donaldpliner.com Reviews 8

Donald Pliner shoes were my “go to” years ago. Now, no way. The company has been sold a few times and the original Donald Pliner designs, with their detail, classy look, and quality just do not compare to what is offered now. It’s sad that such a highly regarded company has been ruined by the almighty greed of the dollar. I am surprised that Donald Pliner and his wife continue to have their name on the brand, but then again, $$$.

Boy, I wish I had read these reviews.
You pay a lot of money for these shoes.
Like other reviews on this site, I had the same issues with the shoes falling apart only after wearing them once!!
Please don’t fall into the trap that if you pay a lot, you’ll get excellent quality and craftsmanship.

I paid 30 dollars for a 2-day delivery, I ordered on Tuesday evening, so the two day timer should start on Wednesday, and 2 days means Friday. Instead, I'm getting it on Monday, which is not 2 days any way one counts. Don't do business with these scam artists.

Donald Pliner will not take ownership for errors in shipping or returns. I am out the cost of the shoes and shipping charges. Do not buy from this company.

Donald Pliner shoes have become total garbage. They just try to bank off their past quality "made in the mountains of Italy", they used to advertise. BUT....not any more. More like cheap Chinese stiff, less than 25% leather garbage. They try to pass off $45 amazon quality cheap shoes as being $300 on sale for $100.
When you complain they basically say "too bad" no returns allowed and you're stuck donating them.
Buyer beware.

Terrible! I ordered 2 pairs of the same line VIXI in different colors. I wore the first pair, in brown, and they fit perfectly, very comfortable. However, when I went to wear the second pair of the same shoe, in white, I could not even get it on my foot due to the significantly narrower/defective toe box, let alone wear it! These were supposed to be the same shoe, but they clearly were made very differently. When I went to return or exchange the defective pair, I was told they had a shortened return window (20 days vs. standard 30 days for most retailers). And it had been 22 days or so. They refused to refund or exchange even though the shoes were clearly defective/unwearable. I was very disappointed in their lack of accountability, poor craftsmanship and terrible customer service. I will not purchase again from a company that makes poor quality shoes. I read online that many customers have complained about this problem with the excessively narrow toe box in some shoes. So strange to me that the shoe in brown was fine, but the same shoe in white was unwearable. This was obviously a design/craftsmanship error, and I paid for and am stuck with Donald Pliner’s mistake.

DONALD PLINER SHOES
I had purchased several pair of sandals from DP in May of 2024. Two of them are still in great shape and one fell apart. All three pair of sandals had very little wear during the time (May 2014- April2025)in which I reported such to Donal Pliner customer service. Initially they were quick to respond to me saying that they do not have a repair or replacement program and I should bring the sandals to a shoe maker to see if they can fix them. I explained that I had many pairs of DP sandals that had served me for many years with little signs of wear and tear and felt this issue was a defective sandal. I requested a replacement. I did not hear back from them . I contacted the senior vice president of production, who referred me back to customer service. And their response was the same. They just were not interested in rectifying the situation. You would think that they would want to keep a long time customer happy but they were not. After I said they would lose me as a customer they never responded.
I believe that others should be aware that although for the most part their shoes are made well; in the event their is a problem they won’t stand behind it, and care very little about their customer. Unfortunately, it seems the belief these companies have is all about making money but not about satisfying the customer. They haven’t bought into the belief that the customer is the best asset. Too bad for Donald Pliner. Eventually their reputation will catch up with them. I was hoping you could post my story to the public

Horrible customer service. Ordered online, paid $25 express. Called immediately and told by a rep I didn’t need to pay the $25 as I lived a town over and they’d make it in time. She said she’d remove the additional charge but didn’t. I had to return and they kept the $25. Had I known they weren’t standing behind what they promised, I would have cancelled and reordered normal ground shipping. There are better companies to buy from. Won’t ever buy from them again. They don’t even sign their emails. Just “Customer Service”. Twice.