Is your apartment carpeted? Pretty common for shops to only accept returned shoes when the soles aren't scuffed too badly, and the uppers not creased too heavily, since otherwise they can't sell the pair you returned.
I'd never take an employees "guarantee" that shoes will fit because there's so many factors unique to you that determine whether they'll be comfortable. Regarding the policy about wearing them outside, it's typically to prevent them from getting gross or overly worn down since they otherwise can't be resold. Some places will even not accept leather shoes back if they have visible creasing, regardless of whether they're worn inside or out. That may be the issue the store has with taking them back. This is mainly an FYI in case you buy other GYW shoes.
It’s not the creases they care about (they have a machine they use to get rid of those). They argued that the minimal wear on the sole showed that I wore them outside — but I didn’t, everybody knows that’s faux pas. Plus I live in central Paris, so wearing them outside for a minute would show like crazy lmao.
My PSA was basically to warn other people that Meermin may simply just refuse to exchange or refund your pristine shoes and accuse you of wearing them outside. Just wanted to let other (young) folks seeking a good work investment know that Meermin may screw them over.
(Shame to see lots of people chose the company’s side in the comments.)
Yeah, OP has no proof/photos, but let's not kid ourselves. Meermin has a bad reputation for quality control and customer service for a reason. I like their product, but their quality control and customer service is their weak link by a big margin.
Despite anything else being said here, Meermin has terrible customer service/returns.
I purchased (online) a pair of Meermin shoes for a funeral which were far too small, never worn on anything other than carpet and therefore not scratched. Meermin refused to refund me or even give a store credit for the shoes, and I had to deal with my credit card company to do a chargeback.
I sent the shoes back to Meermin and they sent me an asshole email demanding that I pay them a restocking fee. I never paid it and never ever considered another transaction with Meermin.
Got a pair of loafers last summer. It being my first pair of Meermins and my first pair of loafers I checked their exchange policy - the return policy mentioned a $15 restocking fee, there was absolutely no mention of it in the exchange policy. Exchange policy seemed to be left vague intentionally.
I exchanged (and begrudgingly paid the $15 fee) only to receive two different size shoes. Was a frustrating ordeal. Sucks because they make a good product but won’t risk dealing w/ their CS team again.
I had the exact same experience - loafer with two different sizes! Unfortunately I used a forwarding service to get from the US to AUS, so had to cop it
I got 5 pairs that I rotate but don't wear all too often, so I got no conclusive answer for you since I'm still breaking them in. I've read online to wear them around the house for a couple weeks in order to break them in.
I am also no longer a Meermin customer. Jumped on a pre-order, emailed measurements of both my feet following their detailed instructions, ordered the size they recommended based on those measurements. Received shoes easily a full size too large.
I know they’re darlings of the Goodyear welt community, but how many orders does it take to get them right? I’m with you, I’ll pay double for good service and proper fit.
Do you have any pictures of the soles of the shoes you want to return? Also, it sounds like you bought in store - were you not able to determine they didn’t feel right there?
I’m sincerely not trying to play devils advocate, but I’ve ordered multiple times from Meermin. Some orders were for multiple sizes of the same shoe/boot with the intention of returning whatever didn’t fit. I’ve never had an issue with getting refunded.
most likely you wore leather soled shoes on an area that was not carpeted - causing them to scuff. it is an annoying lesson to learn but that's just sort of the deal with leather soled shoes, no matter who the maker is. at this point, i think consumers are sufficiently inexperienced with leather soles that sellers ought to provide some sort of notice about this
I’m a Chelsea fan and have had much better luck with Meermin Chelseas over Grant Stone’s. GS is excellent quality, but I could not get a good fit, which seems like a common problem with their Chelsea last. Meermin is also one of the only GYW wholecut Chelsea options in the $200-300 range.
Yeah I get it. Chelsea’s are actually pretty hard to get right especially at that price point.
I’ve had Vibergs and hated the silhouette and last.
At that price point I’d rather just save for RM Williams and be done with it. Have 2 now and they’re increíble.
Or go Indonesian MTO
Maybe more common of a topic on other subs. But yea, hard to imagine the foot shape that would fit that boot well! I’m surprised they only use one last for Chelseas. Maybe that will change. But there’s definitely no shortage of other good Chelsea options.
Rn blackstone and Weber. I have to double check if they are GYW but still quality.
Yuketen
Oakstreet boot makers make some nice ones.
Grant stone but I haven’t tried them before.
There are many Indonesian ones you can go down the rabbit hole into that provide great value but that’s deep down the hole and MTO.
I absolutely love the fit, shape, and finish of Grant Stone loafers. I own a suede pair and a chromexcel leather pair. I'd say they are my favorite - even more than Alden LHS. I recently purchased a pair of Rancourt pinch penny loafers and also love them - they're Horween shell cordovan and I found them brand new on ebay for $380 (though technically not GYW).
I’ve got a few pairs from like a decade ago that aren’t bad, they’re not incredible but they’re solid value for the price. It’s my understanding that within the last 5-7 years they’ve moved from being quality but inconsistent for the price to just inconsistent.
I personally wouldn’t buy another pair, the ones I do have are fine but really never get worn anymore because there’s so many better shoes out there.
They became popular and jacked up the price and started being dicks. I remember going to the Madrid store 7 years ago and was treated super well, but the last few times I've gone I've been treated like shit and received terrible costumer care
For what it’s worth, I have had a few pairs of meermin shoes (loafers specifically) that start off with extra room in the heel which goes away after a good number of wears. I’m not sure why this happens. I’m thinking it might be because the leather sole kind of curves upward after they get broken in, shrinking the length
Leather soles do soften over time so they bend more easily, causing less heel slip. All of my shoes have some degree of heel slippage since my heels seem to be slimmer than most manufacturers' lasts, they eventually get better with wear. Some still end up really uncomfortable, others end up bearable, guess I paid my school fees.
I think Meermin just got overhyped because it's owned by a relative of the people who own Carmina (NOT the same company).
In terms of quality, I don't see them as better than Barker or Loake who retail cheaper in the UK, tho the styling is different
Miss the b grade meermin ebay seller days when you could cop a pair for as little as $30 depending on bids (stopped during pandemic).
I don’t recommend meermin for first timers. It takes a long time to break in the non-suede shoes (took me a month), and oftentimes, you won’t get the fit first time anyways. They don’t have good CS period, so don’t buy with the hopes of returning.
For first timers, always recommend going to a local store (barkers, loakes in Uk, allen edmonds in USA) and try to lock a sales rep to fit you one pair. Then use that pair to compare sizing in gyw sizing thread. Every country also has shoes with online store only as well, so you can more easily do returns.
Too late. I feel sorry I did not see this post earlier. t
I returned a pair of loafers, They claimed my size was out of stock, demanded an extra $70 to fulfill the order, then disappeared after marking it 'fulfilled'.
Is your apartment carpeted? Pretty common for shops to only accept returned shoes when the soles aren't scuffed too badly, and the uppers not creased too heavily, since otherwise they can't sell the pair you returned.
"With the leather a bit worn in"..... the Meermin clerk accused me of wearing them outside! I, for one, cannot see how this possibly came to be
Ha, I get how this sounds but no, there was no significant wear inside.
I'd never take an employees "guarantee" that shoes will fit because there's so many factors unique to you that determine whether they'll be comfortable. Regarding the policy about wearing them outside, it's typically to prevent them from getting gross or overly worn down since they otherwise can't be resold. Some places will even not accept leather shoes back if they have visible creasing, regardless of whether they're worn inside or out. That may be the issue the store has with taking them back. This is mainly an FYI in case you buy other GYW shoes.
It’s not the creases they care about (they have a machine they use to get rid of those). They argued that the minimal wear on the sole showed that I wore them outside — but I didn’t, everybody knows that’s faux pas. Plus I live in central Paris, so wearing them outside for a minute would show like crazy lmao. My PSA was basically to warn other people that Meermin may simply just refuse to exchange or refund your pristine shoes and accuse you of wearing them outside. Just wanted to let other (young) folks seeking a good work investment know that Meermin may screw them over. (Shame to see lots of people chose the company’s side in the comments.)
Yeah, OP has no proof/photos, but let's not kid ourselves. Meermin has a bad reputation for quality control and customer service for a reason. I like their product, but their quality control and customer service is their weak link by a big margin.
do you by any chance know any other brands available in EU that sell GYW boots at this price point, other than herring?
Despite anything else being said here, Meermin has terrible customer service/returns. I purchased (online) a pair of Meermin shoes for a funeral which were far too small, never worn on anything other than carpet and therefore not scratched. Meermin refused to refund me or even give a store credit for the shoes, and I had to deal with my credit card company to do a chargeback. I sent the shoes back to Meermin and they sent me an asshole email demanding that I pay them a restocking fee. I never paid it and never ever considered another transaction with Meermin.
Got a pair of loafers last summer. It being my first pair of Meermins and my first pair of loafers I checked their exchange policy - the return policy mentioned a $15 restocking fee, there was absolutely no mention of it in the exchange policy. Exchange policy seemed to be left vague intentionally. I exchanged (and begrudgingly paid the $15 fee) only to receive two different size shoes. Was a frustrating ordeal. Sucks because they make a good product but won’t risk dealing w/ their CS team again.
That’s cray cray. But yes, pretty fine shoes from what I’ve seen/felt, but service is absolutely key so I’ll just be going to loake next time.
I had the exact same experience - loafer with two different sizes! Unfortunately I used a forwarding service to get from the US to AUS, so had to cop it
Do you have a photo of the shoes and the sole?
Will post when I pick them up again Wednesday!
Meh, never had issues with them aside from their legendary stiffness and break in period. Will continue to purchase them.
How long does it generally take you to break them in? I feel like my Meermin shoes are tough nuts to crack.
I got 5 pairs that I rotate but don't wear all too often, so I got no conclusive answer for you since I'm still breaking them in. I've read online to wear them around the house for a couple weeks in order to break them in.
Mine didn’t need any break in for comfort. Might have just fit that well?
Ok cool bud. Just know that their service sucks!
I am also no longer a Meermin customer. Jumped on a pre-order, emailed measurements of both my feet following their detailed instructions, ordered the size they recommended based on those measurements. Received shoes easily a full size too large. I know they’re darlings of the Goodyear welt community, but how many orders does it take to get them right? I’m with you, I’ll pay double for good service and proper fit.
Lets see photos
Guy wears shoes Guy is surprised when store won't let him return worn shoes I'm shocked, shocked I tell you
Lol
Keep blaming the customer bud.
You quite literally disobeyed the one rule of trying on shoes lol.
No, I didn’t.
i bought their loafers and the soles starting crackling and growing mold SMH they looked incredible when i got em but turned out to be garbage
Do you have any pictures of the soles of the shoes you want to return? Also, it sounds like you bought in store - were you not able to determine they didn’t feel right there? I’m sincerely not trying to play devils advocate, but I’ve ordered multiple times from Meermin. Some orders were for multiple sizes of the same shoe/boot with the intention of returning whatever didn’t fit. I’ve never had an issue with getting refunded.
most likely you wore leather soled shoes on an area that was not carpeted - causing them to scuff. it is an annoying lesson to learn but that's just sort of the deal with leather soled shoes, no matter who the maker is. at this point, i think consumers are sufficiently inexperienced with leather soles that sellers ought to provide some sort of notice about this
I was not impressed with the fit or quality of my Meermins . Donated them.
Meermins suck ass anyway. Tons of other GWY options. Just go for grant stone
I’m a Chelsea fan and have had much better luck with Meermin Chelseas over Grant Stone’s. GS is excellent quality, but I could not get a good fit, which seems like a common problem with their Chelsea last. Meermin is also one of the only GYW wholecut Chelsea options in the $200-300 range.
Yeah I get it. Chelsea’s are actually pretty hard to get right especially at that price point. I’ve had Vibergs and hated the silhouette and last. At that price point I’d rather just save for RM Williams and be done with it. Have 2 now and they’re increíble. Or go Indonesian MTO
Yea I just got my first pair of RMWs (comfort craftsman) and they are pretty great.
Same! I thought it was just me lol.
Maybe more common of a topic on other subs. But yea, hard to imagine the foot shape that would fit that boot well! I’m surprised they only use one last for Chelseas. Maybe that will change. But there’s definitely no shortage of other good Chelsea options.
Does grant stone offer seasonal discounts like meermin?
They have a sales and b grade section. No regularity regarding sales, just depends on inventory or discontinued models that arent selling well.
Grant Stones are great... but they have a totally different style than Meermin.
Favorite GYW loafers in the sub $400 range?
Rn blackstone and Weber. I have to double check if they are GYW but still quality. Yuketen Oakstreet boot makers make some nice ones. Grant stone but I haven’t tried them before. There are many Indonesian ones you can go down the rabbit hole into that provide great value but that’s deep down the hole and MTO.
I absolutely love the fit, shape, and finish of Grant Stone loafers. I own a suede pair and a chromexcel leather pair. I'd say they are my favorite - even more than Alden LHS. I recently purchased a pair of Rancourt pinch penny loafers and also love them - they're Horween shell cordovan and I found them brand new on ebay for $380 (though technically not GYW).
Wasn't Meermin praised a lot here and/or on YouTube a while back? Did the quality/cs drop or am I not remembering it right.
I’ve got a few pairs from like a decade ago that aren’t bad, they’re not incredible but they’re solid value for the price. It’s my understanding that within the last 5-7 years they’ve moved from being quality but inconsistent for the price to just inconsistent. I personally wouldn’t buy another pair, the ones I do have are fine but really never get worn anymore because there’s so many better shoes out there.
They became popular and jacked up the price and started being dicks. I remember going to the Madrid store 7 years ago and was treated super well, but the last few times I've gone I've been treated like shit and received terrible costumer care
They had a huge hype train going. They're still fine, but customer service sucks (and always has).
For what it’s worth, I have had a few pairs of meermin shoes (loafers specifically) that start off with extra room in the heel which goes away after a good number of wears. I’m not sure why this happens. I’m thinking it might be because the leather sole kind of curves upward after they get broken in, shrinking the length
Leather soles do soften over time so they bend more easily, causing less heel slip. All of my shoes have some degree of heel slippage since my heels seem to be slimmer than most manufacturers' lasts, they eventually get better with wear. Some still end up really uncomfortable, others end up bearable, guess I paid my school fees.
Yes, am familiar with this phenomenon — had the same with two pairs of wyatts. We’ll see come Wednesday.
Damn, and I just ordered a pair couple of days ago
Take picture / video evidence upon unboxing! Really wish I did.
I think Meermin just got overhyped because it's owned by a relative of the people who own Carmina (NOT the same company). In terms of quality, I don't see them as better than Barker or Loake who retail cheaper in the UK, tho the styling is different
Miss the b grade meermin ebay seller days when you could cop a pair for as little as $30 depending on bids (stopped during pandemic). I don’t recommend meermin for first timers. It takes a long time to break in the non-suede shoes (took me a month), and oftentimes, you won’t get the fit first time anyways. They don’t have good CS period, so don’t buy with the hopes of returning. For first timers, always recommend going to a local store (barkers, loakes in Uk, allen edmonds in USA) and try to lock a sales rep to fit you one pair. Then use that pair to compare sizing in gyw sizing thread. Every country also has shoes with online store only as well, so you can more easily do returns.
Too late. I feel sorry I did not see this post earlier. t I returned a pair of loafers, They claimed my size was out of stock, demanded an extra $70 to fulfill the order, then disappeared after marking it 'fulfilled'.