting! I was so incensed I found Hotter Customer Service email and told them all the details. A female rang me back and said “because I hadn’t worn them they will disintegrate” I said that under the Trades Description Act they were not fit for purpose. She said after 6 years Trades Description wouldn’t entertain the complaint. She had a really thick skin. She ended by saying she would give me a credit of £10 towards the cost of a new pair. I said,”really? so I would have it happen for a third time!!” I finished by saying “that is not acceptable”. The call lasted about 50minutes by which time I was stressed out. It ended with her putting the phone down on me. GRRRR!!!
I purchased two pairs of Hotter shoes two years ago,mainly because I prefer to try them on in a shop before buying. One pair is okay,but the other which I have just started using, had the disintegrating soles.Although the leather uppers are fine the shoes are completely unusable,and dangerous.Have Hotter recognised this problem and will they be willing to offer compensation.The shop I bought them from is 170miles away.
I am another victim of shoe failure. Lovely pair of winter shoes stored in a breathable linen holder ,used regularly but little wear disintegrated while I was walking causing me to trip and stumble. Since I have a leg weakness I narrowly avoided a bad fall. These shoes are unfit for purpose. I intend to send them back but from other comments I will probably get no satisfactory response.
I am another victim of shoe failure. Lovely pair of winter shoes stored in a breathable linen holder ,used regularly but little wear disintegrated while I was walking causing me to trip and stumble. Since I have a leg weakness I narrowly avoided a bad fall. These shoes are unfit for purpose. I intend to send them back but from other comments I will probably not get a satisfactory response
I am another victim of shoe failure. Lovely pair of winter shoes stored in a breathable linen holder ,used regularly but little wear disintegrated while I was walking causing me to trip and stumble. Since I have a leg weakness I narrowly avoided a bad fall. These shoes are unfit for purpose. I intend to send them back. From reading other unhappy customer comments I will probably not get a satisfactory response .
I think hotter will only take notice when they are declared bankrupt because no one will buy their shoes. What about other brands with the same problem? What shoes can I safely buy?
Everybody stop buying hotters!
I bought a pair of Clarks shoes and didn’t wear them for a several of years, they were in a box under my bed. When I took them out they disintegrated in a couple of days, just exactly the same way as in the pictures of the Hotter shoes. So maybe there is something in the assertion that if you don’t wear some kinds of shoes they disintegrate. But it should not be that way.
I purchased two pairs of Hotter sandals second hand that were claimed to be in very good state. I assume the owner didn’t wear them for a good while. they looked great when they arrived. I walked in them for not even 2 minutes and noticed something feeling off while walking. Guess what? Yup, they were desintegrating. Pretty upset about it, because I’m having a hard time finding comfortable sandals for my feet.
I have a pair of hotter dark green boots that haven’t been worn much at all. I put them on yesterday as it started to rain as I was going out to lunch. On the way back home I realised I was leaving a trail of what I thought was mud behind me. It was in fact the rubber soles disintegrating. Thankfully I only live down the road from the restaurant so got home ok.
The uppers of the boots are in beautiful condition. Any advice on on what to do?
Same trouble with Hotter soles Thrown away new wons worn once and others worn a few times All expensive Good to know I’m not the only one Other Hotter worn for years and still as new
I have a pair of Hotter shoes I have put them aside for a special date,never had them on till to day ,and the bottoms are coming apart ,got them about 6. months ago so upset.Phoned them not much help
I have just started to wear a pair of brown boots again after several years to find that the soles have just disintegrated. The uppers look like new but l am unable to wear them. I then put on the brown shoes l have had as long and the same thing hapened.to them. What is the problem with Hotter footwear. The same thing hapened to a pair of sandles in the summer, l thought it was because l had had them for a long time. I now know that this is a manufacturing error. Can l trust that more recently purchased shoes will not do the same. Feeling very annoyed.
It is quite unbelievable that Hotter continue to get away with their poor and quite honestly dangerous workmanship! Someone with a bigger voice than mine needs to take up this cause. Any ideas? Helen.
I’m visiting my mother and she’s just brought out a pair of Hotter brand shoes. She had found that they had a very good grip on slippy surfaces when icy but has been storing inbetween. She brought them out of her wardrobe the other day and was astonished to find the soles had split and perished. I came across your article whilst seeing if this could be a common problem. Looking here I think we can safely say there is an issue with these type of shoe soles.
My soles on my sandals have just fallen apart. I was told I hadn’t worn them enough. This is the second pair of Hotter Shoes to have this problem. I won’t be buying any Hotter shoes again. Will go to more reliable shoe shops. Disgraceful, their shoes are not cheap.
Apologies for my tardy reply. We really need to find someone who will take action on this issue. Way too many companies just hope we will give up. I am currently doing care work (to top up a totally inadequate pension) but I will tackle this properly next week. Promise! Helen .
I can’t believe that I have just read through all these complaints about hotter shoes soles disintegrating and no redress has been obtained since 2015. So there have been eight years of complaints that are showing here, and hotter have not been taken to task over this . So, to add my story, I had a brand-new pair of leather walkers, been in the wardrobe for a couple of years, I took them to Albania on a touring holiday to wear for the first time. They started crumbling the first day I wore them and continued to crumble throughout the 10 day holiday. We more or less placed bets on how long they would last before there was no sole left at all under the perfectly good and brand-new leather uppers. Every day I had to take a spare pair of shoes with me, in case that would be the day that my feet were poking through the bottoms of these new unworn shoes. As an addendum, it has just happened again to a pair of Ecco shoes, which were brand-new, and have marvellous, leather uppers, with crumbling soles, which occurred after 15 minutes of wear, during which time, I drove to a shop, walked around in it for five minutes, and drove back home again.
Researching online, I quickly found that Ecco has had the same massive problem as hotter, and nobody has had a satisfactory outcome. Their complaints department show a successful outcome to each complaint, but, when you look into it, it says complaint resolved due to customer inactivity. What this actually means is that everybody has just given up because they have got nowhere. One complainant said that they tried repeatedly for four months and got absolutely nowhere at all and gave up. This would go down in the statistics as a successful outcome, because the complaining customer retreated in disgust, and gave up the fight. Where do we go from here? This is two shoe companies, obviously using the same composite material for their soles. It is clearly not fit for purpose, and the practice should be stopped.
One complainant said that he was walking into a wedding, in a dress suit, and noticed that his beautiful black leather shoes were leaving crumbled pieces of composite in a trail behind him. But he was stuck at the wedding all day with his best shoes hanging off his feet.
Where can we go for these unscrupulous shoemakers to be taken to task?
Excellent question! I have contacted some consumer programmes, radio and tv and never had a reply! I also posted some comments and the link to my website on twitter but to no avail. These companies appear to behave like the royal family. Ignore criticism and never take responsibility! I am currently working 24/7 doing care work until next week then I will look at further lines of action. Promise! Helen x
I have bought several pairs of Hotter shoes over recent years,
Jewel, Livy. And Etna, all have been ok so far. However my last pair of Etna shoes , beautiful white and cream loafers , unable to wear much over last few years owing to covid and health problems , well actually not at all. Got them out this summer as am walking better now on second outing this week found I had lost height on one side. Low and behold on arriving home yes crumbling soles and a terrible mess in foot well of car! My other Etna shoes which I have worn for some years now ,navy, seem to be ok . As it happens although all new I purchased on eBay so haven’t lost much in way of funds, but my beautiful new leather uppers are now left without a sole, and useless, as others have found. It appears Indeed that Hotter will be losing a faithful customer base if not rectified. I am wondering if Queen Elizabeth had this problem as I believe she is a patron of Hotter?……..
Sorry for above mistake I believe Queen Elizabeth ‘was’ a patron?
Just to add I also have other shoes been in storage for a long time …. gluv black leather moccasins and they are dandy , so to say that not wearing them, causes the problem is ridiculous! Definitely a manufacturing problem ! ……
Same here. I purchased an unused secondhand pair of Hotter dress shoes and walking the 200 yards from the car to the concert venue my right heel disintegrated. As I walked up to the front of the hall someone pointed out I was leaving a trail of black dust and lumps of rubber. Ive worn Hotter shoes for years – but this experience has totally put me off. Te lack of response from Hotter over many years is a disgrace!
I have over 30 pairs of Hotter shoes, sandals and boots and obviously cannot wear them all on a daily basis. This morning I put on a pair of suede shoes as they are very comfortable to start clearing Christmas away. Within a few minutes my carpets were black from the disintegrating soles which literally just melted away. Having found this thread I’m now reluctant to contact Hotter direct as I feel it’ll get me nowhere. I’ve got photos showing uppers are in great condition as are insoles – but the soles have almost completely disintegrated. I have so many pairs I’m now worried I could end up without any shoes. I’m 77 and disabled so would be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks