Awesome Customer Service From Korkers

[Salmo Trutta]

About three years ago, I bought my nephew a pair of Korkers Chrome wading boots with the interchangeable soles. When we were in Yellowstone in August, the button on the back of one of the boots, which secures the sole to the boot, pulled loose from the boot which caused the sole to come off with no way to reattach it.

I contacted Korkers customer service the other day and was concerned about what they would do since the boots are so old. I talked to a very nice guy named Ari in customer service who asked me to send him some pics of the boot. After I did this, he got back with me very quickly. He said that the pics clearly showed that the boots had not been abused and that there was a defect that had caused the button to come off.

Since the boot cannot be repaired, Ari said that if I would send him a pic of the boot showing that I had destroyed it by cutting down one side, he would send me a brand new pair of boots, even though the one year warranty period expired long ago. Needless to say, I took him up on this very generous offer.

You can't beat that for customer service!

[herefishy]

I've always been very pleased with Korkers customer service, too.

[Luke McLeod]

I had a similar experience with a pair of Redsides. Great customer service. The Metalheads I upgraded to are serving me well.

[djo]

Well my rather new Korkers fell apart many miles from the car which in turn was many many miles away from the nearest fly shop. I did not really care how good their customer service was when their product left me in such a mess.

[rizeye]

I wish I had that good of a customer service from Korkers. I bought their 1st generation wading shoe. The back strap used Velcro to secure it however the Velcro stopped working after less than a year. Well the backstrap let go one day while wading fast water and pulled the sole right off the boot, never to be found. I happened to be going to Portland a couple of weeks later on a business trip. I made arrangement to go to the corporate HQ. I showed them the boot and wanted a new pair. However, in that time frame, they reengineered the boot, replaced the Velcro with the button style. They would not replace the boots because of the significant upgrade they made. I was upset they would not sand-by their product. the only thing they offered me was a discount on a new pair. then again after a couple of years of use the toe section that the front flap inserts into came unglued while fishing the ID panhandle. Try duct taping a sole to a shoe, does not work. This time they did replace the boot but I had to pay shipping to HQ and return shipping too. This pair also broke after 1 year, the button partially separated from the back of the boot. I gave up on Korker by this time and will not buy their products again.

[Marco]

Perhaps I am an anomaly. I have NEVER been turned down for a LEGITIMATE warrantee issue. I have no EXPECTATIONS from customer service beyond the obvious. I shop with my feet and wallet and always factor in price versus expectations of quality and durability. I did once send in the butt section of a $20 ??, 10 year old ?? Eagle Claw rod asking the manufacturer if they had matching tip section. They sent me a complete new rod. I actually thought they were NUTS.

Mark

[Luke McLeod]

I forgot to strap in the backs and walked out of a pair of soles on the AuSable in MI last year. Bad part was, I didn't even notice until I started slipping the next morning at a different section of the river.

[John_N]

Well this winds up being a curious case of walking away impressed with a company and not inclined to buy their product at the same time. Kudos for the customer service with the original poster obviously, but some of these other tales reinforce what I've read a few times before about problems with their boots holding together. I've always been intrigued by the interchangeable sole concept and would love to give them a look whenever I'm due for a new pair, but I can't justify doing so if they have a higher likelihood of falling apart. Being able to get them serviced or replaced is one thing (and it sounds like even that can be inconsistent), but increasing your chances of having a trip screwed up because your boots have failed is a big no thanks.

[rizeye]

I've had Korkers now for at least 8 years. The initial novelty of changing the sole wore off, as I found I really only needed to change soles once, from felt to rubber w/spikes for winter fishing. Since then, I have found I only need to change from spikes or no spikes and you don't need to change soles for that. I actually now have 2 pairs of shoes I use.

[tedshuck]

I've been using a pair of Korker Chrome boots for about 4 years now with no problems at all. I really like the boa closure, the light weight and the interchangeable soles. I use the felt soles where traction may be a problem in the water, the studded rubber soles as rizeye does for winter fishing where snow and ice are an issue, and the plain rubber soles for when I am doing more walking on the bank than in the river. I change soles fairly often.

Ted