Devil's advocate as always: not all companies give long warranties. If a
warranty is for a year and it breaks at a year and a half, don't ya just go
buy a new item? Why is it complicated? Sometimes things break, sometimes not.
Small outfits can't all give big warranties.

I just had a Vasque boot totally fail on me in normal use after a couple
years. My previous pair of the same boot lasted 12 years. That was my idea of
what a $150 boot should do. I'm peeved at the 3-yr implosion of the new pair
but what can I do? Vasque offers a one-year warranty. Sure they're part of
the huge RedWing but they're probably a small division, especially the hiking
dept. In any event these devices---boots and skis---see tremendously varied
use and sh*t happens and they break sometimes. A craftsman-made product will
typically be much better than a cheap one but "better" doesn't mean "eternal"
nor does it include warranty beyond the warranty. Buy another brand next time
if you like. I don't know what to do about the boot. I suspect I'll buy
something similar and face the same kind of failure odds. Se la vie.

Also, if a device fails and one is hurt, that too is life and good equipment
can't totally protect us from this when we go out rolling on devices.

A small company can't go thru FDA-level or Ford-level testing.

Don't use any device that doesn't seem safe to you.

I read a lady's report about bicycling that said she didn't ride any faster
than she felt safe if something bad happened. This was a woman who had no
insurance and did not believe in litigation. Her view seems entirely sensible
and realistic. If you go fast on something and you are hurt, whose fault is
it really? Did someone MAKE you go fast?

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com
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