I’m going to begin this Regatta Vendeavour walking shoes review on a negative note by stating upfront that, after 3 months, they were only fit for a trip to the bin. It’s not the upper shoe that’s the problem, it’s the soles and, when it comes to walking shoes, good-quality soles are one of the most important things.
A lot of the reviews you see published on the internet may tell a different story but most of them are written by people who have just bought their shoes. What they are giving you is a first impression. My reviews aren’t like that. I write them after I have been using products for a while – typically to their end of life. In this case, the time for a review came quickly.
Why I Chose the Regatta Vendeavour Waterproof Walking Shoe for Men
I’d been wearing some cheap trainers for pottering about, going to the shops and back, and taking the occasional stroll. They were letting in water and needed replacing. I was originally going to replace them with something similar and, as I went from shelf to shelf in the shoe store, picking up various items of footwear and probing the thickness of the soles with my finger or bending the soles to test the strength, an assistant approached me and asked if I needed any help.
I explained that I was tired of having to replace my footwear so often and that, I have found that it doesn’t matter if you buy a cheap, unbranded product or a well-known brand, the durability is often similarly poor. The only difference, I told her, was the price.
She led me to the walking boot section and handed me a Regatta walking shoe. It looked good and the sole felt and looked durable enough. According to the assistant, the fabric of the upper body contained a waterproof membrane as well. What’s more, the price was significantly reduced. That swung my decision. The RRP was £70. I paid less than half that so I initially hoped I’d bagged a bargain.
That was on the 20th of February. I had to stop using the shoes last week, so the usage life was three months. I’ve had better durability from the cheap trainers they sell at Primark for £10 to £15. The price difference makes Primark trainers better value for money, though, admittedly, not a great choice for hiking in the countryside.
First Impressions and Initial Problems
My initial impression was good. My new Regatta hiking shoes felt comfortable and appeared to be very sturdy. I liked the way they looked too. I figured that, even if I only got 9 months to a year from them, it would be okay.
Although I used to go for long walks every day, this is no longer the case. I spend most of my time at home, working at my computer, but take a short walk to the shops most days and occasionally go for a longer walk in the evening. The terrain varies from tarmac to grass to stoney or gravelly ground.
After only a week, I noticed one of the metal eyelets the laces go through was no longer in place. Instead of protecting the hole in the upper shoe, it was sliding around on the lace. I hoped this wasn’t an indication of more problems to come. Some hope!
Shortly after this, I noticed there were indentations inside each shoe, at the heels and discovered the thick-looking heel is hollow. Every time I stood on a reasonably large stone, I felt it pressing through the sole into my heel. It was unpleasant. I was not a happy chappy.
Then a similar thing began happening in the area of the soles that should protect the balls of the feet and the soles were showing visible signs of wear.
After 6-8 weeks, my Regatta hiking shoes were very uncomfortable to wear and I was worried about what might happen if I stood on anything sharp. However, I decided to persevere with them.
Then the soles started letting in water. Again, I persevered but my feet got so wet last week that my patience with the shoes was as thin as their soles.
Regatta Vendeavour Shoes: Present Condition
The upper part of the shoes looks good. Very good. They look okay and the side of the sole makes it appear like the shoes offer a lot of protection and support for the bottom of the feet.
Underneath is a different story. The soles show visible signs of wear. The kind of wear you would expect to see after several months to a year of regular walking. The wear is especially apparent in the areas that should protect the soles of the feet.
As for the heel. It’s no good me just telling you how bad it is. I’m going to show you. I chopped the heel in half and took some photos because a picture can paint a thousand words.
As you can see, there is very little rubber/plastic. It’s a hollow cave and when the fabric above it gave way, my heel was only separated from the ground by a few millimetres. Had it been solid, it would be a different story. There would have been a lot more support. For heavier people, or those carrying heavy backpacks, the problem would be more severe. Regatta Vendeavour are meant to be hiking shoes. Given the poor-quality soles, they are not fit for purpose but all these reviewers who wear them once and then publish their first impressions will tell you a different story.
The external view from the side of the shoe is very deceptive, don’t you think?
Regatta Vendeavour Hiking Shoes Customer Reviews
After the bad experience with my Regatta shoes, I decided to check out the feedback Regatta has attained via Trustpilot. At first glance, it looks to be good. However, a lot of the good feedback is based on Regatta’s ability to deliver its products quickly to people who have ordered them online. Some of the positive feedback also appears to be based on first impressions, but there are a few genuinely happy customers.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of complaints, a lot of which refer to bad experiences with Regatta jackets. I’ve had three of them, so I can relate to that. I had so many problems with them, I should have known better than to risk buying a pair of Regatta walking shoes but they did look very good when they were fresh from the shelf – so much for first impressions.
I’m certainly not the only customer who has had problems with Regatta hiking footwear. One lady says her boots were falling apart after she’d only had them for 35 days and worn them roughly 10 times. Other complaints relate to boots that let in water, fail to grip smooth surfaces, and ripped fabric.
I can relate to most of these things except the ripped fabric. The upper sections of my shoes are still okay. It’s a great pity the same cannot be said for the soles.
Regatta Vendeavour Walking Shoes: Review Conclusion
Although my Regatta Vendeavour walking shoes initially appeared to be good quality, the soles let things down. I’ve had better experiences with cheap and unbranded footwear. I don’t think these shoes are worth the money I paid for them and, had I paid the RRP it would have been an even greater rip-off. What’s more, this is easily the worst experience with hiking/walking footwear. I will never buy another Regatta product again. My experience with the shoes was the worst one to date, with their hollow heels and thin plastic soles, Vedeavor walking shoes appear to be designed to fail.
Why are Products So Poorly Made These Days? |
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| I remember when shoes and boots were built to last and British-made products had a reputation for being strong and durable. This is no longer the case. Although Regatta is a British brand, as with so many similar options, these days the company’s products are made in China. Does that mean that I think things made in China are rubbish? Nope. I have thought about this a lot and grown to believe the Chinese factories will follow the instructions they are given, use the materials they are told to use, and follow the designs manufacturers provide them with.
I must stress this is a personal opinion but I truly believe a lot of companies don’t want their products to last too long. They want them to fail so that they can try and get repeat business. Older people, like me, can remember how things used to be. We can make comparisons between “then” and “now.” The younger generations know no different. For them, it’s normal to have to keep replacing their things regularly. They have no yardstick to compare things with. That’s one of the reasons manufacturers continue to get away with producing rubbish products. The other thing is, these days people are more interested in wearing or using the “right brand.” They want to fit in with their peers and be like everyone else. So, when something wears out quickly, they replace it with another item one from their “acceptable” brands. Durability seems to take the back seat. When I was at school during the 80s, the lads sometimes had problems with the soles on their boots wearing down at the heels. In those days the heels were solid. It was possible to cut away the worn section and replace it with a metal plate, which was screwed and glued into place.These days, the same style of boot has hollow heels, making this type of repair less practical. It would be great if people demanded durability and stopped buying from brands that fail to meet the mark. Then, maybe we could turn things around. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening. At least not anytime soon. That’s sad. As long as people continue to let manufacturers make monkeys out of them, the manufacturers will keep on throwing them bananas. |