An expensive mistake. Review on Puma Bags

I had just had a pair of Reebok sneakers stolen in April 2010, and was looking for a suitable replacement, when I came across a "Shoe of the Day" offer from https://bigshoebazaar.com for a nice looking pair of casual shoes from Puma. I had owned a pair of Puma shoes while in school, nearly 20 years ago, and had been impressed by their quality at that time. So I had no qualms about ordering a pair from the website in May 2010, especially since I had a discount coupon which gave me an added discount.

When the shoes arrived, they looked beautiful, just as you would expect. There were no issues for nearly 4 months, probably because they were very sparingly used, for an occasional morning walk or shopping trip. The trouble started when I went on a 4 day holiday to Kuala Lumpur in August.

I was using the shoe continuously, from the moment I left home to the time I returned, which meant that it clocked up some mileage (mainly walking on roads, with an amusement park and a bird park thrown in). There was no exposure to rough terrain, such as mountain climbing.

To my horror, I found that pieces of the sole had fallen off from the shoe, starting with the PUMA label in the centre of the sole. This exposed the soft cushioning rubber, which will probably wear out in a matter of days, since it it not designed to withstand friction. Additionally, stitches on the front of the shoe also started unravelling, so that the fabric started to work loose from the leather. All in all, the shoe paints a dismal picture of quality, and it looks like I will have to get myself a new pair soon! This is definitely not the quality that you would expect from an international player like Puma, and it is no wonder that they have not captured the hearts and minds of the Indian consumers.

I had written to both Bigshoebazaar and Puma, and I got a reply from the former, while the manufacturer has not replied so far. As expected, the seller expressed an inability to replace the shoe, since it was bought at a discount, and since 5 months had passed since purchase. Whether their refusal is legally valid is something I will have to think about at a later date, but as of now, I would recommend that all consumers STEER CLEAR OF PUMA SHOES!

This is only the second post in Mouthshut about Puma, and the last one was written a year ago. I hope that consumers will note that the company has not changed colors in over a year.