Karrimor Running Shoes

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  • With you on the sock front too - I use the Karrimor long compression socks - they do the job,last well and are a damn site cheaper than most of the other brands of compression sock available.  Now must get on my Satan's socks and shoes in preparation fro fleeing the mob.....image

     

  • My husband uses karrimor running shoes. He always praises these comfortable shoes...

     

  • Yawn,   another random 1st post defending them.... You would think people would want to come on and talk about running, no!!!! They want to come on as completely new and say about trainers they don't even wear..... Yes!!! That is such a great advert for them.

    NOT.

     

  • I just bought some Karrimor D3O trail shoes. I didn't know much about the brand but I liked them because they were relatively cheap £40 and they looked extremely solid, which I like. First impressions is that the D3O midsole is extremely impressive. Incredibly comfortable, but a rebound which rivals my Adidas Energy Boosts. Early days, but I'm quite staggered, really - I didn't expect something quite so groundbreaking in Karrimor shoes. I've got a 5K time trial coming up this Friday, I'll see how my speed compares with my Energy Boosts.

    Here is a demo of this amazing D3O stuff:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/10988649/Real-life-Flubber-made-in-the-UK-saving-lives-in-war-zones-and-on-the-football-field.html

     

  • They are absolute crap, avoid at all costs

  • Not tried their running shoes, but had a pair of Karrimor trekking shoes that lasted for ages, were comfortable and cost me tuppence.  Used them on a 5 month walking & trekking sabbatical in South America a few years back and they came back to London in one piece. If their running shoes are the same (and if the quality hasn't dropped in recent years), I'd say they may be worth a try. 

  • A few years ago is key..... A good brand that have gone downhill since being taken over.

  • Ah, I see - what a shame! image

  • I think their sales techniques are worse than the trainers.
  • They obviously think that everybody on this forum is realy stupid!

  • This is funny when I originally asked the question I never realised it would raise it's head regularly over the next couple of years! Someone suggested I try Sports shoes Unlimited and I did! Have been using them to buy Saucony ever since!

  • Don’t think that Sweatshop selling a product is any badge of quality. 

    Their customer service ethic is strong, but they have made some fairly indefensible choices in terms of the products they stock, over the years. 

  • Ooh, spill the beans Ben.



    I try and avoid sweatshop as they always try and give the hard sell on insoles.

    They are the only place I can get GU gels locally though.
  • Although they try to apply consistent customer service across the country, their buying policy seems to be dictated by marketing considerations, and their relationship with certain suppliers.  There does not seem to be any processes, where their buying department assesses which products work. 

    Remember those wrist bands where the manufacturer claimed that they improved balance, and got prosecuted for making the claim?  They used to stock those. 

    Some of their sports nutrition products are pure snake oil.  For example the Lucozade  Body Fuel Jelly Beans, are exactly the same as an ordinary jelly bean.  They are made on the same production line, put in a different packet, and sold at a much higher price as a “sports nutrition product”. 

  • I have some Karrimor walking boots from about 10/11 years ago, & they are spot on. Chap at a hiking shop in Brum was telling me that Sports Direct had bought them, closed the UK factory & sent it to the cheapest place they could find the Far East. Now, I've nothing against the Far East, they know their onions these days, but the Karrimor trainers I bought from S.D fell to bits. Salomon ones I bought, have lasted me 3 yrs now.
    I wouldn't touch Karrimor with a barge pole.

  • i have an old pair of karrimor walking shoes before they were bought out and they are built like tanks the new stuff i don't like. ordered some trail shoes online and the fit is very strange for the size.12's are usually not that narrow.gone for some salomon xt hornets instead.however i will say i have karrimor's run shorts and shirts and find them really good and comfy.

  • I currently have 2 pairs of karrimor shoes, didn't know about the takeover until i read this thread post purchase, probably would have thought twice about wasting £70 (!!!) of my mums money on them. 

    Had one 5 miles run in them today and they were "alright" will give them more mileage before I throw a strop completely.

  • As a RW newcomer (this time round) I've read this blog with equal amounts of amusement and amazement for the overwhelming theme of vitriol and ire projected at the karrimor brand.



    To explain: after about 20 years of not running I decided last year to get up and go once again (at the age of 51 I felt that I probably needed to lose a bit of weight and as I used to run it seemed the natural way to go).



    In line with what I used to do, I read all the articles I could on the internet and went to a 'specialist' sports shop (where I was videos, analysed and measured) and recommended a pair of a well respected brand (not saying who) which I paid a not unsubstantial sum for. I did a couple of short jogging sessions and all seemed fine, then did a 6 mile practise run.



    I woke up at 3:00 the following morning with my left knee about twice the size of my right knee.



    After hobbling around for the next couple of weeks I gave up running again for a couple of months and threw the 'respected' shoes in the bin (I know I should have got a refund, but I was upset).



    After that couple of months I thought that I would try again, but put-off by my previous experience I was determined that I would just buy the cheapest pair of shoes that I could and this, of course, is where karrimor comes in.



    I went to SD, I bought the cheapest pair of shoes that I could find that felt comfortable (in the shop I walked in them, I jogged in them and I skipped and jumped in them - yes, really).



    I've now had these shoes for over six months, running over 12 miles a week in them, I've not had any problems with them, and definitely no injuries. They are definitely better than the ??130 pair of shoes that I previous bought, at ??100 less in price.



    I know this is very definitely going against the grain of this blog but, I would readily buy another pair of karrimors.



    P.S. I think that the RW editor may have had a breakdown - recommending karrimor, what next?
  • Yawn amazing another posters only post is to say how wonderful karrimor shoes are.... Amazing how many come on here say they are the best fucking shoes ever and never say anything else except no of course I don't work for them... *yawn* 

  • So, I've not posted anything before (being new to RW). I tend not to waste my time if I have nothing useful to say.



    As one of the few people on this blog who have actually owned a pair of Karrimors, not just someone with an obvious axe to grind, I think I am allowed to express my opinion.



    I'm not saying that these are the best shoes in the world but, IN MY EXPERIENCE, they do what they are supposed to.



    So SD moved the karrimor production to China - so has every other sports gear manufacturer.



    So SD pay their management staff a bonus, but not their retail staff - so does most every other retail outlet in the world (John Lewis being the only exception I can think of).



    So SD staff don't know what they are talking about - in that sort of environment I wouldn't expect them to (I don't expect the staff in M&S to know how their clothes are made).



    If you want a personal approach with knowledgeable staff, don't go to SD. I you know what you want and how to get it SD are a source of cheap sports gear. But remember that it is cheap sports gear and don't expect it to perform the same as top branded gear (though IN MY EXPERIENCE the top branded gear doesn't perform that well).



    And No, I don't work for SD or have any connection with the Karrimor brand.
  • P.S. I managed to say all of that without recourse to any sort of profanity.
  • Kev. Can you clarify what you are saying.



    You didn't run for 20years, you're a bit overweight. You bought a pair of shoes. Did two short jogs then ran 6miles.



    Your knee blew up and you're blaming the shoes?
  • Not quite that simple, If you want the specifics:



    When I say I hadn't run for 20 years I meant that I hadn't run competitively for about 20 years. I've always done some running, but it has tailed off over the years as other things have become more important.



    The 6 mile course (well 5.87 to be exact) is one that I probably ran about three or four times a year, more normally I'd content myself with a 2.5 miles 'round the block' whenever I got the time.



    So last year, as I now have a bit more time on my hands, I decided that I would get back into running in earnest, lose some weight, and do my bit for charity. As my old pair of NBs were getting decidedly ropey I decided it was time for a new pair of shoes; hence the trip to the local sports 'specialist'. As I'd not had a pair of shoes fitted for a long time I just went with their recommendation, with the results as stated. When I subsequently went to SD (and tried on various shoes before buying the Karrimors) I went with my gut instinct about what felt right for me. OK I remembered the sports shop advice about what type of shoe I needed, but I made my own mind up about what felt comfortable for me.



    I think the main lesson about this is that we are all individuals and one pair of shoes can suit one person, but be a complete failure for another. Don't be pressured by what you read in magazines (or on blogs) to chose the latest/most technological/most highly rated gear. Likewise, don't be put off trying something just because someone else doesn't like them. Get out there, try things on, test them out and find what is best for you - whatever the label.
  • VDOT52VDOT52 ✭✭✭
    No one really dislikes the Karrimor crap. It is fine if you just want something cheap.

    The issue is that SD uses RRPs to pretend that the shoes (and clothing) are discounted, when they are not. The products are made to be sold at the exact price point that SD retails them at, and therefore SD(who are part of the same company as karrimor) lies to consumers by implying that the shoes have previously sold at the hugely inflated RRP, which they never have.

    Also, SD staff will tell customers that the pair of Nike/Adidas/NewBalance that they want is inferior to a pair of Karrimor that are 'on sale' etc etc, which is dishonest and while said salesperson is wearing a pair of Nike/Adidas/NewBalance and not the karrimor shoes he/she is pushing.

    That is the issue.
  • Another part of the issue is that Karrimor used to be a quality brand. The discount trick is played by numerous retailers and few are taken in by claims that, eg More Mile or Hind kit is really worth the notional RRP. But if you're not aware of Karrimor being taken over by Ashley you might be deceived.

    GL is right - there's plenty of crap kit out there and Karrimor clothing and accessories are kinda okay. It's the deception and pressure selling that we don't like.

  • VDOT52VDOT52 ✭✭✭
    Oh and hind as Abrams is only used as a front as the stuff is only made for sweatshop, which is co- owned by Mike Ashley and SD, so in essence Hind and karrimor are sister lines of the same thing, albeit I personally think the hind tshirts and vests have nice reflective details and are a bit of a nicer fit than the karrimor versions.

    The difference between websites showing an RRP and then saying discounted to blah blah and what SD do is that SD put price reduction/sale tags on everything so they are making claims that others don't imho.

    Kev- if you are just trying to reassure yourself that your purchase was ok- then fine, but the running community knows what SD is about. It sells cheaply made versions of big brand clothing at falsely labelled discounts. A bit like the designer outlets that sell clothing that is made for them and has never been sold in a new bond street branch,

    As for karrimor- if you know what it is you are buying then fine, but some people get duped into paying ??80 for a pair of shoes that are not the Nike/Adidas/NB that they went in to buy, and all because SD push their own brand by making negative claims about big brands.
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