Meindl - Shoes For Actives Reviews 644

I had thought Meindl was the best for walking boots. I have friends whose Meindl boots have lasted many years, and following their recommendations I was looking forward to buying a pair myself . Sadly it looks as though the quality has slipped recently. I bought a pair of nubuck boots, which cracked and started leaking only 18 months in, despite using all the recommended care products. My husband bought boots at the same time - and the sole fell off after a couple of years, not repairable because the sole is in two layers which have come apart. Both pairs had weekend hill walking, but certainly not hard use.
These are expensive boots, but in my view not worth the money.

Having previously used MEINDL boots successfully, I ordered MEINDLMERAN GTX walking boots from TISO onlne in July 2023. I was initially very pleased with their comfortable fit and waterproofing, using them for two or three walks per month typically Munro bagging.

In November, after only five months, I noticed that the stitching had failed on the uppers at the flex point behind the toe box. I returned the boots to the Dundee shop who sent them to MEINDL for assessment and subsequent repair. When I picked up the repaired boots in January 2025, I was also shown holes in the soles that had been glued. I had not previously noticed this second point of failure and I cannot believe that the repair will last for very long.

With five decades of Scottish mountain walking experience, I am unable to reconcile the extent of this wear and tear with the usage that I have had, I would consider this damage to be more representative of what should be expected after two or three summers and not after two thirds of one. Consequently, I can only conclude that these boots are not fit for purpose and rather than trying to persist with them I should prefer to be refunded.

I have made this request to TIso and after an initial request for photos, I have heard nothing more from them, not even acknowledging my request for an update.

There are three illegal meindl websites in Spain. Be carerfull not to order from any of these three sites. meindl-es, meindes and meindl-spain. All three with .com
I ordered a pair and lost my money to a Hong Kong based company. I have contacted Meindl. They know about this fraus but for legal issues they cannot publish it on their own website. Just an advise to go to a shop 500 km away. Very poor answer.

Bought a pair of Meindi Boots years ago, stored under an Ottoman bed.
Cut the story short the boot sole on both are falling to pieces, £230. i cant believe it.
HYDROLYSIS happens to the sole if the boot is not worn.
Why on earth doesn't the person selling these boots inform you after 5 or 6 years your boots will fall apart, Reason why, because you would not purchase them.
i am so disappointed. I thought these will last forever.
I can't believe this company is still in business.
DO NOT PURCHASE.
It's mad, the upper part looks fine.

PS, Meindl, can i have a refund.

Meindl Pflege:II brilliant boots...couldn't be happier.

Avoid this scamming shoe company. Buy a reputable boot from a store where you can try it on without risk. Otherwise you may be punished for buying from them.

I was. They charged me $50 for believing in their company policies about online shopping.

This shoe business does NOT sell in stores where you can try on your expensive hiking boots and ensure they fit. I assume they do this to save on distribution costs and increase their margins/profits.

This presents the customer with a problem. The only solution is to buy 3-4 boots to try on different sizes and widths.

This is risky in terms of returns. So Meindl go to great lengths to tell you that, and I quote, purchase is "risk free."

They go on to state:

"Experience the unmatched comfort, quality and perfect fit that Meindl is known for. Order today risk free with free & easy returns. If the boots do not meet your expectations, simply send them back - no questions asked.

Your satisfaction is our priority, and we are here to ensure that your Meindl experience is nothing short of exceptional. So go ahead, take that first step towards comfort - we have you covered every step of the way."

First, wear the socks and insoles you plan to wear on the trail and lace up your boots snuggly, but not uncomfortably tight. Check to make sure the tongue and gussets are straight and snug against your feet, then walk around indoors for a while. When walking indoors, make sure there is no pinching, binding, your heel stays put and your toes are not hitting the front of the boot. If you have concerns about the fit of your boots, please email or call us and we will help determine if the fit is right for you."

This is all a lie and a total con.

I tried on 4 boots. 3 were an immediate no. Following THEIR instructions to only wear inside and to walk around a bit, the boot that was promising I wore inside for 7-8 minutes on my hardwood floors. The sole got dusty.

When I sent back, they charged my $50 "restocking fee" after online promises that I could buy risk free.

This was a lie. There was a huge risk and I was the one that had to pay for their shady business practices.

Go to a shoe shop and try boots on - and forget these cheats and con artists.

Bought Meindl Journey Mid GTX boots and within 9 months the stitching was disintegrating at the front, Seems like Meindl quality has gone downhill judging from the reviews on here. Upside? bought them from Cotswold Outdoors who gave me an immediate refund. Top company.

Shoes already good for rubbish after 1 year of slight use 1 time per week? they cost 240 euro what?

Customer service is service terrible. I recently contacted Tom Stephens from Bramwell International Ltd. He informed that my recently resoled boots, which have fallen apart after very light use and an extremely short amount of time, is be expected. I asked for more information and he explained that I should expected the soles to fail after the 12 month warranty has expired. I was very disappointed and emailed for information but these emails have been ignored.
I am now looking for replacement boots but will not buy again which is a shame as these boots have been great until they were resoled. I would like to warn others thinking of buying Meindl boots as they are great until repairs are required. Dr Gareth Davies

Very bad service.
I sent an email concerning an alleged frauduleus website and asked a simple question if this is their website or not, so I might have timely respond if frauduleus. After 2 weeks: no answer, after rappel and 4 weeks: no answer.
Arrogant company, don't buy anything, unless you want zero support.

I purchased a Pfiege boots January 2023. As I had had an accident and needed a better, wider, more supportive boot. I have hardly worn these boots this year, as my foot repaired and I used the old boots and saved these. Starting wearing them this Autumn.
They are very comfortable and supportive and the wide toe box is great. But last week walked across very wet fields walking the dog and my feet were soaking. Thought at first it was through the tongue, but it was also coming in from the bottom of the shoe. it seems to be a recent common complaint.

Meindl Pfiege gortex walking boots with Variofix.
Do not buy these boots, they caused me so much pain on my ankle ball after walking short distances, I couldn’t carry on wearing them, I think it’s down to the position of the Variofix heal support system. I wear My £60 grisports contractor boots 40 hours per week with no issues at all.
Contacted Meindl, not interested they said it must be a “fitting issue”, thanks for nothing Meindl.

Approx. 2 weeks ago I left a review to avoid Meindl Boots.The last 14 reviews on here have the same complaints, letting in water and the sole coming adrift.I sent my boots back to Bramwell at Milnthorpe withy details attached.I then had an e-mail to fill-in a form and return, which I did.I then had another e-mail saying send the boots back and attach a copy of the form.I e-mailed back and said they already had the boots.One hand up there does not know what the other is doing.I then had the boots sent back saying they would do nothing as I had not looked after them and even if they had still been under guarantee they would have done nothing.How do they know what they were like whilst still under the 1 year guarantee?
I totally disagree with what they said.I had walked in them until April/May this year on flat, good paths with my old [13yrs] dog for probably no more than 30 mins a day. Mud,if ever, had been washed off and they had been thoroughly cleaned and waterproofed once a week.since then I have been doing more walking in them but no more than 1 hour a day with a young dog.They obviously have a major problem which they are refusing to accept.Avoid at all costs.there are plenty of other good boots on the market Look at what which magazine have to say eg Grisport

Deze website is frauduleus. Trap er niet in!

I purchased new Meindl leather GTX womens walking boots September 2022, it's now October 2024 and I've got wet feet. I've always dried the boots naturally, never in the sun, or on a radiator. I've water proofed and conditioned them regularly. A lifespan of 2 years is pitiful. I contacted the UK Mendl rep: Bramwell International, who were unhelpful and basically blagged an email response outlining some reasons why a pair of £280 leather GTX walking boots may fail, and because the warranty is only one year, tough luck. I have a pair of Altberg Tethera boots which have seen considerably more service than the Meindl boots over the 7 years since I bought them and there is no loss of integrity. Meindl GTX leather boots didn't deliver and the 'off the cuff' remarks from customer service further reinforced the derisory product quality.

Spent over 300 euro on new meindl boots, a week ago, just noticed sole is separating from back of left boot,
And lining is not functioning correctly.
Have been using Meindl boots for quite few years before I bought this
Pair. An awful shame the quality of this product has changed from top quality to rubbish.
I will bring the boots back to the shop tommorow , What's happening at meindl.

Sole disintegrating. Wish I could post a photo. Not impressed. I look after my boots well. Previously owned Scarpas and never had any issues with disintegrating soles. Worst thing is, my Meindl's soles started disintegrating at the beginning of a 7-week trip and I had to urgently buy a pair of walking shoes not quite my size as nothing else available locally where I am in Laos. Will never buy Meindl again. Massive let down. And they were super expensive to start with. Go for another brand. Not Meindl.

I am joining the apparently long list of complaints to warn potential buyers : Do NOT buy meindl shoes!! I spent nearly 300euros (Meindl Vakuum Lady GTX) which is really not cheap for me! At this price range one can expect to acquire a high-end shoes with a high quality /price ratio. But only after approx 5 months I noticed the shoes soles are starting to fall off!!

Given that I am a casual / infrequent hiker. As my feets are sensitive I wanted to purchase a high-quality hiking shoes that will give me confidence when I hike. Between 26th march 2024 (purchase time) and sept 6th (claim's date) I can estimate that I have done 15 hikes at maximum! ..and when I hike, it's for 3-4h max as I get tired. So it's not very intense. Despite this non-intense usage, both shoes rubbers started to peel off badly :((( It clearly appear to be a defect (I never walked in water conditions only during sunny /dry days). on my purchase it was mentionned "24month warranty". So I contacted Meindl customer service...

What a bad and ridiculous customers experience!! They even appear to be too proud to at least appologize and say "sorry"... in the 2 months period I got some emails exchange with their customer service, they neither appologize for the poor quality of their shoes, nor for the silence and length of handling period.

They told me they tried to put me in contact with their local partner (france).. but this partner never reached out to me.. ! Last message from Meindl customer service was "(our partners) then get in touch with the respective addressee (so me). In your case, this did not take place and we have replied to your email." and that's it?? it didn't take place and so nothing else happen..

Partners don't even share with Meindl what is happening and why they don't handle a case. And Meindl has no control over their patners from what I understood... what a great "partnership"..

I terms of consumers' rights I believe there is something wrong here. reading all the similar reviews from other people experiencing the same defect of sole peeling off and disintegrating from the boots

I bought a pair of relatively expensive boots for my wife via Meindl stockist in Germany. After my wife wearing them daily between December 23 and May 24 to walk about 3 to 4 miles a day walking our dog, we discovered (in August 24) the soles on both boots were coming off. There was no abuse, chemicle attack or anything like that, just what appeared to have been defective and/or inadequate adhesive during manufacture. I notified the retailer and Meindl Germany immediately upon discovery, sent photos and made a warranty claim. Two months later, and despite lots of chasing with both the the retailer and Meindl Germany "customer services" my less than 1 year old obviously defective boots are somewhere in Germany (at the Retailer or Meindl) and I have neither received a replacement set of boots, nor a repaired/resoled pair of boots, nor a refund. Meindl Germany Customer services team have yet to even acknowledge any of my emails to them, not even when copying in their CEO. Their German stockist/retailer is also practically useless and is not chasing it up or resolving the claim.

I have lost faith, consider the warranty breached and asked for a refund, but am being ignored.

Meindl market that they make quality products but that is not at all reflective of my experience (and judging by other Trustpilot reviews I am not alone).

For the last two months, I have been treated terribly in the warranty claim process, have received absolutely no contact or customer care or service from Meindl Germany, and have been left having to buy my wife another pair of winter boots (from a different manufacturer this time.... I'll never touch Meindl again!)

Come on Lukas Meindle! Your 300 year family owned and run business won't last another 5 if you sell only poor quality but overpriced rubbish and then treat your customers like dirt when warranty claims are made!

If anyone is thinking of buying Meindl boots, then based on my experience, I'd say don't!

I have been buying good boots for the family for over 35 years and this is the worst experience ever.

There is clearly a problem in Meindl's manufacture process and how they bond the uppers to the soles. Their expensive boots are the worst quality I've ever experienced.

I feel ignored, badly treated and frankly ripped off.

Disintegrating Meindl boots.
I bought a pair of Meindl Kansas GT boots 3 years ago. This summer I noticed that the soles on both boots were beginning to come off. After a day’s hike my feet are now getting wet.
The UK Bramwell office is disinterested and unapologetic.
The boots are badly constructed, the UK office accepts no complaints. I shall never buy Meindl again and recommend that nobody else does.