At the end of April, I purchased a pair of New Balance R2002 sneakers, and after wearing them only twice—for a maximum of 7–8 hours total—I noticed cracks and splits forming on the toe box and side panels. What’s worse, I’ve owned the mesh version of this same model and used it extensively without ever experiencing such issues. Friends with the mesh model also had no complaints. So what’s going on with this version?
I returned to the store just 13 days after purchase to request an inspection. Today—16 days later—they finally responded, claiming that there was no issue or defect with the product and denied both a return and exchange.
Let me be clear: I didn’t buy these from some cheap roadside boutique. I trusted New Balance's brand reputation and spent ₺8,500 on these shoes because I believed in the quality. And yet, I received subpar craftsmanship and no support when things went wrong. The cracks appeared without misuse, and the shoes are now unwearable. Should I be more upset about the money I wasted, the product’s short lifespan, or the fact that I’m now stuck with damaged shoes I can’t even wear?
There’s no excuse—especially since the same model in a mesh version doesn’t experience this kind of deterioration. That points clearly to a design or material flaw, not user error. But somehow, my claim was rejected.
I’ve always been a loyal New Balance customer, but this experience left me deeply disappointed. I will send the product back for reinspection, and if I’m met with another baseless rejection, I will escalate this to the Consumer Arbitration Committee and pursue all legal rights available to me as a customer.
(I originally took photos when I tried the shoes on, so I only have pre-damage images. The cracks appeared on the light gray upper toe box and side panels of both shoes, but I was so upset I sent them off for review without thinking to document the damage first.)
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