UKH

Has anyone experienced problems with these Boots? I have bought an AKU full shank Mustang Boot on October 2014. I used it three times and one of the boots started to bend... Normally this should not have happened. I have contacted AKU Italy and after all corresponding emails, I was left with a faulty boot. Their local dealer refuses to exchange or inspect even. I have never thought I would experience this negative experience from a reputable company. It seems they are not that reputable. Anyway,thanks for listening to my ramblings...

In reply to Tworule:

Never say never. Not had AKU boots, but have worn a pair of AKU approach shoes for the last 4 years - A good (TKMaxx) buy

In reply to Tworule:

I've had the opposite experience to be honest. I've had a pair of Aku Utah Micro for about 6 years that have done me proud for UK hillwalking, 4000m in the alps, even a bit of vertical ice. Re-soled once (badly by the cheshire shoe people but thats another story) and maybe reaching the end of their tether now after some serious abuse.

I've contacted the UK distributor about which boot in their current range best matched the utah and they were pretty friendly and helpful. Never had to actually use any customer service though in terms of repair or replacement so can't comment there.

In reply to Tworule: go and have a robust conversation with the local dealer.

In reply to Tworule:
Mountaineering boots don't have metal in them anymore they have a man made material. Partially by design they do flex quite a bit even on b3 boots. If yours are flexing too much is another matter, but don't expect them to be fully rigid. The flex when right is enough to accept c3 crampons but also make the walking part of the day much more enjoyable.

In reply to Tworule:

FWIW, I've always had good service from AKU boots and approach shoes.

In reply to Tworule:

Your contract is with the retailer you bought them from. Other than to maintain goodwill, it has nothing to do with either AKU or their UK distributor. Contact the retailer, tell them you believe the boots to be faulty and see how they respond. Be as clear and objective about the exact fault and any evidence you have to show it's faulty rather than wear/tear or damage. When you say full shank, what do you mean? I haven't seen a mountain boot with a shank in it for almost 20 years, these days its usually a PU midsole with the amount of flex optimised for the usage (soft for comfort, stiff for crampons and edging support).

In reply to Tworule:
I've had 3 pairs of Akus to date, and I can't fault them. I've only had one issue, and that was dealt with quickly and efficiently by the distributor. At one point I emailed Aku to enquire where it would be possible to get replacement laces and which proofer they recommended for my boots. 3 days after my mail I had 2 pairs of laces and a leather care pack direct from them, and all for free. A small thing maybe, but still good customer service nonetheless. Aku are still a small family run business and in my limited experience, they take a pride in their products and in their customer service.

In reply to Tworule:

I have a couple of pairs of summer walking boots from AKU, and a pair of Montagnard winter boots, and I have to say I think they are superb. I also deal quite closely with their pr company, and they are great people too. Never had cause to contact their customer service dept to be honest, but as other people have said above, your contract is with the retailer so have a word with them.

In reply to Tworule:

Love my AKU boots that I've been wearing since 2011.

In reply to Tworule:

Never had a problem with AKU boots - I won a pair back in 2007 and after years of abuse when they finally needed replacing I made sure to buy the exact same boot again! Any fault needs to be dealt with through the retailer, your contract is with them. Good luck, I hope it gets resolved.