Meindl - Shoes For Actives Reviews 644

Meindl Balancing - Fit and comfort was is great but quality not so good. Stitching came loose on right show after 6 months of weekend use. Own another pair of Meindl Guffert boots and they are fantastic. Quality seems to be dependant on which model you get.

Wish I had seen these reviews before. I mistakenly thought Meindl was a quality brand. Less than 18months use and they leak, one of the metal hooks for the laces has broken off completely and the wiring that supports one of the lace holes has come away. I nearly suffered a very serious fall when this got tangled with the hook on the other shoe. Very disappointing for products to be produced so poorly that they have to be thrown in the bin after a short period, so wasteful and damaging to the environment. In the past I had walking boots that lasted 10 years, I guess that is no good for business......

Most uncomfortable footwear I’ve ever put on my feet. Money down the drain!

My Meindl boots have had an easy life covering a few winters. Yesterday I put them in the boot of my car, drove to Cheddar Gorge to meet some friends for a 10 mile circuit. I put them on and started the hike. about 30 minutes in the left sole completely detached. I (we) managed to secure it with some paracord. After another 15 minutes the right heel collapsed. The vibram soles were fine, the leather uppers fine. The rubbery plastic inbetween had basically - self destructed. Not good enough for something that we rely on Meindl - you have lost a customer for life. Do not buy these boots...

I bought a pair of 160 euro shoes for my boyfriend in summer 2019. It's supposed to be water-proof Gortex, high quality all purpose outdoor shoes. It has two year warranty. He has worn it sometimes for work, but not for hiking or sports. He noticed in winter 2019, the shoes had cracks. Because of the recent lockdowns and restrictions in Germany, he was not able to go to the shop in the city centre, which was the "dark red zone" in Germany. Last month, he finally asked Mendl to check if it is eligible for an exchange or refund. After some typical bureaucracy back and forth between the retailer and Meindl, Meindl just wrote it was too worn out. It is not eligible for any exchange or refund. This is out right lying and advertisement from Meindl. They are not high quality. Please do not believe in their warranty.

I bought a pair of Meindl Mondello shoes (190 euro's) and noted the soles wore down for 50% in just about 4 weeks. Meindl reacted this was due to using the shoes..... (really!). After 6 weeks (300-400 km use on mainly unpaved terrain) I brought them back to the shop (profile gone completely in some spots). I used Hanwags for 3 years under identical circumstances. Meindl reacted by not accepting any guarantee claims on the soles. The shop did persuade Meindl (after a lot of discussion) to replace the Meindl soles for Vibram soles. Will pick those up (after over two months waiting and discussing) this week.

Bought a pair of Meindl walking shoes at the beginning of lockdown and have been persevering with them hoping they would ‘wear in.’ Immediately had to buy new inner soles as they were uncushioned and gave me leg pain. I am a regular walker and 500 miles later they are no better. Today they let so much rain in that I could wring out my socks, despite apparently being waterproof. An expensive mistake at £140, style over function. Will stick to Merrell in future.

My young son loves hiking and fell in love with a pair of Meindl. He saved and saved and then purchased a pair for €160 of his own money. He didn’t wear them much until the following winter. Now the sole has simply detached itself from the upper. Given that the boots are now 1 year old and reading the reviews about Meindl service here. I have no hope and can only warn others- never again Meindl.

I bought my first pair of Meindl Bhutans in 2012 and they were the best boot I had ever used. They lasted for over five years and were subjected to hundreds of miles trekking in all terrains and were waterproof to the end. So when the soles wore out it was an easy decision to buy the same boot. However, the first new pair of these meindl Bhutan boots developed an issue between the sole and the upper after six months and approximately 150miles, resulting in a loud creaking noise on every step. I took them back and after some back and forth between myself, meindl and the retailer they were replaced with a new pair. Sadly the new pair (18 months old) have started to leak with water coming in between the sole and upper despite intensive care with waxing etc. They have not been as intensively used as my original boots and it’s hugely disappointing that they are now leaking at the first hint of water. I think the manufacturing process has changed and am no longer willing to put my trust in this brand so it is off to find a new brand who are good at producing waterproof boots, for now.

Supposedly the Vakuum boots are ‘hand made to the highest quality’. When I open my box containing the boots, the eyelets on the left hand boot where out of line on one side of the boot by about 1cm. How these got through quality control I do t know. I wrote to Meindl and told them but they did not seem interested at all. I returned them to the store along with the receipt and received a new pair.
Whilst being comfy, the soles on them are absolutely rubbish. I owned a pair of Merans before and walked over 90p miles in those (the soles of these are practically flat with no grip at all so I wear them for gardening now) so I thought the Vakuums would be of a similar longevity as they we more expensive.
After less than 120 miles the soles are extremely badly worn on the heels to the pointed where it affects your ‘gate’ as your walking. Having new soles put on them is impossible.
I would not recommend these boots at all.

Awful product - fell apart in less than 8 months of wear. The shoes I bought were top of the range walking shoes and cost £170. Meindl didn't want to know when I complained about the faulty stitching that came apart. Instead, they suggested I hadn't looked after them properly, and that the shoes might not be suitable for me, after admitting it was a 'common problem' that their walking shoes would break at flex points. Their solution was for me to send them to Germany where they would assess whether I had looked after them and what the fix would be - I was expected to pay for postage and be without my walking shoes for up to one month. Terrible product, terrible customer service, and terrible customer experience overall. Do not invest in this company or their products. Awful, awful, awful.

I bought a pair of Meindl Vacuum GTX back in 2008, and dismember after a short time and light treks(sole, lining, side rubber). But the design was very good and now I was wondering if quality was improved. After reading the reviews seems that not...
it's a shame for one of the biggest names on the European market.

3 years of very light use and my Meindl Vakuum GTX are falling apart. The leather has cracked across the toe area despite being treated regularly with the appropriate Meindl care products. The rand has cracked all the way round the boot and this weekend the sole unit peeled off to reveal that the midsole is crumbling to dust. Start well clear of this brand. I've contacted Meindl and they have said that they are out of warranty so will do nothing. I've been a long time Meindl user but the quality of their recent products has dropped dramatically. Avoid at all cost (and it is a big cost for such a poor quality boot!)

My Meindl boots fell apart. The entire sole structure separated from both boots like they were on a destruction schedule. I contacted Meindl by email (with pictures) and they responded that they wouldn't replace them but could put me in touch with a repair facility. They were waterproof and I liked the fit and comfort but given the price to wear ratio, I would not buy another pair.

Bought a pair of Meindl Caribe GTX at Cotswold Outdoors, Chiswick, and first time worn outside in the park they let in water. They are described as “waterproof”. I returned them to the shop the same day and they have sent them back to the manufacturer for assessment. I will have to wait a month after paying £140 for what I thought was a quality pair of walking shoes.

The last pair of Meindl Respond GTX shoes I purchased Oct 2019 are falling apart having not worn them much. The issue is the glue which holds the rubber sole to the shoe, which is coming away in various places.
This is my 3rd pair of these, which are incredibly comfortable, but don’t last as long as other makes, are more expensive £120, and the waterproofing not great (water ingress after walking through wet grass). This last pair are the worst (grey, previous ones brown).

Meindl have had my boots for EIGHT WEEKS...to fix a metal eyelet....EIGHT WEEKS!!!!! WHAT IS GOING ON???

Adding to the long list of bad reviews, I've had a pair of Meindl GTX walking shoes for nearly two years, have worn them almost every week on moderate walks, and when I returned from a walk the other day, I looked down and noticed a big gap between the upper and sole had suddenly appeared. On inspection, this had happened on both shoes in different places, plus the stitching on both shoes across the toe has failed. Wondered whether it was due to laziness about cleaning, but now see that clearly Meindl are using poor materials and techniques. I had noticed a few weeks ago that my feet were getting wet and couldn't understand it. Very disappointing as they're a comfortable, wide fitting and nice looking shoe.

I have used Meindl shoes in the past and they were good .....unfortunately as most good product, they don't last (shareholder profit been a priority)...So Meindl went down the road to manufacture poor qualities shoes and marketing them at ridiculous high price.
The last time I used them across Sarek the sole crumble to dust and I had to use tape to repair them.
Not something you're looking forward on such a trek.
Upon my return , their explanation was "If you don't use them often or store them properly that's what will happen"
I didn't believe a word of their "tale", and I promised myself never to buy this brand again ...... Today as I read some of other review I realized many people have the same problem on shoes used regularly....... I knew they were lying to me ........Not every German products are good and not every German firm tell the truth........remember the Volkswagen gaz emission scandal ... If you need serious hiking shoes avoid Meindl

Poorly made Meindl Bhutan boots and an even worse customer service. 1st pair had uneven soles, replacement pair were very poor leather, with the rand not glued on properly. Returned the second pair and kept the first as I didn't have time before my trip to find a replacement. Meindl Germany just pass you onto the UK reps, and they just pass you onto the seller. Anyway despite the uneven sole, the boots are rubbish. They won't last a hundred miles. Not breathable so your feet get very sweaty. Heavy, and now the rand has come away in places after only 60 miles. For expensive boots this is shocking. Avoid at all costs, they may once have been a quality boot company, but no longer. They look older than my 6 year old Hanwags and they are only 2 month old!