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Quality Still a long way in India
I bought a semi formal Bata shoe recently around April end, 2006, in a show room in Madurai, India.
The shop attender praised this model as using original Italian leather and more buzz about the comfort and quality. Traditionally I use to buy my shoes either in Bata or Woodlands in India since the shoes I bought in Japan are not fitting my size properly.
I bought a just introduced model, (I don't remember the model name though) for a price of around Rs. 899 (typical Bata pricing) which is really bit expensive for an Indian. It bears a tag no. 801-4355 9
It is a brown color shoe with visible stitches around, just above the sole. I moved to Japan and started using it. After just 10 days, there was a heavy rain in Osaka and my shoes got wet. From the next day onward, I start getting a whispering sound on the right shoe, while walking. It was quite annoying and I inspected the bottom, sides of the shoe but to be left with no clue. I tied the lace in various ways but it never stopped. But I kept using it since it is a new one and I don't want to throw it out cheaply. Another rain came after a month's time, I got wet and the whispering sound is gone from then.
But the really story started later. After two months of using it, there was a very seasonal rainfall in Japan in July. Water was flowing everywhere though there is no stagnate. I got out of Morinomiya station and after just walking 100 metres, I feel like walking inside buckets, one on each leg. I went home, removed my shoes only to find that my leg and socks are completely soaked in water. Water has entered into the shoes through all the fashionary stitches above the sole in the shoe. Same story the next day also.
And day before yesterday, I suddenly got severe pain in my heels on both the legs. I suspected everything right from sugar complaint other than this shoe. I did some home treatment putting hot water to heal the pain. And accidentally I checked the bottom of the shoe sole today only to get shocked that the sole cover has peeled off showing the honeycomb structure inside with stones and dust inside. Now I know the reason for my heels pain.
When the whole world is crying for quality products, Bata really sucked my foot and I think I will never get into a Bata showroom from now onward at least for Formal shoes. I have no complaints with Power Sneakers though.
I'm not going to lodge a complaint since I live now in Japan. Even if I take the shoe and throw it on the face of that sales guy back in Madurai, he will tell number of reasons right from I don't know how to walk, I mishandled the shoe, I am not supposed to wear it on a rainy day, I just wonder whether the life of a Bata shoe is just 90 days ?
Everyday I wear this shoe only during weekdays, that too to just walk about 2 kilometres everyday.
I just felt that it is a long way for the Indian companies to get quality conscious before their global competitors sweep away the market.
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