reddit.comPosted Mar 31, 2022, 1:49 AM UTC
Lmao y’all need to start blowing up SG’s customer service for this, that’s the third post I’ve seen about Boardwalk backstays being crooked; this is unacceptable
I agree, I just emailed them! Their contact info was not super easy to find. If anyone else wants to contact them, it’s [email protected]. I’ll make a new post if I hear anything back. I can’t believe it’s this widespread.
Did you ever hear back? I got some uneven ones too
Not yet :/ when I have a second I'm going to email them again with links to all these posts. It would just be nice to have some kind of response from them, even if it's a minor issue.
How frustrating! I'm not sure what to do about mine. I emailed both the retailer and sure grip. The retailer offered me a 15% refund but I don't know if I want to keep them because some people say it might be more than cosmetic
That would annoy the shit out of me and I would send them back
With three posts to Reddit in the span of a week, that tells me there’s an entire batch of lavender Boardwalks out there with this same issue. While it won’t affect your skating, the error should have never made it past quality control. At least two people had to have been asleep on the job for this to happen to that degree.
It’s definitely worth contacting customer service and linking to all the Reddit posts.
It certainly looks like it, and I think it might be all the pastel colors affected :/ I’m waiting on a reply from SureGrip. I doubt I’ll end up returning them at this point, especially since I saw some people exchanged theirs and the new ones had the same issue. I wouldn’t want to get ones that were even worse lol
Even the replacements?! This is very disappointing for Sure-Grip.
Goodness, this is like the fifth post in a week.
In this group and a Facebook group I think I've seen 8+ issues with this brand in the last week.
I would exchange them, hard stop. If there was a lack of attention and quality control on the backstay, who know what internal components that affect the safety and performance of the boot have also been neglected.
I only just thought to check after remembering a recent post where someone’s Boardwalks were waaay off in the same spot. I’m also paranoid because this skate is super painful on my left ankle bone, but the right skate isn’t.
I recently got boardwalks (without this issue) and they fucked up my ankle bones. Thick socks and bandaids until it stops hurting
Thank you! I figured it was probably a coincidence. I just found some old jelly nipple covers in my sock drawer, I’m going to try sticking one of those on my ankle lol
bro what is wrong with everyone’s boardwalk skates!?!? is it just this color too?
I saw someone posted the blue ones and they were the most crooked I’ve seen, like waaay worse than this.
I actually think this is a structural defect because of how the strip locks the counters and woven pads in the heel cup together.
Also, I know so many of us have new Boardwalks—is anyone else having this issue? I’m scrolling through ones listed on 2nd-hand sites now and it does look like most of them are a little off-center, but it’s so hard to tell from photos sometimes (I know it was hard to get a good photo of mine that showed it was slightly off)
Hmmmm...i got a pair of pink boardwalks about a month and a half or so ago....i never checked to make sure they were centered. But what also happened is that suregrip at the time messed up and sent me a second pair of pink boardwalks even though i didn't pay for two pairs. I wonder if they could be aware of this so they just decided to send me a backup just in case??? I really don't know. 😅
Holy shit! Lol. Is SG running on pure chaos rn
I'll gladly accept the chaos of accidentally getting sent a second pair with no extra cost. Cause my financially struggling ass probably can't afford another pair of skates until next years tax return.... maybe..
Oh absolutely! Are you gonna keep them as a backup or sell them?
Keep em as backups!!
Hey everyone! So I had my first “real” skate session with them today and they skate great. The crookedness doesn’t seem so pronounced in the light of day (nowhere near as some other folks’ Boardwalks posted here). I also contacted the shop I bought them from and this was their reply when I asked if it was a purely cosmetic issue or something to worry about:
“Yes definitely only cosmetic! They are sewn on by hand and even very pricey boots are rarely perfectly symmetrical”
So overall I’m just going to consider it a quirk and keep rolling. I’m not an aggressive skater so I think I should be just fine. I’m definitely going to follow up with SG if they reply to me though; they should know how bad it is and that it might deter people from buying.
No. Send ‘em back!
Sure-Grip customer service 😂😂😂😂😂 Dis-service is more accurate... I have contacted them multiple times, for multiple issues relating to non-existent QC and been terribly disappointed every single time. Sadly it's their own retail distributors left holding the bag with the burden for postage to return mistakes made by them, the manufacturer, eating up the slim margin of profit. My Sure-Grip issues included: multiple sets of different wheels which bearings fall out of - no resolution Wrong Snyder plate mounted on my Reidell boots - 3+ weeks to correct, standard ground shipping used despite my credit card already being charged. warranty card not corrected to reflect proper plate ordered and installed - customer service ignored the contact, never corrected Broken king pin with forever warranty from same new plate - not replaced, given owners manual for plate with proper adjustment section highlighted - the same owners manual NOT included with either set of plates; they still claiming it was my problem...
Which Snyder plate?
I ordered an Imperial Dance Lite right as they resumed manufacturing after the Covid suspension (after waiting months before since my size wasn't in stock), got an Imperial with a big toe stop shipped to me at first. Note - their website still states the Lite plate comes with Titanium king pins but they haven't had any in a few years (false and misleading advertising). The broken king pins (2) are the standard Tuff ones.
Yeah I think I got two of the last sets of Ti kingpins actually.
Loads of reports of this recently, seems like manufacturing was left to the work experience kid that week. Honestly I'd return for replacement, even if only cosmetic they shouldn't be like that, and they're not bargain basement skates.
I would request a new pair. I almost bought these, but my skate guy told me they aren’t as good as they used to be quality wise. I hope you can get a replacement and that Suregrip steps it up!
Relax the anxiety brain for sure. It’s not that big of a deal that it would hinder the growth of your beginner skating skills.
I’m just annoyed bc these were my big upgrade from the cheap vinyl skates I’ve been using for the last year. I know these are technically cheaper skates as well but they were still fairly pricey!
Minimal stitching defect. The expectation however was that you were getting a decent/better boot and wasn’t met because (without knowing what vinyl starters you were on before) you got a barely lateral upgrade. I get downvoted for my boot opinions all the time then see posts like this and say “hey take the time to develop your skating enough to invest time in rentals, then in starters like sure-grip, then in a quality ie Riedell or Harlick boot that laaaasts.” Do you tho✌🏼
Entry level fun skates. This will happen. Just skate them.
I have to disagree. In another post about this same issue, someone mentioned these could pose more quality defects not immediately visable. This entire batch of skates perhaps have issues beyond this that could have been missed in quality checks. If one obvious thing was overlooked, who knows what else was too.
That’s cool if you disagree. These are mass produced skates for recreational skating. This is a cosmetic issue. They are not competition grade by any means. What other defects would pose a danger?
The backstay is not a cosmetic feature of the boot. It's a structural reinforcement. The seriously misaligned backstay is a manufacturing defect that will reduce the working life of the boot.
It covers the rear seam. That’s it. Plenty of boots just have a visible rear seam.
Im no expert on skates but I imagine anything to do with the balance between the two being different could cause issues. Maybe the trucks could be different and raise issues. OP already mentioned in another comment that the right and left boots feel different while wearing them. Besides that point, OP paid for these and deserves to get them as advertised. Even if these are entry level, it shouldnt matter.
The balance of what?
The trucks are the parts the wheels are attached to. Perhaps you’re referring to the plates? To be honest, nearly every factory assembled pair of skates has the plates mounted in a different position on each boot. That’s how it goes. Most people have different size feet so, and combined with the very high chance that one plate is mounted not the same it’s very likely they feel different. The seam being off is a cosmetic issue and is unlikely to affect the skating experience.
If the OP wants to return them for aesthetic reasons, they absolutely can, of course.
Entry level is gonna mean what you’re buying isn’t top quality, but you should still get the thing you’re buying as it’s meant to be.
Entry level means quality control is not going to be as strict as on custom pieces. Allowances are made due to cost savings. This is a cosmetic issue and in no way affects the skating experience.
Cosmetic issues are worth returning if it means something to the customer. Op didnt get what they paid for and even if this is common it is no excuse for it to just be accepted.
Of course!
Admittedly I'm an inline skater, but I would say the same thing. So much inline stuff I've bought over the years things aren't perfectly lined up or the same on each boot, but as long as it's not effecting the skate it's been okay.
From the expectations I see here you must have much higher quality control with rollerskates which is cool. It's kind of a running joke with certain big inline skate companies how bad their quality control is haha.
There have been multiple posts about this in the last week. I would send those back. What’s going on with the quality control at SG. They shouldn’t be making it to the customer like this and if they are it should be at a steep discount.
Yeah, I’m pretty annoyed because I took a long drive across state lines and paid a higher price to get them at a small shop, and the staff said they checked them over before they boxed them back up. I was okay with paying a little extra thinking I was avoiding these exact kinds of issues by buying in-person from a skater-owned shop😔 If it’s just cosmetic I can live with it, but it does bug!
I don’t agree with the folks saying it’s just cosmetic. The backstay being off means it can and probably will put pressure on your ankle and Achilles’ tendon in different places than where it should be. Can cause discomfort, blisters, and maybe even more serious issues.
These are made by a highly reputable American brand I absolutely think they should replace them for you. I’d go through the shop.