Grrr.....Keds Sneakers

[Kim&Chris]

I am so angry right now. About a month ago, I purchased a pair of canvas Keds from the Keds website. I LOVE them!! So comfortable!

Anyway, I got a tiny smudge on them, so I went onto their website & they have an entire page dedicated to the care of their shoes. To clean the canvas, they recommend "spot clean, then air dry". Great! So, I take a cloth, dab a teensy-weensy bit of detergent on it, and remove the spot successfully. I left the shoe on top of the washing machine overnight to 'air dry'.

Next morning, there's a yellow spot on the shoe where I had spot cleaned it. It looks like the glue that holds the shoe together has spread somehow. Yuck. So I called Keds customer service for advice. A horribly ignorant woman answers the phone and I explain the situation (the whole time I'm talking, she's crunching on some sort of food). Finally, she interrupts me and said "Ma'am, you should have used a hair dryer to dry them". Huh? I said "your website says to airdry". She said "yes, but our product people advise using a hair dryer. By leaving the sneakers wet, it produces a water stain." I asked her why their website does not advise customers of this, and she crunched, "ma'am I have no idea, but that's what you should have done".

So, I try the hair dryer method by re-wetting the spot and standing in the bathroom drying the shoes. Guess what....now it's worse.

I called Keds again and spoke to a supervisor and explained that this is a clear case of product liability, and suggested that they replace the shoes. Know what she says? "Sorry, ma'am, Keds does not replace shoes. Goodbye".

Any recommendations?

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I called Keds again and spoke to a supervisor and explained that this is a clear case of product liability, and suggested that they replace the shoes. Know what she says? "Sorry, ma'am, Keds does not replace shoes. Goodbye".

Product liability? exactly how were you damaged by the shoe????

Okay seriously now, I would be mad about the shoes as well. Instead of talking on the phone, I have found if you write a letter you get a more effective response. Include a picture of the shoe. Good luck.

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

Sorry, what a pain!
I used to wear Keds in drill team a lot and I remember that anytime I got something on them it would always spread when I tried to get it out no matter how I tried to do it.
Maybe you can try to get a supervisor on the phone and try to get a little further with them? If nothing else, I would always write a nasty email just to make myself feel better!!

 

[Kim&Chris]

Product liability? exactly how were you damaged by the shoe????

Okay seriously now, I would be mad about the shoes as well. Instead of talking on the phone, I have found if you write a letter you get a more effective response. Include a picture of the shoe. Good luck.

Product liabilty doesn't necessarily mean personal injury . Means there's a problem with the product itself.

 

[diznygirl]

A yellow spot? It actually sounds like the detergent wasn't rinsed out completely.

But I feel your pain - I love Keds and I hate having dirty ones. So I switched to the leather so I could wipe them clean. Well, the leather gets scuffed!

 

[stinkerbelle]

I called Keds again and spoke to a supervisor and explained that this is a clear case of product liability, and suggested that they replace the shoes. Know what she says? "Sorry, ma'am, Keds does not replace shoes. Goodbye".

Any recommendations?

Buy black canvas shoes next time?

I dunno...I wouldn't expect them to replace the shoes personally...yes, the "directions" on their website were not accurate...but it's not like it's a do or die situation (like - if swallowed...induce vomitting when you really SHOULDN'T induce vomitting...ya know?)

chalk it up to life experience...

 

[Disneyrsh]

You guys are going to think I'm crazy, but I've been washing all of our running shoes, tennis shoes, and canvas shoes in the hot wash with bleach for years now.

All of our shoes, even my expensive adidas tennis shoes, come out snow white and great. And it kills the stinky shoe smell.

I wash the leather ones, the suede ones, and the canvas ones. Seriously!

I just washed my daughter's leather tennis shoes because she'd gotten red georgia mud all over them and they're snow white again. Just set your washing machine to the hottest water, longest wash, make sure you throw in some old towels with the shoes (the towels help to scrub the shoes and keep them underwater), and put in a cup of bleach, detergent, and I like fabric softener because it makes the shoes smell nice, and have at it.

If you're going to throw the shoes out anyway, what do you have to lose?

Don't dry them, though, set them in a sunny spot to dry or leave them on top of your dryer when you dry other clothes.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Try a Clorox Bleach Pen, or just toss them in the wash. I always wash sneakers...all kinds (canvas, leather) esp if the alternative is having dirty, smelling sneakers. Then I leave them outside to dry. If I ever get a new dryer, they now have a shelf to dry shoes on.

 

[Keli]

I, too, wash our tennis shoes. It really does do wonders for them although I'm sure it shortens their longevity. But who wants dirty, smelly shoes that last forever anyway?

 

[RitaZ.]

I have my own method of washing Keds, just throw them in the washing machine and they come out looking brand new. Sometimes, they will get that yellow staining when they air dry, when that happens, I just put them through another wash cycle. That usually does it!

I also wash leather shoes this way and I also add a small amount of bleach to kill any odors.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Product liabilty doesn't necessarily mean personal injury . Means there's a problem with the product itself.

I know the difference, I think it's a stretch though.

product liability n. the responsibility of manufacturers, distributors and sellers of products to the public, to deliver products free of defects which harm an individual or numerous persons and to make good on that responsibility if their products are defective. These can include faulty auto brakes, contaminated baby food, exploding bottles of beer, flammable children's pajamas, or lack of label warnings. Examples: Beauty Queen Hair Products makes a hair-permanent kit in which the formula will cause loss of hair to women with sensitive scalps, and Molly Makeup has her hair done at the Bon Ton Beauty Shop and suffers scalp burns and loss of hair. Molly has a claim for damages against Beauty Queen, the manufacturer. Big Boy Trucks makes a truck with a faulty steering gear, bought by Tom Holdtight. The gear fails and Holdtight runs off the road and breaks his back. Holdtight can sue Big Boy for the damages. The key element in products liability law is that a person who suffers harm need not prove negligence, since the negligence is "presumed" and the result is "strict liability" (absolute responsibility) on the seller, distributor and manufacturer. An injured person usually need only sue the seller and let him/her/it bring the manufacturer or distributor into the lawsuit or require contribution toward a judgment. However, all those possibly responsible should be named in the suit as defendants if they are known.

 

[lulugirl]

I always wash my canvas Keds in the washer w/ bleach, they always come out clean.

 

[rascalmom]

I wore Keds for years - I always just threw them in the washer. I even ran them through the dryer in a pinch - it never hurt the shoes, it was a bit noisy though!

 

[Kim&Chris]

Buy black canvas shoes next time?

I dunno...I wouldn't expect them to replace the shoes personally...yes, the "directions" on their website were not accurate...but it's not like it's a do or die situation (like - if swallowed...induce vomitting when you really SHOULDN'T induce vomitting...ya know?)

chalk it up to life experience...

Yeah, I know, just ticks me a little that they make you feel like a dope for following their directions. Then make you feel like a dork for not knowing about the 'blow dryer' method

 

[lulugirl]

Yeah, I know, just ticks me a little that they make you feel like a dope for following their directions. Then make you feel like a dork for not knowing about the 'blow dryer' method

...and who the heck has time to blow dry their sneakers anyway? It takes me a great deal of effort just to blow dry my hair!

 

[Kim&Chris]

...and who the heck has time to blow dry their sneakers anyway? It takes me a great deal of effort just to blow dry my hair!

 

[roque]

I am so angry right now. About a month ago, I purchased a pair of canvas Keds from the Keds website. I LOVE them!! So comfortable!

Anyway, I got a tiny smudge on them, so I went onto their website & they have an entire page dedicated to the care of their shoes. To clean the canvas, they recommend "spot clean, then air dry". Great! So, I take a cloth, dab a teensy-weensy bit of detergent on it, and remove the spot successfully. I left the shoe on top of the washing machine overnight to 'air dry'.

Next morning, there's a yellow spot on the shoe where I had spot cleaned it. It looks like the glue that holds the shoe together has spread somehow. Yuck. So I called Keds customer service for advice. A horribly ignorant woman answers the phone and I explain the situation (the whole time I'm talking, she's crunching on some sort of food). Finally, she interrupts me and said "Ma'am, you should have used a hair dryer to dry them". Huh? I said "your website says to airdry". She said "yes, but our product people advise using a hair dryer. By leaving the sneakers wet, it produces a water stain." I asked her why their website does not advise customers of this, and she crunched, "ma'am I have no idea, but that's what you should have done".

So, I try the hair dryer method by re-wetting the spot and standing in the bathroom drying the shoes. Guess what....now it's worse.

I called Keds again and spoke to a supervisor and explained that this is a clear case of product liability, and suggested that they replace the shoes. Know what she says? "Sorry, ma'am, Keds does not replace shoes. Goodbye".

Any recommendations?

my recommendation is to move on with your life they're keds not kids

 

[minkydog]

You guys are going to think I'm crazy, but I've been washing all of our running shoes, tennis shoes, and canvas shoes in the hot wash with bleach for years now.

All of our shoes, even my expensive adidas tennis shoes, come out snow white and great. And it kills the stinky shoe smell.

I wash the leather ones, the suede ones, and the canvas ones. Seriously!

If you're going to throw the shoes out anyway, what do you have to lose?

Don't dry them, though, set them in a sunny spot to dry or leave them on top of your dryer when you dry other clothes.

I do the same thing. My kids have always worn Keds and I never thought to clean them any other way, but throw them in the wash. I even dry them in the drier They come out looking great!

 

[scoutsmom99]

What kind of deteregent did you use? I would try a little bleach to get the yellow spot out. We used to use ivory soap and a good brush on them sometimes we would use a little bleach as well. Always dried them outside in the sun as well.

Maybe the pair you have is defective becuase of the glue. Try using that and call customer service again and say that you wore them outside and it rained and the seam on the shoe must not have been closed very well because there is a glue spot now.

Keds is ownded by Stride Rite and I know stride rite has good Customer service so it suprises me they were so rude to you.

 

[Kermit]

I also wash mine in the washing machine. I think they look best when placed outside on a sunny day while they're still very wet. The sun bleaches them out as they dry, and it prevents getting those yellow marks where the sole meets the shoe.