Kalenji @ Decathlon?

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 Graeme G 13 Apr 2021

Anyone any experience of these shoes from Decathlon? £13 just seems ridiculously cheap.

 MisterPiggy 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

Which model?

 Ridge 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

> Anyone any experience of these shoes from Decathlon? £13 just seems ridiculously cheap.

I'd be very concerned about where these are produced. After materials, packaging, transport and profit at the various stages there's not going to be much left for the workforce who make them. The Primark of outdoor equipment springs to mind.

5
 Doug 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

I have a pair of walking shoes from another Decathlon range which I bought in an emergency for 30 Euro. They've ended up being my day to day shoe for pottering around, short walks, etc & are just starting to show signs of wear after two years.

 David Riley 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

I like the kiprun kalenji versions. They are light and minimal. Paying £150 for shoes with extra plastic to look trendy, does not make sense to me.  I don't suppose the workers end up with a penny more for making them. The huge profits are wasted or go elsewhere.

Post edited at 09:07
 Neil Williams 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Ridge:

> I'd be very concerned about where these are produced. After materials, packaging, transport and profit at the various stages there's not going to be much left for the workforce who make them. The Primark of outdoor equipment springs to mind.

Allegedly the way they do stuff cheap is because they do everything in house (other than manufacturing) - basically the original Alpkit model before they started manufacturing in the UK - so there are fewer profit cuts along the way.

Don't believe for a minute that if you buy from a well-known brand (other than one that has a stated ethical manufacturing policy, if any do) that these things are any better.  Same with Primark - if you buy branded stuff from Selfridge's instead the people making it are paid the same pittance.

To answer the original question, I find the cheaper Decathlon stuff (ignore the brand, it's made up like the Aldi own brands are, just look at the price ranges) is generally well designed but skimps on material and manufacturing quality, so doesn't last well.  So in the sense of disposability and waste it's perhaps less ethical than paying more.

Post edited at 10:06
OP Graeme G 13 Apr 2021
In reply to MisterPiggy:

Apologies, should’ve said. The Kalenji Run 100.

OP Graeme G 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Neil Williams:

Thanks all. I hadn’t considered ethics, but it’s a good point. I’d always thought Decathlon just managed to be cheap because of lower grade materials and less premium brand name.

Maybe the Run 100s will do as a starter. I haven’t ran in years, I found it a somewhat boring activity in itself. But I’m aware I need to really start being more active.

 Neil Williams 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

> Thanks all. I hadn’t considered ethics, but it’s a good point. I’d always thought Decathlon just managed to be cheap because of lower grade materials and less premium brand name.

That is essentially it.  Don't think for a minute that most branded products are more ethically manufactured (unless that company has a specific ethical policy), because they pretty certainly are not.

Almost certainly, your Armani bag in Selfridges is manufactured in the same sweatshop as the cheap Primark "fake".

Post edited at 11:13
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 Mike Mead 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Ridge:

Sustainability.decathlon.com

Includes a whistle-blowing platform. They appear to make an effort. Of course it might all be smoke and mirrors, but a relative worked there for a while and this was a big part of internal messaging.

I am happy with my Kalenji trail shoes. More so than the Saucony that came before.

 Hooo 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

I got a pair a couple of years ago as my first ever road running shoes and they are still going strong. I'll buy another pair when they die, I can't see any reason to pay more.

 Hooo 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

> Maybe the Run 100s will do as a starter. I haven’t ran in years, I found it a somewhat boring activity in itself. But I’m aware I need to really start being more active.

That was me too. I just bought the cheapest shoes in Decathlon and got started. The shoes were fine but I did find it boring on the road. Now I'm running trails instead and it's actually a fun activity.

 Jim Lancs 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Neil Williams:

> . . .  is generally well designed but skimps on material and manufacturing quality, so doesn't last well. 

I think it's difficult to generalise about Decathlon kit as they clearly produce items to meet at least three different performance levels. There's no doubting that their bog standard, basic stuff is exactly that, but their middling and high end stuff I find to be as durable as any branded stuff at up to twice the price. 

 The New NickB 13 Apr 2021
In reply to David Riley:

I have Kalenji trail shoes and had some kiprun race focused road shoes, both were fine. However, there is a world of difference between any of those shoes and something like the Saucony Endorphin Speed, which retail at £155. The difference isn’t fashion. The workers probably don’t get any more, but you are getting a superior product that costs significantly more to produce. The more expensive product is superior, but of course it is diminishing returns.

OP Graeme G 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Hooo:

Thanks. Think I’ll probably go for them. If I find myself losing motivation again, it’s only £13. 

OP Graeme G 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Hooo:

> That was me too. I just bought the cheapest shoes in Decathlon and got started. The shoes were fine but I did find it boring on the road. Now I'm running trails instead and it's actually a fun activity.

I should def consider that. I’m fit, I just want to get fitter.

 Hooo 13 Apr 2021
In reply to Graeme G:

I also figured that running on rough ground has got to be good for balance and using different muscles, so more benefit to a climber than road running. I have no idea if there's any evidence for this though.

 Donotello 14 Apr 2021
In reply to Ridge:

Common mistake is assuming a store makes a profit on what they sell. Everything from Tesco eggs to burgers to hiking shoes can be sold as a ‘Loss leader’ - the lowest high street price for xyz keeps the shop full and popular (almost like it’s an advert) and thus they sell tonnes of the stuff that costs them actual pennies to make so the end result is net profit. 
 
I buy Patagonia clothes and sell them for less than i paid, it brings people to the shop who usually end up buying other stuff which costs peanuts.  

Post edited at 01:33

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