Man who stored new shoes in wardrobe for ten years dismayed that soles broke on first wearing

Roy Sparshott from Gosport, Hampshire, admits to a bit of a habit of buying shoes and storing them until he wants to wear them. The 70-year-old recently dug out of his wardrobe a brand new pair of Clarks Active Air shoes which he believed he’d stored for about a year. He put them on but was dismayed to find that after walking approximately 300 metres the soles of the £79 pair of shoes had parted from the uppers. He says he took them back to the shop, where it was agreed they were in pristine condition apart from the issue with the sole.

But because he couldn’t produce a receipt he was offered only £10 in compensation. He said: "If you’re paying £80 for a pair of shoes, you expect them to last. I’ve got some walking boots that are 30 years old and they’re as good as anything." Clarks’ have a reputation for quality, durable products. The firm was anxious to get to the bottom of Roy's complaint and asked him to provide the manufacturing reference numbers stamped inside the shoes. This revealed the shoes had been made in 2004, and clearly had been in storage since then.



They say they were aware that some materials they had previously used in the manufacturing process could result in hydrolysis, a condition that stops the material from flexing and stretching. They had phased out the use of the offending material several years ago. A spokesperson said: "Clarks’ shoes and the materials used are subjected to a large number of physical tests designed to ensure comfort, safety and durability. Each product undergoes up to 50 tests before the point of sale. Shoes are also randomly checked and tested when they arrive at distribution centres to ensure they all meet the Clarks quality standard. We are sorry to hear of Mr Sparshott’s complaint.

"However, after further investigation it is apparent these shoes were manufactured in August 2004 and had been stored by the customer for approximately 10 years. Due to the date of manufacture, this product would have been susceptible to hydrolysis and we have offered the customer a goodwill gesture for his inconvenience. We discussed the situation with Roy and he agreed it probably wasn’t smart to store shoes for too long after buying them. Legally he was required to produce a receipt and only entitled to a refund or replacements for up to six years from the date of purchase." However, Clarks have decided as a gesture of goodwill to double its original compensation offer to £20. Roy was disappointed not to receive a total refund but says he will be taking up Clarks’ goodwill offer now he understands his statutory rights had expired. He added: "I hope this is a warning to other people."