I admit when you started going on about the cycle and the buy cheap buy twice thing it brought me right to a quote from Terry Pratchett that just seems to get constantly proven true and funnily enough it's about boots "The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.” Which yeah sadly does seem to be the case with a lot of alterative footwear brands
I see a lot of people promoting Koi shoes on Instagram specifically. I’m incredibly grateful for these videos for a warning so I know where my money is going
"All their shoes are made in China." "They claim they are sustainably and ethically made." It's one or the other. If it comes from China, there is zero guarantee that it didn't come from a sweatshop, or a prison labour camp. Or child labour.
@@marieeiskindadead5865 On trustpilot there's a lot of reviews from the past few years saying the quality has really gone down hill and the customer service isn't great. There's some good reviews but not enough for me to risk $200+. I plan on keeping an eye on it though🤞
New rocks! I’ve had my pair over a year and have worn them tons. I found I can style them in multiple ways too, just look around on wholesale sites or maybe even depop to grab a pair. They are VERY sturdy and compared to the demonias I had much more comfortable and enjoyable.
It's so interesting to me how women with alternative fashion styles are either fetishized or treated as repulsive. Just treat them like people, it's not hard
It’s so unfortunate that it’s that way. I dealt with the fetishization a ton when I was single being alt, and mixed with Brazilian and Japanese :/ always called exotic. Or when it comes to being alt-people assuming I’m into kinky shit and talking to me in repulsive ways right away. I remember an unfortunate fwb I had where, after we did the deed, he kept going on about how I’m not his type and how I’m not the dating type but one that dudes use as a side for their normie gf’s. It actually fucked with my self-esteem a lot. Kept seeing him until I broke. So, Not really surprised I tried to end my life around that time + ended up in a psych ward 🤷🏻♀️ I’m in a healthy relationship with an alt dude now though, and it’s lovely how he understands me and shows me off to everyone; including his family :)
Also, an alternative shoe brand: American Duchess, fantastic shoes, historical themed, women owned, both genuine leather and vegan I think, and just overall gorgeous
@@beccadoesstuff3344 Actually I don't think they do vegan shoes, their shoes are pretty much all historical reproductions, some are made of fabric but still, the soles are made of leather so
hell yeah. i have a pair of bernhardt boots from them. i think theyre discontinued now, but i love them. killed my wallet but they are the most comfortable shoes i own.
I prefer leather over vegan any day and actually hate that everything is going the "vegan" route.v Not only does leather last but is far better for the environment than 99% of vegan alternatives since all the vegan stuff is made out of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials. I wish people who strictly buy vegan for environmental purposes would understand they're not helping anything, they're actually making things worse...
I’ve always stayed away from Koi after seeing so many shoes snapped in half!😳 Highly recommend Hot Chocolate Design Shoes too - they’re more spooky Mary Janes rather then platform goth boots but they’re super cute👻 thanks for this video 🖤
Looove them! They are really nice to their customers too. They do a feature where they actually research their customers and write a nice little blurb about them!
I jest checked them out because I was looking for Mary Janes recently and wow, thanks for recommendations! They look truly joyous and seem better quality than Koi. I think I’ll buy a pair or two in the future because it’s quite hard to choose just one from so many different designs.
I swear when I first heard of the brand a couple of years ago the shoes were sooo much cheaper too (like I remember being excited I could get a pair of platform boots for like £20-25) which makes the quality more understandable. But I looked again recently and they’ve more than doubled in price?!
They were like about £20 but now are like £60+ - Never been impressed by them to be honest, I keep hearing about the bad quality of the shoes and boots, I just save up for better made brands like New Rock, and Dr martens.
I noticed prices started soaring at Koi when more celebrity stylists started buying them just before the pandemic. I was hoping to pick up a pair from them for concert season, but if the quality and customer service are this bad, I don't even want to reach for my wallet. Thanks for saving me the headache.
For fellow lolita fashion fans or anyone in the market for cute mary janes, I recommend cotton candy feet! small independent owned from Brazil who strive to be an environmentally friendly as they can be, I have a pair and they are very comfortable. They also do bags and almost all their items have huge color options too.
I've only ever brought one pair from them, they were knee length chunky boots. Surprisingly, never had a problem with the factual platform or even size. The silver hoops the laces go through just started to go BRIGHT green :) Which yes, thatd something that does normally happen on... cheap silver. But I tried to wash it off and it's not budging. Not fading, still green, not a good look. Big shame. And this happened after 1 month!
I finally invested in a pair of New Rock platform boots and paid them off.(real leather) I am so pleased with the quality and construction. I have worn them out a few times for many hours and they're great. I have a few pairs of Demonia's and have had them for 4 years with no issues so far. I also own two pairs of TUK shoes. One is a classic pair of creepers and the other is a pair of tall boots. Both have been worn to goth events and casual wear. Both have very comfortable insoles and had no problems at all. I've owned my TUK shoes for 3 plus years and they're great. I count my blessings with my Demonia's as I've owned them for just as long. I also have one pair of Bates paratrooper boots that are very well made of real leather and very nicely constructed. I've worn them out to several events and yes, danced in them for several goth nights in my local area. No complaints at all. 🕸️💀🦇🖤
Ooooh let me share my nostalgic reason for being a shoe snob! My grandma sold shoes her entire life and growing up, we'd go shoe shopping with her twice a year: around Easter for summer shoes and in fall for winter shoes. She would NEVER have let us wear no name shoes (despite being poor af lmao) I'm a postal worker and I average about 17k steps a day (not much for a postal worker, I know😔), so my shoes seriously take a beating. So 3 years ago I bought waterproof boots. I wear them at work during winter and on rainy days, on hikes in my free time etc. They're still going strong 💪 Meanwhile, my friend and colleague thinks I'm insane for spending 150€ on shoes. She has gone through about 5 pairs of 20€ shoes in those 3 years, often times ending up with literal holes in the soles after just 2-3 months. She always ends up with wet feet (despite dousing her shoes in hairspray lmao). Also, in the case of an accident (like slipping on stairs) our employer can literally partially blame us if we weren't wearing shoes with decent treads. And then there's the environmental factor of buying and throwing away a pair of shoes every few months.... Long story short, my grandma was absolutely right and good quality shoes will pay for themselves in the long run. I'm not saying Koi is the same quality as 20€ h&m shoes, but you get my point.
...they...they make spray stuff that's specifically for waterproofing shoes. Why on earth is she using hairspray? Your friend makes questionable decisions lol (side note: my parents both retired from the post office! They weren't carriers, but they worked in the plant. So they would love it if I said hi on their behalf)
They're fast fashion shoes, there's no way koi can claim they are made ethically. It's sad someone like Monami did a collab with them, she's supposed to be all about ethics.
Most "ethical" companies get their things from same place shein and often companies also just buy the clothes from shein or similar companies put a design on the clothing item and then swap the tag. I've actually seen this as after 3 washings of a shirt I had the print faded to the original print which they obviously tried speeding up the aging of the print.
Thank you for your anti-haul Emily! Both things you mentionned I experienced as well: 1) the quality of my pair of chunky sandals is horrible, they broke very quickly and I had to make them repair for half the price of the shoe and 2) I had purchased a pair through Asos (BECAUSE I HAD READ THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO NEVER GOT THEIRS). And indeed, I never received it. Asos refounded me instantly, but I think the problem comes from the brand itself. A big thank you for taking the word out! I love your videos!
reminds me of how id wear £10 school shoes from shoezone, which had to be replaced 2-3 times a year. my mother eventually splurged on clarks school shoes and they lasted me til the end of school. only 40 quid, too. so cheaper overall.
"affordable"?? Koi are over priced and fall apart or don't fit right, they've definitely got an ego problem now putting their name on tshirts and clothes like what? 😂😂 And by upping their prices so much they USED to be affordable
I bought from koi back in the beginning of the pandemic, it was a pair of combat boot style platforms almost like a less dramatic demonia camel. Those were my first ever pair of platforms and I loved them to death, I wore them everywhere (to work, on college campus, vacations, hiking, you name it) and they got a LOT of use. About a year in is when things started going downhill and the platforms starting coming off at the back and surprisingly the inside sole was shifting and coming out revealing the completely hollow inside. I was more shocked that it wasn't a solid platform and the only thing keeping my feet from falling through them was a very thin piece of wood (think popsicle stick thickness) and a little bit of fabric and maybe a touch of glue. I think I paid 45-50 USD for them and I think it was reasonable for the wear and tear they went through. I never really noticed the bad quality because I was used to wearing converse my whole life and i was having to buy new ones every year so that just felt normal to me that shoes started to break after 9 months and having to replace them. But being more experienced in platforms after those I realize how terrible the quality really was. My current pair of daily platforms have lasted me going on 2 years and the only thing wrong is light scuffing and I have several other pairs that opened my up to the terrible quality of my koi boots...
@@jessicalanger7599 I currently wear demonia shakers and they are extremely durable. I have several pairs and my daily drivers survived working at many places where they got beat to hell. they are about 3-4(?) years old and have barely any damage
Never close the Paypal case! I'm glad they did refund you after that but if they decided to lie and ghost you at that point there'd be nothing you can do. Once you close the Paypal case it can't be reopened. edit: oh my god the gross things the brand posted???? yuck???????????????
When I bought a pair of Koi trainers, they went straight back. I have never worn such a weirdly fitting pair of shoes in my life, I really think if I had kept them they would have damaged my feet.
It's also so weird to me how much they're promoted as being 100% vegan when surely plastic shoes that last a week and are made in China aren't any better ethically or environmentally.
I've had the same pair of converse for 5+ years and only now they're getting uncomfortable. It's literally only because they are so worn. The fact that their "better shoes" lasted 2-3 years is just awful
FINALLY!!! I got platform trainers from them ages ago and they were the stiffness, smelliest, cheapest thing ive ever worn. They werent at all what i expected from the website they looked so much cheaper in person. By comparison, the Fila platform trainers i got after i returned them were immediately very comfy, and have lasted me 4 years very well!
Nice! I love purple. If I had enough hair I would consider doing that. I have been thinking about trying a wig. So I may do a half and half purple and black wig.
I had this happen to me with a pair of Killstar boots. I had them for LESS than 6 months and they just split in half. I was so mad they were my fav pair 😭 but at least they gave me a store credit equal to the amount I paid, but would have preferred a refund Edit: OH GOD the fetishisation of goths is so sickening 🤢 vile
All my friends had that issue with Killstar shoes and with my boots some glue also came off and I had to reglue part of the shoe. For shoes of that prize they shouldn't be this flimsy. Not sure how their shoes are now but I sure as hell will never get any again from them. Way too expensive to gamble. I got a pair of boots from Disturbia and they have been going strong for years now.
@@emilybooboo omg I didn’t see your reply , i love you 💖 im very tipsy when writing this but Emily you’re such an inspiration for so many baby bats/ young alt people!!! Xx
I get what you mean with the aggressive sales, I especially hate the ones that have the giant timer to try and make you panic, like it’s very aggressively fast fashion. I bought off boohoo once because the sale timer got me and what I was sent was basically single use clothes, just awful like everything broke in under five wears. I think it helps that I’m not a trend chaser but I have clothing items that are over ten years old and still going strong and that’s what I like, I get emotionally attached 😂
I have mixed feelings about koi tbh, I have some pairs that have lasted me years (touch wood) and others where the sole has literally fallen off. Also had problems with sizing :/ older pairs are smaller, newer pairs are wayyy too big
I’ve seen that Swear London are now making their shoes to order via an Italian based company. Had a pair many moons ago and they were third hand when I got them- seemed completely indestructible. Wondering if anyone has ordered them recently? Rather expensive but if they’re like they were in early/ mid 2000s they’ll probably last a lifetime.
I was so tempted getting a pair of koi’s shoes because of their cute designs and have seen many ppl posting photos of them. At first I found New Rock shoes are very very expensive, they’re like way beyond my spending habit, cuz I wouldn’t even thought of paying £200 for a pair of shoes 😂, but now I’ve changed my mind, I just want one pair that goes with all of my outfits, could wear everyday and lasts for years, rather than having many pairs of cheap ones but probably wear 2-3 times due to the discomfort, so I’d go with the most expensive and comfortable ones.
I ordered two shoes from Lamoda a while ago and am very pleased about them so far! They are gorgeous, comfy and the material feels very durable. But only time will tell :)
@@emilybooboo Lamoda refuse to give refunds if any packaging is damaged - AND if you send them shoes for a refund, the form they give you says that if they don’t deem the refund to be legitimate/fair, they will keep the shoes AND your money!
@@emilybooboo One thing i found with LaModa is I was taking a look at them and found when I went to check out just to check shipping rates etc they used a Klarna based checkout which put my back up a bit. As I had a really bad experience with Klarna a couple of years ago where someone managed to yoink my details (thankfully not my bank account) and set up an account using my details and it took Klarna ages to actually get rid of it and they seemingly had no security measures in place at the time to double check it was actually me and it seemed very likely if you used this checkout you might accidentally sign up for a Klarna account if you're not paying attention which just seemed kind of irresponsible and really put me off buying from them.
I ordered a pair of thigh highs from lamoda last year. I was maybe a UK size 12-14 in jeans and I could NOT zip these over my ankles. I'm not plus size, at the time I was definitely overweight but I wouldn't have said I was fat enough where I was limited in my fashion options. I sent them back and the next day went on a diet because I felt so disgusted I wasn't able to fit into them (lost 24lbs or so over the next six months, which to be fair I did need to do for my health + I've gained back a little now, but damn). Over the next three weeks I kept emailing them and messaging on social media for refunds despite them having received the shoes. I ended up filing a PayPal dispute and got the money within half an hour. They said they were working on a plus size range but alas a year later and nothing. Either way, size 14 thighs are not plus size??? Are some girls not allowed to be goth post puberty or something????? (also, I don't have cankles or anything either, which makes this all the more baffling)
I used to work for a retailer that sold Koi and we weren't allowed to tell customers how bad the quality was and it felt so immoral selling these crappy quality boots and shoes to teenagers who'd saved up their pocket money knowing they were not gonna last.
TUK's are amazing. I have one pair. Honestly, thought I was going to kick myself for getting them because of their prices. But, NOPE. Totally worth the price!
@@pinkbubblesnake I got a pair of their 5 strap mary janes in a US 12. The sizing was great. I have worn them a ton and they are still in amazing shape. I can wholeheartedly recommend TUK. I have three pairs from them.
I’m really glad I saved up to get some New Rocks instead. Shoes and boots are so expensive, even the “cheap” ones are way expensive and should last longer than a year or two in my opinion.
Yep I bought a pair of their size 7 trainers (normally a 6 so I went up a size just to be safe). Holy crap they were TIGHT. It was like I was wearing a size 5 but their label definitely said 7 as well as the bottom of the shoe. A shame too because I love love love them :/
im obsessed with YRU they are my "strongest" shoes, i have a couple of pairs and they are so damn comfy and unique, i get comments on them everytime i go out, i cant even do my goceries without people telling me "wow your shoes are so cool" or "your style is so cool" its nice but you know those days when you just dont feel like talking and when someone loooks at you your like "ugh go away"😂
Tbh I work in a reselling company and had seen old koi sponsorships from a few favourite youtubers. And when i noticed that we were stocking them they were £20 I obviously purchased them for being only £20 but after going to manchester I saw the same pair for £55. I was actually shocked especially as the boots I purchased have caused bruises every time i wore them.
im so glad you made this video my partner orderd me some pink boots from koi, when they came the sole was shitty glued on and hanging off in places we was so pissed.
I really wanna say that Underground shoes are amazing havent had a single shoe break on me within a 10 year period and Vagabond shoes are fantastic too, very simple designs but one of the most reliable platforms ive ever had only had one fabric shoe break on me after 2 years but I got a refund right away
I remember I got a pair of Koi boots when the first started out. After only a year the sole had nearly completely disintegrated. I feel like the quality of alot of brands has severely degraded despite painting themselves as "sustainable". I think covid has definitely influenced how quickly fashion trends last, so I guess all that matters is shooting out new products whilst these trends last.
I bought some combat boots from them to go with my wedding dress but I only wore them a couple times before I sold them because they ran small and I couldn't WAIT to take them off during my wedding reception. Luckily my husband bought me Chuck Taylors as my wedding present 🙏🏾 I thought their other shoes were super cute but happy to know that I wasn't the only one having sizing issues
THANK LORD, I was going to order some koi's on my next payday since ive seen a few good recommendations by people really into the alt fashion scene. I had no idea about any of this!
Unfortunately a lot of brands drop in quality once they get a high enough brand reputation. I haven't bought from Koi. I'm not interested anymore after this and I've unfollowed them from Instagram.
The last pair of boots I got were from Tesco of all places. They have velvet laces which look pretty cool and a zip up the side and they actually look gothy and go great with my clothes. I've had them for over four years and they're still looking great. £20 are all they cost me, in my mind that's cheap sustainable fashion especially as they are still going strong. I've brought boots from Primark and they've lasted me years. There are boots out there that look goth, don't cost the earth and last for years, why are people still throwing money at these rip off companies just because they're calling their footwear goth. You can always buy chains etc. and goth a cheaper pair of boots up that you got from Tesco or Primark and you know that they are gonna last you. And as you say, more and more companies are making their footwear look more gothy these days and I'm sure in time that they will start making boots with platform soles, they've got slight platforms going on already so they will get there and have full on platforms in time (sadly, I can't walk in them 😔) So we all need to look around as the boots are out there and also try biker boots, they are made to last, they have to for riding bikes, the soles can't fall off because you'd end up losing your foot when you go round corners. The only problem is, they are heavy because of the steel toe cap, though if you're used to wearing platforms you'll have strong leg muscles and probably won't notice the difference, not like weakling me 😹😹 Thank you for the video. Take care and stay safe xxxxxxxx 💜🖤🦇
OMG YESS ive bough mary janes twice from them and they both broke by the little band snapping?!?! the first pair ive only wore once...and broke its insane
I discovered KOI a while ago due to there adds constantly popping up on my Instagram. Fell in love with the aesthetic. Bought all my koi shoes when they go on sale. Which A lot of new releases tend to do a month or 2 later. Had my last 2 purchases turn up with small scratches and indents on them. And while I’ve been happy with all my purchases. I’d have never paid full price for them as the quality just isn’t there to justify the price for at least half of my purchases. Also some of there recent social media posts have turned me off the brand. The Greggs vegan sausage roll boots as an example.
The same thing that happened to your friend with the platform boots happened to me when I got a nice pair of platform boots from there. I wore them for a month and then while I was out one day the bottom fell off them. My other pair of koi boots the sole is flapping on and has been since I got them 2 3 years ago and won't stay down no matter how much it gets glued. The sizing has been okay from my experience tho but after both shoes broke I've decided to not shop there again. Thanks for making this video so I can spread the word that this company isnt good
My mouth literally dropped over those tweets. How have I never heard of this??!!! Absolutely insane to me that this was something that actually happened. Screw all the bad reviews. Like wtf bro.....
My husband had a pair of Docs work boots that lasted him 14 years. Through working with livestock to tattooing for 10 years to being a machinist. He only replaced them because the laces (that he kept tying back together) finally just fell apart. The boots were very worn but were still wearable. It was time for him to have steel-toes though... I finally convinced him to spend the money on a new pair and he still wears them 7 years later. I mean, he is a minimalist but he gets nice shoes and wears them to the point they just can't be worn anymore.
I bought a pair years ago that has held up well until now (with minimal wear) but I likely won't buy from them again. The increase in price put them at the same price level as higher quality shoes. With my love of buying things secondhand, it just makes sense to buy a well made pair of shoes for the same money. Also, having a disability that makes standing and walking difficult means a broken shoe could be even more dangerous for me. No thanks.
I bought a Koi boots last autumn. Sizing was as should and I've been pleased with the quality. They've lasted well through Northern Finnish winter with lot of snow and temperatures around - 20C.
I have two pairs from them, both are the exact same design but one pair has flat stids up the back. They're also both a size 10, the plain pair fits more like a 9 and are SO narrow they hurt when I bend my toes to walk. The studded ones fit like a large size 11 - I'm usually size 10-11 anyway but they're still just too big. This pair also arrived with a shard of metal sticking out of the zip seam. It wasn't part of the zip at all, it was a separate piece of metal wire (like a bent staple) sewn in to the seam. KOI didn't reply to my several emails about it. Also, although they're both exactly the same style the difference in quality is insane. The plain pair were about £35 and feel so so cheap, the studded ones RRP for £65 and were much better in quality but were still not good enough for the price - I'm glad I bought them on sale. I don't ever wear them though because the soles are far too hard and not flexible enough imo. I actually hate them now, will never buy another pair.
so glad that i was recommended this video. i bought some knee length lace up boots from them sometime last year and paid almost 150 AUD including intl shipping because i wanted them so bad, but when i got them I was so disappointed. They're completely lace-up, knee length with no zipper. I suppose thats my bad for not checking the pictures properly but having to almost completely unlace and relace them just to get them on is so annoying...eventually i did the inevitable and split the back of one of them with my heel because the materal is soft pvc thats barely glued together. ive only worn them a handful of times cus theyre such a hassle to put on but they look so beat up... such bad quality for the price- I'll never stop feeling like such an idiot for paying so much 🤦🏼♀️
I think what I've learnt from buying platform boots (and having them fall apart) is that you need to be really careful when buying that sort of style. The soles should be stitched on, not glued on, and they should have a good weight to them because they use good quality materials. I can vouch for Docs and Solovairs, you can feel the difference between them and brands like Koi before you've even tried them on.
The quality of docs has gone down. I had a pair in the 90s that were built like a tank. I have a vintage purple pair from the 90s that I found on Ebay. They are great. Dig up a vintage pair if you can. Here is a video where a guy cuts open a new pair of docs to show their construction. It's not as good ad it used to be. ruclips.net/video/DOVPuA4qZ68/видео.html
I think I will never find something as comfortable as my new rocks. I'm happy they're made in my country so there's a wide variety of them you can buy second hand
There's a guy with a channel dedicated to checking boot quality. Generally, I agree that you get what you pay for although these days you hear more often about expensive brands dropping in quality.
I got a pair of their Mary Janes in 2019 with the kitty face on. and they've been great and we're only £25! but, I noticed now the same type of shoe are like £45! I've not bought anything else since as I thought it was sus that they suddenly doubled prices 😂
It's super late here so I'll need to watch this tomorrow but I'm glad I never ended up buying from them. I loved some of the designs and found a lot of their stuff was my aesthetic but I only ever saved it on my wishlist (which is just a whole bunch of crap I want but am too scared to ever buy) so I never bit the bullet. I think they look gorgeous and for sure go for a lot of aesthetics that I think demonia or even new rocks doesn't really offer. I also wish sizing was more regular from them because I'm a 8.5 to 9 in US womens (I believe 39-40) and I can never trust online shoe brands at this point.
Thank you Emily Boo! I found Koi and would have ordered from them, if I hadn't sent a simple question which never got a reply from them. I still kind of thought maybe I should give them a chance, but no more! It's hard to find cool vegan shoes - but cheap and broken is not what I'm after. I don't mind paying for shoes that last.
I got a pair of their combat style boots with a steel toe cap. The size is slightly big, but that’s fine. I’ve worn them for hours and I’ve worn them walking on uneven terrain and they didn’t break at all. My only compliant is that the PU leather is quite thin, so the steel toe cap was digging into the top of my foot and left me with bruises. I have managed to fix them by adding padding, but still frustrating. Lamoda is definitely a better brand with comparable prices and styles; I own two pairs of Lamoda boots and they’re great.
I had no idea they were so controversial! I had a pair of boots from them that I absolutely loved, the sole came unglued after about 6 months. I have platform sandals, on the other hand, that are doing pretty well coming up on their third summer with me. I have actually recommended them to friends, whose experiences are kind of a mixed bag... I just want good quality shoes that are both alt and vegan. Why is that so friggin hard to find???
Yeah . . . I got the Jinx Mystic Charm Trainers and had two of the charms break off the first time I wore them. I'm really bummed because I love the shoes and I always get so many compliments on them when I wear them, but I literally have to constantly check and make sure that the charms are still there. I think I've lost 3 of the charms so far :/
Oh, as per brands, I think it is worth checking like 'normal' shoe shops. For example, one of my favorite shops that is very affordable and woth good quality is Deichmann. They have similar designs as KOI, although not as many but way better quality
Thank you so much, i really thought i was alone thinking these shoes are terrible. i bought those boots that a black and pink with a teddy bear on them and they were CRIPPLING ive done everything i could to break them and they wont. my ankles were RED when i was walking home
Thank you so much for this video!!! I purchased some koi footwear shoes during the first ever covid lockdown. They were a pair of holographic Mary Janes. When they arrived you could instantly tell they weren’t great quality, but I got them on sale for like £13 so I wasn’t TOO bothered initially … but then I wore them a few times for work and they rubbed my feet, and were so uncomfortable. They also made me sound like a pony as the bottoms were literally just lumps of plastic so made an odd clacking sound when I was walking.. not sure if it was just the pair I bought or if they’re all like that but I’ve never shopped with them since 🙃
I still remember asking them about the heel height of a pair of shoes and they left me in read for 2 months only when I put them on blast for being rude and my other friends issues with them did they respond with the answer by then I already found better shoes. Koi are so horrid
I like TUK Footwear a lot, I got a pair of basically look a like Demonia creepers about a year ago. Not ridiculously priced and I’m still happy with them, Girrlscout turned me onto them.
@18:55 I wouldn't be surprised if they reuse tracking codes. I had that happen to me (not with Koi) and was told by my local post that they see it often enough. That's how items ship but dissappear with a "delivered" status.
"Even Korn couldn't make me Addidas cool for me" - I felt that deep in my soul 😅 always wondered what John Davis' obsession was with Addidas.. such a chavvy brand for a metal band 😅
There is a boot company called Angry Itch. They are made in the EU and are around £100. Most of their boots are leather and some have steel-toes. From what I understand their boots fit pretty true to size and maybe even a little small. I am a 6.5 so I usually order a 7 in boots. I bought their black patent leather 14 hole boots and their five buckle 14 hole boots. Once they get here I'm probably going to write a blog post about them because they are kind of an unknown boot brand.
@@emilybooboo Hey, both pairs of my Angry Itch boots arrived today and so far I have tried on the 14 hole steel toe patent leather ones and they are seriously gorgeous! I made a post over on gothfashion on Reddit about them. I think it's awesome that somebody newish is making nice 'alternative' boots!
YRU, though I have to say my last couple purchases on sale items were slight disappointments. I didn’t bother contacting customer service, since it seemed like a minor issue. Their zipper quality on their boots isn’t as good as it used to be. I’m hoping the boots just need a little more breaking in, and the zippers will magically start working better? I dunno.
Thank you for sharing! I just started actually spending time on Instagram and there seem to be lots of not so great companies on there. It is hard to know what companies are actually good. So I very much appreciate videos like these! 🖤💜🖤
That sucks! I was eyeing Koi because they have shoes for us women with sasquatch feet. I wear a US women's size 12. In Dr. Martens I am a UK 9. Thank you for saving me money. The guy's tweets weren't totally inappropriate. I am into BDSM. But I would NEVER post that kind of stuff on an account for a brand aimed at a general audience. I am glad you mentioned TUK. I have their 5 strap mary janes. They are cute, comfortable, and well made. I have worn them a ton and they are still in really good shape. And they come in sasquatch sizes. I have had a mixed experience with Demonia. I had a pair of their swing wedge mary janes. I hardly wore them because the wedge was too steep for me. The elastic bit that holds the buckle came loose. I thought about trying to fix it so I could sell them. But it would have been too much hassle. So I threw them away. On the other hand I have a pair of Demonia Rangers that are great. They are still going strong. I just got a pair of their Warlock pikes (winklepickers). After wearing them for the first time today; I like them. I can see myself wearing these a ton. Hopefully they will hold up. Thanks again for making these videos. You are helping people not waste their money.
Even if you ordered your size, there's no guarantee the shoe would actually be that size. The ones I received were at least a size off from what they were marked. I think they take super cheap Asian made shoes that are marked in S/M/L like on Shein and just slap a numbered size on them.
I’m grateful to see this, since I purchased a pair of Koi trainers years ago, and they’ve held up well, but now I know that I’m going to avoid them at all costs from now on. From what I’ve seen, they used to be pretty damn good shoes and now they seem to be falling down the hole of cheap fast fashion like so many other formerly awesome brands.
I dont claim to know much about the brand but Lamoda has some great chunky trainers/boots/sandals for good prices. I bought 2 pairs of chunky boots on Black Friday and they have lasted me a couple years now and still going strong
Oh damn, I had some cheap ass faux platform Dr. Marten style boots (I think they were €30 at Bershka or something) and the sole came off while walking through the city. Luckily I was able to tie it's lace around it to keep it all in place, otherwise I was fucked
I bought a pair of boots from Koi for my husband last year because they had good reviews in Asos and with a month the chains in it had marked the "leather" from the silver paint rubbing off. 2 to 3 months later he noticed that the sole was coming off. 😭 Meanwhile the boots that I bought for me in H&M for €30 in 2019 and used no stop for 2 years are still almost perfect.
I have a pair of boots from years ago that I love. I always meant to buy some more footwear but never got around to it. I did browse recently and notice the prices had gone up, sad to find the quality is rubbish. I won't bother with another pair now.
I admit when you started going on about the cycle and the buy cheap buy twice thing it brought me right to a quote from Terry Pratchett that just seems to get constantly proven true and funnily enough it's about boots
"The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.”
Which yeah sadly does seem to be the case with a lot of alterative footwear brands
I thought of this instantly too!
Poor man pays twice!
Pratchett was spitting straight facts, may he truly rest in peace
I see a lot of people promoting Koi shoes on Instagram specifically. I’m incredibly grateful for these videos for a warning so I know where my money is going
Good for photoshoots, not so much for actual wearing :P
FR I literally almost bought from this brand 😭
@@Vampiislay At least you were saved 😭
"All their shoes are made in China."
"They claim they are sustainably and ethically made."
It's one or the other. If it comes from China, there is zero guarantee that it didn't come from a sweatshop, or a prison labour camp. Or child labour.
and it supports the communist chinese party.
Lmaoo
All I want in my life is world peace and goth shoes that *ACTUALLY LAST*
new rock is the way to go but they r expensive 😔
@@brvhtxxbxk I actually saw a pair that I fell in LOVE with. But after reading a lot of reviews I'm not risking the money😩
@@blackdiopside5261 ive had new rock for years, do it! I literally dont trust any other platforms. I've had same pairs for more than 6 years now.
@@marieeiskindadead5865 On trustpilot there's a lot of reviews from the past few years saying the quality has really gone down hill and the customer service isn't great. There's some good reviews but not enough for me to risk $200+. I plan on keeping an eye on it though🤞
New rocks! I’ve had my pair over a year and have worn them tons. I found I can style them in multiple ways too, just look around on wholesale sites or maybe even depop to grab a pair. They are VERY sturdy and compared to the demonias I had much more comfortable and enjoyable.
It's so interesting to me how women with alternative fashion styles are either fetishized or treated as repulsive. Just treat them like people, it's not hard
It’s so unfortunate that it’s that way. I dealt with the fetishization a ton when I was single being alt, and mixed with Brazilian and Japanese :/ always called exotic. Or when it comes to being alt-people assuming I’m into kinky shit and talking to me in repulsive ways right away. I remember an unfortunate fwb I had where, after we did the deed, he kept going on about how I’m not his type and how I’m not the dating type but one that dudes use as a side for their normie gf’s. It actually fucked with my self-esteem a lot. Kept seeing him until I broke. So, Not really surprised I tried to end my life around that time + ended up in a psych ward 🤷🏻♀️ I’m in a healthy relationship with an alt dude now though, and it’s lovely how he understands me and shows me off to everyone; including his family :)
Also, an alternative shoe brand: American Duchess, fantastic shoes, historical themed, women owned, both genuine leather and vegan I think, and just overall gorgeous
Owh thanx for sharing!
I agree, the shoes are amazing! Couldn't find any vegan on their site though :(
@@beccadoesstuff3344 Actually I don't think they do vegan shoes, their shoes are pretty much all historical reproductions, some are made of fabric but still, the soles are made of leather so
hell yeah. i have a pair of bernhardt boots from them. i think theyre discontinued now, but i love them. killed my wallet but they are the most comfortable shoes i own.
I prefer leather over vegan any day and actually hate that everything is going the "vegan" route.v Not only does leather last but is far better for the environment than 99% of vegan alternatives since all the vegan stuff is made out of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials. I wish people who strictly buy vegan for environmental purposes would understand they're not helping anything, they're actually making things worse...
I’ve always stayed away from Koi after seeing so many shoes snapped in half!😳 Highly recommend Hot Chocolate Design Shoes too - they’re more spooky Mary Janes rather then platform goth boots but they’re super cute👻 thanks for this video 🖤
Hot Chocolate Design has sooooo many cute designs!
Yesss I love HCD as well. And sooo comfy!
Looove them! They are really nice to their customers too. They do a feature where they actually research their customers and write a nice little blurb about them!
I jest checked them out because I was looking for Mary Janes recently and wow, thanks for recommendations! They look truly joyous and seem better quality than Koi. I think I’ll buy a pair or two in the future because it’s quite hard to choose just one from so many different designs.
I swear when I first heard of the brand a couple of years ago the shoes were sooo much cheaper too (like I remember being excited I could get a pair of platform boots for like £20-25) which makes the quality more understandable. But I looked again recently and they’ve more than doubled in price?!
I swear the price was cheaper too! I remember going on recently and being quite shocked 😳
They were like about £20 but now are like £60+ - Never been impressed by them to be honest, I keep hearing about the bad quality of the shoes and boots, I just save up for better made brands like New Rock, and Dr martens.
@@elleydoll I agree! I saved for a pair of jadon max docs last year and I still feel like I don’t need to buy a pair of boots ever again lol
They have a lot of sales from £10 above
I noticed prices started soaring at Koi when more celebrity stylists started buying them just before the pandemic. I was hoping to pick up a pair from them for concert season, but if the quality and customer service are this bad, I don't even want to reach for my wallet. Thanks for saving me the headache.
For fellow lolita fashion fans or anyone in the market for cute mary janes, I recommend cotton candy feet! small independent owned from Brazil who strive to be an environmentally friendly as they can be, I have a pair and they are very comfortable. They also do bags and almost all their items have huge color options too.
I've only ever brought one pair from them, they were knee length chunky boots. Surprisingly, never had a problem with the factual platform or even size. The silver hoops the laces go through just started to go BRIGHT green :) Which yes, thatd something that does normally happen on... cheap silver.
But I tried to wash it off and it's not budging. Not fading, still green, not a good look. Big shame. And this happened after 1 month!
That sucks!! Glad the platforms holding on though. Their big boots seem to be the most common breaking.
If you're trying to extend their life I'd try coating the green over with a silver nail polish, maybe a clear top coat too.
I finally invested in a pair of New Rock platform boots and paid them off.(real leather) I am so pleased with the quality and construction. I have worn them out a few times for many hours and they're great. I have a few pairs of Demonia's and have had them for 4 years with no issues so far. I also own two pairs of TUK shoes. One is a classic pair of creepers and the other is a pair of tall boots. Both have been worn to goth events and casual wear. Both have very comfortable insoles and had no problems at all. I've owned my TUK shoes for 3 plus years and they're great. I count my blessings with my Demonia's as I've owned them for just as long. I also have one pair of Bates paratrooper boots that are very well made of real leather and very nicely constructed. I've worn them out to several events and yes, danced in them for several goth nights in my local area. No complaints at all. 🕸️💀🦇🖤
Ooooh let me share my nostalgic reason for being a shoe snob!
My grandma sold shoes her entire life and growing up, we'd go shoe shopping with her twice a year: around Easter for summer shoes and in fall for winter shoes. She would NEVER have let us wear no name shoes (despite being poor af lmao)
I'm a postal worker and I average about 17k steps a day (not much for a postal worker, I know😔), so my shoes seriously take a beating.
So 3 years ago I bought waterproof boots. I wear them at work during winter and on rainy days, on hikes in my free time etc. They're still going strong 💪
Meanwhile, my friend and colleague thinks I'm insane for spending 150€ on shoes. She has gone through about 5 pairs of 20€ shoes in those 3 years, often times ending up with literal holes in the soles after just 2-3 months. She always ends up with wet feet (despite dousing her shoes in hairspray lmao).
Also, in the case of an accident (like slipping on stairs) our employer can literally partially blame us if we weren't wearing shoes with decent treads.
And then there's the environmental factor of buying and throwing away a pair of shoes every few months....
Long story short, my grandma was absolutely right and good quality shoes will pay for themselves in the long run.
I'm not saying Koi is the same quality as 20€ h&m shoes, but you get my point.
...they...they make spray stuff that's specifically for waterproofing shoes. Why on earth is she using hairspray? Your friend makes questionable decisions lol (side note: my parents both retired from the post office! They weren't carriers, but they worked in the plant. So they would love it if I said hi on their behalf)
They're fast fashion shoes, there's no way koi can claim they are made ethically. It's sad someone like Monami did a collab with them, she's supposed to be all about ethics.
Most "ethical" companies get their things from same place shein and often companies also just buy the clothes from shein or similar companies put a design on the clothing item and then swap the tag. I've actually seen this as after 3 washings of a shirt I had the print faded to the original print which they obviously tried speeding up the aging of the print.
Thank you for your anti-haul Emily! Both things you mentionned I experienced as well: 1) the quality of my pair of chunky sandals is horrible, they broke very quickly and I had to make them repair for half the price of the shoe and 2) I had purchased a pair through Asos (BECAUSE I HAD READ THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO NEVER GOT THEIRS). And indeed, I never received it. Asos refounded me instantly, but I think the problem comes from the brand itself. A big thank you for taking the word out! I love your videos!
Thank you for watching x
reminds me of how id wear £10 school shoes from shoezone, which had to be replaced 2-3 times a year. my mother eventually splurged on clarks school shoes and they lasted me til the end of school. only 40 quid, too. so cheaper overall.
"affordable"?? Koi are over priced and fall apart or don't fit right, they've definitely got an ego problem now putting their name on tshirts and clothes like what? 😂😂 And by upping their prices so much they USED to be affordable
well said!
I bought from koi back in the beginning of the pandemic, it was a pair of combat boot style platforms almost like a less dramatic demonia camel. Those were my first ever pair of platforms and I loved them to death, I wore them everywhere (to work, on college campus, vacations, hiking, you name it) and they got a LOT of use. About a year in is when things started going downhill and the platforms starting coming off at the back and surprisingly the inside sole was shifting and coming out revealing the completely hollow inside. I was more shocked that it wasn't a solid platform and the only thing keeping my feet from falling through them was a very thin piece of wood (think popsicle stick thickness) and a little bit of fabric and maybe a touch of glue. I think I paid 45-50 USD for them and I think it was reasonable for the wear and tear they went through. I never really noticed the bad quality because I was used to wearing converse my whole life and i was having to buy new ones every year so that just felt normal to me that shoes started to break after 9 months and having to replace them. But being more experienced in platforms after those I realize how terrible the quality really was. My current pair of daily platforms have lasted me going on 2 years and the only thing wrong is light scuffing and I have several other pairs that opened my up to the terrible quality of my koi boots...
where are your current pair from? and are they still going strong? 💞
@@jessicalanger7599 I currently wear demonia shakers and they are extremely durable. I have several pairs and my daily drivers survived working at many places where they got beat to hell. they are about 3-4(?) years old and have barely any damage
@@nearlyghouls1727 awesome!! i wound up buying new rocks, fingers crossed they hold up for years too 😊
Never close the Paypal case! I'm glad they did refund you after that but if they decided to lie and ghost you at that point there'd be nothing you can do. Once you close the Paypal case it can't be reopened.
edit: oh my god the gross things the brand posted???? yuck???????????????
When I bought a pair of Koi trainers, they went straight back. I have never worn such a weirdly fitting pair of shoes in my life, I really think if I had kept them they would have damaged my feet.
It's also so weird to me how much they're promoted as being 100% vegan when surely plastic shoes that last a week and are made in China aren't any better ethically or environmentally.
I've had the same pair of converse for 5+ years and only now they're getting uncomfortable. It's literally only because they are so worn. The fact that their "better shoes" lasted 2-3 years is just awful
FINALLY!!! I got platform trainers from them ages ago and they were the stiffness, smelliest, cheapest thing ive ever worn. They werent at all what i expected from the website they looked so much cheaper in person. By comparison, the Fila platform trainers i got after i returned them were immediately very comfy, and have lasted me 4 years very well!
I was going to treat myself to those £110 boots - THANK YOU EMILY, you saved me ❤️❤️
Happy to help!
You inspired me to do my hair like yours though I did my colored side in purple 💜 can't wait to watch the video!
That's awesome!
Nice! I love purple. If I had enough hair I would consider doing that. I have been thinking about trying a wig. So I may do a half and half purple and black wig.
i’m glad someone said it
Well done boo for getting this out there, hopefully it will help people consider their options before buying. Love to ya girl! 🖤💚
Thanx for watching x
I had this happen to me with a pair of Killstar boots. I had them for LESS than 6 months and they just split in half. I was so mad they were my fav pair 😭 but at least they gave me a store credit equal to the amount I paid, but would have preferred a refund
Edit: OH GOD the fetishisation of goths is so sickening 🤢 vile
Glad you were able to get store credit at least x
All my friends had that issue with Killstar shoes and with my boots some glue also came off and I had to reglue part of the shoe.
For shoes of that prize they shouldn't be this flimsy. Not sure how their shoes are now but I sure as hell will never get any again from them. Way too expensive to gamble.
I got a pair of boots from Disturbia and they have been going strong for years now.
Ah interesting. I’ve got 3 pairs from them & they’ve all been great quality and lasted me a long time.
You're lucky. Lol I never have luck with online clothes/shoes.
Glad you've had good experiences :)
@@emilybooboo omg I didn’t see your reply , i love you 💖 im very tipsy when writing this but Emily you’re such an inspiration for so many baby bats/ young alt people!!! Xx
I get what you mean with the aggressive sales, I especially hate the ones that have the giant timer to try and make you panic, like it’s very aggressively fast fashion. I bought off boohoo once because the sale timer got me and what I was sent was basically single use clothes, just awful like everything broke in under five wears. I think it helps that I’m not a trend chaser but I have clothing items that are over ten years old and still going strong and that’s what I like, I get emotionally attached 😂
I miss older clothing brands where the items actually lasted.
I have mixed feelings about koi tbh, I have some pairs that have lasted me years (touch wood) and others where the sole has literally fallen off. Also had problems with sizing :/ older pairs are smaller, newer pairs are wayyy too big
I’ve seen that Swear London are now making their shoes to order via an Italian based company. Had a pair many moons ago and they were third hand when I got them- seemed completely indestructible. Wondering if anyone has ordered them recently? Rather expensive but if they’re like they were in early/ mid 2000s they’ll probably last a lifetime.
I was so tempted getting a pair of koi’s shoes because of their cute designs and have seen many ppl posting photos of them. At first I found New Rock shoes are very very expensive, they’re like way beyond my spending habit, cuz I wouldn’t even thought of paying £200 for a pair of shoes 😂, but now I’ve changed my mind, I just want one pair that goes with all of my outfits, could wear everyday and lasts for years, rather than having many pairs of cheap ones but probably wear 2-3 times due to the discomfort, so I’d go with the most expensive and comfortable ones.
I ordered two shoes from Lamoda a while ago and am very pleased about them so far! They are gorgeous, comfy and the material feels very durable. But only time will tell :)
Haha antihaul on them in the future :P
@@emilybooboo Lamoda refuse to give refunds if any packaging is damaged - AND if you send them shoes for a refund, the form they give you says that if they don’t deem the refund to be legitimate/fair, they will keep the shoes AND your money!
@@emilybooboo The shoes I've had from them have been okay (so far) but their costumer service is beyond atrocious, I'd never buy from them again
@@emilybooboo One thing i found with LaModa is I was taking a look at them and found when I went to check out just to check shipping rates etc they used a Klarna based checkout which put my back up a bit. As I had a really bad experience with Klarna a couple of years ago where someone managed to yoink my details (thankfully not my bank account) and set up an account using my details and it took Klarna ages to actually get rid of it and they seemingly had no security measures in place at the time to double check it was actually me and it seemed very likely if you used this checkout you might accidentally sign up for a Klarna account if you're not paying attention which just seemed kind of irresponsible and really put me off buying from them.
I ordered a pair of thigh highs from lamoda last year. I was maybe a UK size 12-14 in jeans and I could NOT zip these over my ankles. I'm not plus size, at the time I was definitely overweight but I wouldn't have said I was fat enough where I was limited in my fashion options. I sent them back and the next day went on a diet because I felt so disgusted I wasn't able to fit into them (lost 24lbs or so over the next six months, which to be fair I did need to do for my health + I've gained back a little now, but damn). Over the next three weeks I kept emailing them and messaging on social media for refunds despite them having received the shoes. I ended up filing a PayPal dispute and got the money within half an hour. They said they were working on a plus size range but alas a year later and nothing. Either way, size 14 thighs are not plus size??? Are some girls not allowed to be goth post puberty or something?????
(also, I don't have cankles or anything either, which makes this all the more baffling)
Ah yes, we all love going to the foot person shop.
Appreciate you Emily, thanks for informing us about these companies
I used to work for a retailer that sold Koi and we weren't allowed to tell customers how bad the quality was and it felt so immoral selling these crappy quality boots and shoes to teenagers who'd saved up their pocket money knowing they were not gonna last.
TUK's are amazing. I have one pair. Honestly, thought I was going to kick myself for getting them because of their prices. But, NOPE. Totally worth the price!
I always wanted a pair of tuk mary janes, how is the sizing?
@@pinkbubblesnake sizing was spot on for me.
@@pinkbubblesnake I got a pair of their 5 strap mary janes in a US 12. The sizing was great. I have worn them a ton and they are still in amazing shape. I can wholeheartedly recommend TUK. I have three pairs from them.
I'm loving that Chucky child's play photo behind you with the letter blocks nice touch
I’m really glad I saved up to get some New Rocks instead. Shoes and boots are so expensive, even the “cheap” ones are way expensive and should last longer than a year or two in my opinion.
I forgot you threw your boots at Bloodstock 🤣🤣🤣
Good times lmao!
Yep I bought a pair of their size 7 trainers (normally a 6 so I went up a size just to be safe). Holy crap they were TIGHT. It was like I was wearing a size 5 but their label definitely said 7 as well as the bottom of the shoe. A shame too because I love love love them :/
new rocks are amazingg. i've had my pair for 10 years. bought them used too!
im obsessed with YRU they are my "strongest" shoes, i have a couple of pairs and they are so damn comfy and unique, i get comments on them everytime i go out, i cant even do my goceries without people telling me "wow your shoes are so cool" or "your style is so cool" its nice but you know those days when you just dont feel like talking and when someone loooks at you your like "ugh go away"😂
Tbh I work in a reselling company and had seen old koi sponsorships from a few favourite youtubers. And when i noticed that we were stocking them they were £20 I obviously purchased them for being only £20 but after going to manchester I saw the same pair for £55. I was actually shocked especially as the boots I purchased have caused bruises every time i wore them.
im so glad you made this video my partner orderd me some pink boots from koi, when they came the sole was shitty glued on and hanging off in places we was so pissed.
Jeez! It sucks so much how many people have had problems with them :/
I really wanna say that Underground shoes are amazing havent had a single shoe break on me within a 10 year period
and Vagabond shoes are fantastic too, very simple designs but one of the most reliable platforms ive ever had only had one fabric shoe break on me after 2 years but I got a refund right away
I remember I got a pair of Koi boots when the first started out. After only a year the sole had nearly completely disintegrated. I feel like the quality of alot of brands has severely degraded despite painting themselves as "sustainable". I think covid has definitely influenced how quickly fashion trends last, so I guess all that matters is shooting out new products whilst these trends last.
I bought some combat boots from them to go with my wedding dress but I only wore them a couple times before I sold them because they ran small and I couldn't WAIT to take them off during my wedding reception. Luckily my husband bought me Chuck Taylors as my wedding present 🙏🏾 I thought their other shoes were super cute but happy to know that I wasn't the only one having sizing issues
So glad you had a backup pair
THANK LORD, I was going to order some koi's on my next payday since ive seen a few good recommendations by people really into the alt fashion scene. I had no idea about any of this!
Glad I could help!
Putin wears wax laces. 😂😂😂😭😭😭 Underrated roast.
Unfortunately a lot of brands drop in quality once they get a high enough brand reputation.
I haven't bought from Koi. I'm not interested anymore after this and I've unfollowed them from Instagram.
The last pair of boots I got were from Tesco of all places. They have velvet laces which look pretty cool and a zip up the side and they actually look gothy and go great with my clothes. I've had them for over four years and they're still looking great. £20 are all they cost me, in my mind that's cheap sustainable fashion especially as they are still going strong. I've brought boots from Primark and they've lasted me years. There are boots out there that look goth, don't cost the earth and last for years, why are people still throwing money at these rip off companies just because they're calling their footwear goth. You can always buy chains etc. and goth a cheaper pair of boots up that you got from Tesco or Primark and you know that they are gonna last you.
And as you say, more and more companies are making their footwear look more gothy these days and I'm sure in time that they will start making boots with platform soles, they've got slight platforms going on already so they will get there and have full on platforms in time (sadly, I can't walk in them 😔)
So we all need to look around as the boots are out there and also try biker boots, they are made to last, they have to for riding bikes, the soles can't fall off because you'd end up losing your foot when you go round corners. The only problem is, they are heavy because of the steel toe cap, though if you're used to wearing platforms you'll have strong leg muscles and probably won't notice the difference, not like weakling me 😹😹
Thank you for the video.
Take care and stay safe xxxxxxxx 💜🖤🦇
YES! I love an antihaul.
Thanx for watching, Pennywise :P
OMG YESS ive bough mary janes twice from them and they both broke by the little band snapping?!?! the first pair ive only wore once...and broke its insane
Damn! Hope you were able to get some money back!
I discovered KOI a while ago due to there adds constantly popping up on my Instagram. Fell in love with the aesthetic. Bought all my koi shoes when they go on sale. Which A lot of new releases tend to do a month or 2 later. Had my last 2 purchases turn up with small scratches and indents on them. And while I’ve been happy with all my purchases. I’d have never paid full price for them as the quality just isn’t there to justify the price for at least half of my purchases. Also some of there recent social media posts have turned me off the brand. The Greggs vegan sausage roll boots as an example.
The same thing that happened to your friend with the platform boots happened to me when I got a nice pair of platform boots from there. I wore them for a month and then while I was out one day the bottom fell off them. My other pair of koi boots the sole is flapping on and has been since I got them 2 3 years ago and won't stay down no matter how much it gets glued. The sizing has been okay from my experience tho but after both shoes broke I've decided to not shop there again. Thanks for making this video so I can spread the word that this company isnt good
My mouth literally dropped over those tweets. How have I never heard of this??!!! Absolutely insane to me that this was something that actually happened. Screw all the bad reviews. Like wtf bro.....
They got deleted pretty quickly but thankfully, people screenshot :P
I'd love to see a video of shoe brands you recommend and a video on everything wrong with Demonia
Wait, what's wrong with demonia? Just curious cause I just got a pair lol.
Also there was the whole controversy of Koi ripping off Teddy Fresh with their colour block bear boots.
My husband had a pair of Docs work boots that lasted him 14 years. Through working with livestock to tattooing for 10 years to being a machinist. He only replaced them because the laces (that he kept tying back together) finally just fell apart. The boots were very worn but were still wearable. It was time for him to have steel-toes though... I finally convinced him to spend the money on a new pair and he still wears them 7 years later. I mean, he is a minimalist but he gets nice shoes and wears them to the point they just can't be worn anymore.
I bought a pair years ago that has held up well until now (with minimal wear) but I likely won't buy from them again.
The increase in price put them at the same price level as higher quality shoes. With my love of buying things secondhand, it just makes sense to buy a well made pair of shoes for the same money. Also, having a disability that makes standing and walking difficult means a broken shoe could be even more dangerous for me. No thanks.
I bought a Koi boots last autumn. Sizing was as should and I've been pleased with the quality. They've lasted well through Northern Finnish winter with lot of snow and temperatures around - 20C.
So glad they've held up well for you!
I have two pairs from them, both are the exact same design but one pair has flat stids up the back. They're also both a size 10, the plain pair fits more like a 9 and are SO narrow they hurt when I bend my toes to walk. The studded ones fit like a large size 11 - I'm usually size 10-11 anyway but they're still just too big. This pair also arrived with a shard of metal sticking out of the zip seam. It wasn't part of the zip at all, it was a separate piece of metal wire (like a bent staple) sewn in to the seam. KOI didn't reply to my several emails about it. Also, although they're both exactly the same style the difference in quality is insane. The plain pair were about £35 and feel so so cheap, the studded ones RRP for £65 and were much better in quality but were still not good enough for the price - I'm glad I bought them on sale. I don't ever wear them though because the soles are far too hard and not flexible enough imo. I actually hate them now, will never buy another pair.
so glad that i was recommended this video. i bought some knee length lace up boots from them sometime last year and paid almost 150 AUD including intl shipping because i wanted them so bad, but when i got them I was so disappointed. They're completely lace-up, knee length with no zipper. I suppose thats my bad for not checking the pictures properly but having to almost completely unlace and relace them just to get them on is so annoying...eventually i did the inevitable and split the back of one of them with my heel because the materal is soft pvc thats barely glued together. ive only worn them a handful of times cus theyre such a hassle to put on but they look so beat up... such bad quality for the price- I'll never stop feeling like such an idiot for paying so much 🤦🏼♀️
Oh god, the laces would enrage me :P
I think what I've learnt from buying platform boots (and having them fall apart) is that you need to be really careful when buying that sort of style. The soles should be stitched on, not glued on, and they should have a good weight to them because they use good quality materials. I can vouch for Docs and Solovairs, you can feel the difference between them and brands like Koi before you've even tried them on.
The quality of docs has gone down. I had a pair in the 90s that were built like a tank. I have a vintage purple pair from the 90s that I found on Ebay. They are great. Dig up a vintage pair if you can.
Here is a video where a guy cuts open a new pair of docs to show their construction. It's not as good ad it used to be. ruclips.net/video/DOVPuA4qZ68/видео.html
I think I will never find something as comfortable as my new rocks. I'm happy they're made in my country so there's a wide variety of them you can buy second hand
There's a guy with a channel dedicated to checking boot quality.
Generally, I agree that you get what you pay for although these days you hear more often about expensive brands dropping in quality.
I got a pair of their Mary Janes in 2019 with the kitty face on. and they've been great and we're only £25! but, I noticed now the same type of shoe are like £45! I've not bought anything else since as I thought it was sus that they suddenly doubled prices 😂
It's super late here so I'll need to watch this tomorrow but I'm glad I never ended up buying from them. I loved some of the designs and found a lot of their stuff was my aesthetic but I only ever saved it on my wishlist (which is just a whole bunch of crap I want but am too scared to ever buy) so I never bit the bullet. I think they look gorgeous and for sure go for a lot of aesthetics that I think demonia or even new rocks doesn't really offer. I also wish sizing was more regular from them because I'm a 8.5 to 9 in US womens (I believe 39-40) and I can never trust online shoe brands at this point.
Thank you Emily Boo! I found Koi and would have ordered from them, if I hadn't sent a simple question which never got a reply from them. I still kind of thought maybe I should give them a chance, but no more! It's hard to find cool vegan shoes - but cheap and broken is not what I'm after. I don't mind paying for shoes that last.
I love the anti-haul videos🖤
I get all my rage out during them haha
OO, this is a new one. I don't think I've heard nagtive things on koi footwear before so I'd love to hear.
Hope you enjoyed the drama!
I got a pair of their combat style boots with a steel toe cap. The size is slightly big, but that’s fine. I’ve worn them for hours and I’ve worn them walking on uneven terrain and they didn’t break at all. My only compliant is that the PU leather is quite thin, so the steel toe cap was digging into the top of my foot and left me with bruises. I have managed to fix them by adding padding, but still frustrating. Lamoda is definitely a better brand with comparable prices and styles; I own two pairs of Lamoda boots and they’re great.
I had no idea they were so controversial! I had a pair of boots from them that I absolutely loved, the sole came unglued after about 6 months. I have platform sandals, on the other hand, that are doing pretty well coming up on their third summer with me. I have actually recommended them to friends, whose experiences are kind of a mixed bag... I just want good quality shoes that are both alt and vegan. Why is that so friggin hard to find???
do you mean that vegan leather? yeah, there's no fake leather that is good quality.
I wish there were shoes with sketchers comfort and durability but actually looked cool
Yeah . . . I got the Jinx Mystic Charm Trainers and had two of the charms break off the first time I wore them. I'm really bummed because I love the shoes and I always get so many compliments on them when I wear them, but I literally have to constantly check and make sure that the charms are still there. I think I've lost 3 of the charms so far :/
Oh, as per brands, I think it is worth checking like 'normal' shoe shops. For example, one of my favorite shops that is very affordable and woth good quality is Deichmann. They have similar designs as KOI, although not as many but way better quality
Thank you so much, i really thought i was alone thinking these shoes are terrible. i bought those boots that a black and pink with a teddy bear on them and they were CRIPPLING ive done everything i could to break them and they wont. my ankles were RED when i was walking home
Unfortunately it seems to be becoming more and more common :(
You are always amazing emily always excited to watch your new videos i really look your unique style love you emily awesome video
Thank you so much for this video!!!
I purchased some koi footwear shoes during the first ever covid lockdown. They were a pair of holographic Mary Janes.
When they arrived you could instantly tell they weren’t great quality, but I got them on sale for like £13 so I wasn’t TOO bothered initially … but then I wore them a few times for work and they rubbed my feet, and were so uncomfortable. They also made me sound like a pony as the bottoms were literally just lumps of plastic so made an odd clacking sound when I was walking.. not sure if it was just the pair I bought or if they’re all like that but I’ve never shopped with them since 🙃
I still remember asking them about the heel height of a pair of shoes and they left me in read for 2 months only when I put them on blast for being rude and my other friends issues with them did they respond with the answer by then I already found better shoes. Koi are so horrid
I like TUK Footwear a lot, I got a pair of basically look a like Demonia creepers about a year ago. Not ridiculously priced and I’m still happy with them, Girrlscout turned me onto them.
@18:55 I wouldn't be surprised if they reuse tracking codes. I had that happen to me (not with Koi) and was told by my local post that they see it often enough. That's how items ship but dissappear with a "delivered" status.
I love you! So happy when I see my goth queen post!
Thanx for watching :D
Thank you so much for this video! I was planning on buying from them for my birthday
"Even Korn couldn't make me Addidas cool for me" - I felt that deep in my soul 😅 always wondered what John Davis' obsession was with Addidas.. such a chavvy brand for a metal band 😅
There is a boot company called Angry Itch. They are made in the EU and are around £100. Most of their boots are leather and some have steel-toes. From what I understand their boots fit pretty true to size and maybe even a little small. I am a 6.5 so I usually order a 7 in boots. I bought their black patent leather 14 hole boots and their five buckle 14 hole boots. Once they get here I'm probably going to write a blog post about them because they are kind of an unknown boot brand.
Thanx for sharing!
@@emilybooboo Hey, both pairs of my Angry Itch boots arrived today and so far I have tried on the 14 hole steel toe patent leather ones and they are seriously gorgeous! I made a post over on gothfashion on Reddit about them. I think it's awesome that somebody newish is making nice 'alternative' boots!
This is crazy to hear! Helen Anderson did a collab with them and I really trust her 😭
:o I love Helen! :(
Koi normally never even have my shoes size. Maybe the universe had my back with that one 😂
YRU, though I have to say my last couple purchases on sale items were slight disappointments. I didn’t bother contacting customer service, since it seemed like a minor issue. Their zipper quality on their boots isn’t as good as it used to be. I’m hoping the boots just need a little more breaking in, and the zippers will magically start working better? I dunno.
glad i came across this before going through with any purchase, im always tempted to... oof.
Thank you for sharing! I just started actually spending time on Instagram and there seem to be lots of not so great companies on there. It is hard to know what companies are actually good. So I very much appreciate videos like these! 🖤💜🖤
You are so welcome!
That sucks! I was eyeing Koi because they have shoes for us women with sasquatch feet. I wear a US women's size 12. In Dr. Martens I am a UK 9. Thank you for saving me money.
The guy's tweets weren't totally inappropriate. I am into BDSM. But I would NEVER post that kind of stuff on an account for a brand aimed at a general audience.
I am glad you mentioned TUK. I have their 5 strap mary janes. They are cute, comfortable, and well made. I have worn them a ton and they are still in really good shape. And they come in sasquatch sizes.
I have had a mixed experience with Demonia. I had a pair of their swing wedge mary janes. I hardly wore them because the wedge was too steep for me. The elastic bit that holds the buckle came loose. I thought about trying to fix it so I could sell them. But it would have been too much hassle. So I threw them away. On the other hand I have a pair of Demonia Rangers that are great. They are still going strong. I just got a pair of their Warlock pikes (winklepickers). After wearing them for the first time today; I like them. I can see myself wearing these a ton. Hopefully they will hold up.
Thanks again for making these videos. You are helping people not waste their money.
Even if you ordered your size, there's no guarantee the shoe would actually be that size. The ones I received were at least a size off from what they were marked. I think they take super cheap Asian made shoes that are marked in S/M/L like on Shein and just slap a numbered size on them.
I say go for docs they last for years even if you don’t want to wear leather they do have leather alternatives :)
I’m so glad I didn’t buy their shoes in the end, so hard when all the people you follow online are collaborating with them though
Owwwh i'll keep an eye out for them!
I’m grateful to see this, since I purchased a pair of Koi trainers years ago, and they’ve held up well, but now I know that I’m going to avoid them at all costs from now on. From what I’ve seen, they used to be pretty damn good shoes and now they seem to be falling down the hole of cheap fast fashion like so many other formerly awesome brands.
I dont claim to know much about the brand but Lamoda has some great chunky trainers/boots/sandals for good prices. I bought 2 pairs of chunky boots on Black Friday and they have lasted me a couple years now and still going strong
Oh damn, I had some cheap ass faux platform Dr. Marten style boots (I think they were €30 at Bershka or something) and the sole came off while walking through the city. Luckily I was able to tie it's lace around it to keep it all in place, otherwise I was fucked
I bought a pair of boots from Koi for my husband last year because they had good reviews in Asos and with a month the chains in it had marked the "leather" from the silver paint rubbing off. 2 to 3 months later he noticed that the sole was coming off. 😭
Meanwhile the boots that I bought for me in H&M for €30 in 2019 and used no stop for 2 years are still almost perfect.
Glad the H&M one's held up :P
I have a pair of boots from years ago that I love. I always meant to buy some more footwear but never got around to it. I did browse recently and notice the prices had gone up, sad to find the quality is rubbish. I won't bother with another pair now.