Woodland shoes' dropping quality standards

3 years ago, when I wrote a post- brands that worked for me and brands that didn’t, I had rated Woodlands shoes very high. My previous Woodlands shoe that cost INR 3000+ lasted 4 years + and was still doing decently ok, when I decided to replace it. Because of good experience with Woodland, the new shoe was also from the same brand- bought from a store in Chennai, without any discounts for about INR 3500+ plus some accessories that cost few hundred rupees more.

However, 3 years down the line, the shoe has given up on me. Following are the problems I faced

Lace cap gave up super quick- the lace has small plastic caps on both ends, which keeps it tidy. These caps came off within few weeks, exposing the threads that the lace was made up of. After few months I bought a new lace- costs about INR 100- this one also failed super quick. Eventually I had to switch to a Non-woodlands brand lace. Previous shoe didn’t have this problem- I suspect some poor craftsmanship or cost cutting pressures compromising on quality

Lacehooks are coming off

3 of the lacehooks have come off- the lace hooks on the show are not hole type into which lace can be inserted- it is a cloth hook stitched to the shoe, which have started failing after few years. With 3 of them gone now, I can’t tie my shoe effectively, thus rendering it useless and forcing me to buy a new shoe.

Worn out base

The sole is still doing decent but is showing signs of aging and has begun to wear out. This is natural wear and tear over time- I have worn this shoe to about 10 different countries over past 3 years- so not really complaining, but because the previous shoe from woodlands lasted even longer and survived much tougher usage, I felt I need to give this a mention, should people at Woodlands care to take notice and investigate

Lost colour- this is again natural over time. The shoe was dark green military colour during purchase-refer first photo- I was sold a bottle of spray at extra cost, which I was promised will keep the colour intact. However despite regular spray of polish, the shoe looks pretty dull now. Of course the shoe has seen it all- was fully drenched in rain multiple times, had to survive hot Chennai weather and even the snow in Copenhagen.

Because I paid a lot of money- like close to 4000 rupees including accessories, I had high expectations from Woodlands product. If it had not failed, I would have used it for another year or two before buying new shoe. Now that it has failed in just 3 years, I am forced to buy a new shoe- will definitely not buy Woodlands this time- will try a different brand and see how it goes. 3Wha years is a decent time, but my value expectation is proportionate to money paid- If a Rs 600 unbranded shoe lasts 6-9 months, I expect a Rs 1800 Bata branded show to last 3 times as much. If that doesn’t happen then there’s no value for money. Similarly a 1000 Rs sports shoe if fails after two years I wouldn’t have felt much, but a 4000 Rs shoe is expected to last 3-4 times that duration- which Woodlands used to- but may be something has gone wrong over the years where the quality of materials/craftsmanship has taken a hit over time.

What are your thoughts? How long your does last typically? Which brand do you suggest me to buy next?