Is Hike Footwear a Scam? I Tried This Sneakers Brand
If you’re reading this, you’re probably considering buying one of Hike-footwear.com bestselling shoes. You might have come across ads promoting Hike Footwear orthopedic insoles.
Lucky for you, one of my guest as a product tester is to find out if a product is worth the hype or just fad. I bought, wore and tested Hike Outdoor Pro shoes. Here’s my report, quality check, pros, and cons.
A Close Look at Hike-Footwear.com
Hikefootwear.com sells shoes for men and women. They offer orthopaedic insoles, wide toe design, and claim to support natural movement while stimulating blood circulation. The shoes are said to be super comfy and last a long time.
Two shoes caught my fancy; the Hike Outdoor Pro, and the Lorax Pro (both Unisex Barefoot Shoes). The features listed for these shoes are –
- Lightweight & Durable Design
- Breathable Material
- Slip Resistant
My Experience With Hike Footwear
I ordered size 39 shoes because that’s my usual size, and it’s the size I wear in other brands like Doc Martens and Birkenstocks. But when I got these shoes, they were way too small. My toes were squished up against the front and back of the shoes.
What’s worse is that I have to pay $40 to ship these shoes back to China, and I wasn’t even told to include my order number. I had to write it down myself. If I don’t get a full refund, I’ll be really mad and I’ll report this to the Better Business Bureau and leave negative reviews everywhere.
When I called customer service to ask about returning the shoes, they weren’t even sure if I could return them.
It’s frustrating that they’re based in London but we have to ship returns all the way to China. It feels shady and I regret buying these shoes.
Pros: The Good Stuff
- These shoes are super comfy.
- They’re wide enough to help with foot pain.
- I was confident in buying them.
- They arrived pretty quickly, despite a slight delay.
- Exchanging them should be easy, if they do it right.
Cons: Not So Good Stuff
- Shipping takes ages and customer service does not reply
- There are customer reports of wrong size
- The shoes falls apart after a while
- The company offers partial refund
- It’s cheaply made Chinese product
Where To Buy
If you want to buy this hiking shoes, place an order from Amazon and also from their official website Hike-footwear.com. The price is for one is between $59.99 to $115.75.
What You Must Know Before Buying From Hike-Footwear.com
- Deceptive Marketing: The product looks great on Facebook, but when you actually get it, it’s disappointing. It’s poorly designed, flimsy, and just not what I expected. I wanted to return it right away, but no one has responded to my emails in over a month. It’s really frustrating.
- Unrealistic Return Policy: Return Policy seems to be a joke or they simply don’t know how to manage clients. This company isn’t even sure if they’ll accept your return, and when they finally do, they make you pay to ship the way too small, mis-sized shoes all the way back to a warehouse in China. That’s right, at your own expense.
- No Support: Another problem is that these shoes have absolutely no arch support. None at all. While they may be lightweight and comfortable, the lack of arch support doesn’t work for me or for many others who spend a lot of time on their feet. Additionally, considering the quality of the fabric and materials used, these shoes are also quite expensive.
- No Customer Support: The non-existent customer service number and address provided by the company for support does not work. It will be a miracle if you receive any response from them. Whenever they do answer the phone, you get the same answer. Your Order is on the way. The tracking number tells a different story.
- Poor Quality: I was really let down by these shoes. They were way too small, probably about a whole size off. But the worst part was that they were advertised as slip-resistant, yet I found them super slippery on the floor near the dishwasher, where I really needed them to grip
- The Shoes are from China: The shoes are sent from China and to return them will cost you extra dollars.
Real Customer Reviews And Feedbacks
The customer reports on Trustpilot and Reddit are mixed. Some customers found the shoes pretty comfortable and stable while others did not. Here are some reviews
They are super comfortable, it’s like not wearing any shoe at all, which I love. They are not water resistant and didn’t have enough support for me. I work 12 hr shifts in the hospital but I would totally wear them as everyday wear.
Couldn’t tell you about the product considering I wasn’t able to actually wear either pair I received because they are not true to size!! I ordered a 8-8.5 size (39) didn’t fit!!! Then sent me another pair no questions COOL that pair didn’t fit which was the next size up 9-9.5 (40) so I’m thinking a 41 has to fit right???? I asked to send them back and they said NOPE because I excepted the second pair which they said they’d send didn’t say anything about a refund or a return because they strive for 100% customer satisfaction I can’t return or exchange!!! This is crap for how much money they were now I’m just stuck with two pair of shoes I can’t even wear!!!! I’m sooooo frustrated!
How Do I Reach Out To Customer Service
You can reach out to them via Monday to Friday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Email: [email protected], Phone: +1 (332) 334-6932.
Is Hike Footwear Worth Your Money
Not really, These shoes have the same soles as $35 minimalist shoes you can find on Amazon, like Whitin and Saguro. They’re just cheaply made shoes that won’t last long, but with a big markup, so they’re not even cheap.
Final Words
The hike footwear was a total waste of my time and money. If you are considering buying, make sure you understand their sizing because this shoe was too small for me. There is little to no cushioning in the footbed; cheaply made. Their web page statement “easy returns”, is misleading at best or downright false.
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