So, after I quit my job, the next logical thing to do was of course to order a pair of overpriced handmade Swedish clogs!
Swedish Hasbeens look fabulous with their wooden platforms, 10 centimeter heels, delicious colors, and a solid retro vibe that’s so hard to find in modern shoes. They’re everything I covet in an everyday shoe…
Fredrica Pearl Combo – swedishhasbeens.com
And how can you not love a brand called ‘Hasbeens’ whose story goes:
Her name was Anita and she was the hottest mum in all of southern Sweden in the 1970’s. While smoking Camel she screamed at her kids until her curlers fell out and just looked fabulous in her white high-heeled clogs.
One summer day in 2006 we found the shoes she wore (300 pairs of red, white and black beautiful clogs from the 70’s) in the basement of an old clog factory in the neighboring village and brought them to Stockholm. So for all these people that shared our love for Anita’s wooden shoes and for ourselves we started Swedish Hasbeens.
That’s great branding and I’d have ordered several pairs at first sight if they hadn’t cost €200 a pair!
Swedish Hasbeens Review: Unboxing My First Pair
I’m unemployed so I haven’t got much to do except keep watch for the delivery guy ; -)
I wasted no time tearing into the box to happily discover that my Swedish Hasbeens looked every bit as fabulous as I’d hoped they would!
I started out with a basic black pair of Agnetas…
And promptly Instagrammed them declaring my undying love for them!
Swedish Hasbeens Review: Sizing & Bad Customer Service
Right after my gateway drug arrived, Hasbeens announced their summer sale, so before I’d even gotten out of bed, I’d ordered a red pair of Covered Strap Sandals.
Covered Strap Sandal – swedishhasbeens.com
According to the sizing information on the Hasbeens website, the footbed measurement on the size 37 Covered Strap Sandals was identical to the Agneta size 38.
I ordered on Friday and my shoes arrived on Monday, can’t fault them for shipping speed, but the footbed was much shorter than expected… about a size smaller.
Size 38 was out of stock, and Hasbeens don’t allow refunds on sale items. So I emailed them, kindly explaining the situation and asking for a refund. I received a curt reply:
Sorry to hear that the shoes did not fit!
The size chart is a mesaurement (sic) regarding the wodden (sic) sole but the shoes can be different from each other in ways such as the leather.
You can read about our return policy here.
They relented:
Thank you for the picture. I can see what you mean with that there is a difference.Of course you will get a full refund due to this.
I shipped them back the following day, it cost me approximately $25.
Swedish Hasbeens Review: The Love Affair Ends
I’ve now received a refund, including the initial €15 shipping charge, but not the $25 return shipping, which is out way of line! I ordered according to wrong information on the Swedish Hasbeens website, which as of right now still hasn’t been updated, and they should have reimbursed my $25 because 1) the return was due to their error; and 2) I’m a repeat customer.
When I pay premium prices, I expect premium service, and Swedish Hasbeens didn’t deliver. It’s not like they’re working on thin margins. I’ve got a pair of wooden soled Target shoes that are more comfortable and only cost me $15.
I’ve been wearing my Agnetas for a couple of weeks now, and they make my legs look long and lean, but OMG, they are tearing up my feet and ankles! The cost of the Band-Aids I’ve used trying to wear them will soon eclipse the €209 I paid for the dreadful things.
I’ve tried wearing them inside with socks to stretch them out. I’ve tried rubbing the leather with olive oil to soften it, but I cannot seem to figure out how to break in my Swedish Hasbeens! I’ve even filed down some stitching on the straps due to poor finishing and I’m sorely disappointed :(
Swedish Hasbeens Review: I won’t buy another pair!
Swedish Hasbeens quality leaves a lot to be desired. They’re beautifully designed, but overpriced, poorly made, and Hasbeens customer service is abysmal. They’re a company that deserves to live up to its hasbeen name sooner rather than later.
If I were to find pair of Swedish Hasbeens at very deep discount on a third party site with a decent return policy, or with a Swedish Hasbeens promo discount code for like 70% off and free shipping, I might be tempted to order. But there’s no way I’d buy another pair at full or regular sale price directly from Swedish Hasbeens in this lifetime.
I really love the style of these shoes, so I’ve been looking for a Swedish Hasbeens alternative, and came across Lotta From Stockholm. Lotta From Stockholm clogs are less than half the price of Swedish Hasbeens, and almost as cute. I’m going to see if I can try some on when I’m in London in a couple of weeks.
If you’ve got money to burn, are a masochist, or have extra thick skin on your feet and ankles, Swedish Hasbeens might be the shoes for you. Otherwise, put your credit card away… there are better ways to spend €200.
Update: I Lied
I did buy another pair. You can read that review and my updated opinion on Swedish Hasbeens here.
Joanne T Ferguson says
I love these shoes and what a great review, they remind me of shoes I had a very long time ago. Thank you for mentioning Lotta From Stockholm, I could see me wearing these shoes again for my next party!
rochkirstin says
Oh wow those shoes looked very durable and stylish, too bad! The trouble with me buying items that I can’t physically fit though is that I won’t know the comfort level once worn. I like the red strap sandals. :) What brands do you recommend or know of in London?
Sage says
You never really know until you wear them. The Agetas felt fine, until I tried to wear them outside, then they tore up my feet. I would’ve returned them if I had known.
As I said in my review, I’m going to try and check out Lotta From Stockholm clogs when I’m in London… similar style, more reasonably priced, and I hope better quality and service.
It really is a shame about Hasbeens.
Boho Chic (@TotallyTerris) says
Those are really cute, I’d love to see how they look on. I’ve seen some great reviews with the Swedish Hasbeens and have been looking for a deal on a pair.
Sage says
I was fooled by the great reviews. From what I’ve read after the fact, they used to be great, but the quality has gone downhill recently. Hopefully my review will save someone a couple hundred Euros.
The branding is excellent, and the shoes are adorable, I *so* wanted to love them, it’s a shame about the quality and service. Hopefully they’ll get it sorted out and be awesome again.
Megan Elford says
They are so cute, I wish the quality and service had been better! But I totally agree with you – when you pay that much, a certain standard is reasonable to expect.
everydayeyecandy says
My first impression was: These are so CUTE! Then I read what happened and that just killed it for me! Not refunding your shipping?? That’s just WRONG! SMH.
Breanna Rush says
Wow! I’m sorry you had such a bad experience with them! Especially since they are such cute shoes! :( What a bummer. Bad customer service is a no-go in my book!
Sage says
Totally! Mistakes happen, I get that, but it’s how a company handles it that makes the difference.
I spent £1000 on a Louis Vuitton bag, and they hot stamped one of my initials upside down, but when I complained, they bent over backwards to make it right, and now they’ve got a customer for life. I don’t understand upscale companies who don’t respect their clientele.
Granted, Hasbeens are a bit downmarket from LV, but at that price point, they’re still positioning themselves as a premium brand, and should act like it.
Melissa says
These shoes a so cute! It’s too bad you had such a bad experience returning them. That’s one of the reasons I hesitate to buy clothes and shoes on line that I have never tried before. Sometimes it is more of a hassle to return them, I sometimes end up just giving things away that I order because of the head ache of returning.
Sage says
Well, living in Denmark, my shopping options are sorely limited, so I do a lot of online shopping. I mostly shop from places like yoox.com that have awesome return policies. I may be wealthy, but not wealthy enough to give away a pair of €150 shoes!
Kita Bryant says
Love the review! I’m not a fan of anything that isn’t a flat but these are cute and I love the wooden soles with the different colors. I don’t like how they won’t refund, that’s not a good look.
Sage says
Thanks, Kita. Oh, how I wish I could wear flats! But being only 5’2″ in the land of Danes, heels are a necessity if I’m going to be able to walk around without fear of getting stepped on ; -)
Britni says
Oh no, sorry you had such a terrible experience with their customer service, I swear some of my favorite brands are solely for their customer service. These clogs are gorgeous though, and if they had better customer service I would definitely have to check them out!
Sage says
Thanks Britni. I’m so disappointed but I’m going to keep wearing them in hopes that the leather softens up and they become wearable. They’re beautiful shoes, but poor customer service, especially at these prices is a dealbreaker for me. I was ready to buy like 5 pairs as my only summer shoes!
Dorcas says
Love the shoes but it’s too bad their customer service doesn’t stand up to normal standards of respect. For me, if the customer service is bad, based on the reviews I read, I don’t even bother. I may even just buy a knock-off just because they treat me better. Thanks for the review and I’ll heed the warning :)
Sage says
Poor customer service makes no business sense. If they’d just refunded the return postage and not been jerks after my first email, I might’ve ordered another pair and hoped for softer leather. Instead, I called them out in this review, which has been seen and shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and is a top Google search result. Really… was the $25 worth it?
Jenny says
Thanks for the tip! I was reading your Hasbeens review on Friday night. It led me to the Lotta from Stockholm website. What a great selection at a really good price. I ordered a pair of clogs on Friday night and they arrived this afternoon, here in London. Love them. Such great quality, comfy, and less than half the price of the Dansko clogs I’ve previously purchased! Thanks.
Sage says
You’re welcome, Jenny! I’m so happy to hear nice things about Lotta from Stockholm clogs, I have high hopes for them : -) They have a shop in Twickenham, I’d love to go, but don’t think I’ll be able to fit it in this trip.
Jenny says
Yeah, I live in central London, and even for me, Twickenham is a big journey away!
Sage says
Right? They used to sell at Portobello Road Market on Saturdays, but no longer :(
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder says
That’s definitely not my style of shoe wear lol – seems so clunky with zero cushion. Being a petite Asian girl, I’ve never been a chunky heel girl. Sorry about all the hassle!
PS. I like Clark’s – they’re great and comfy since I’m on my feet all the time in the hospital
Sage says
I’ve got a pair of Clark’s ballerina flats that I LOVE for traveling when I’m going to be walking a lot.
Living in a country where cobblestones abound, most of my stilettos were trashed within a month or two of moving here, making chunky heels the practical choice.
Melissa says
Wow! These Swedish Hasbeen shoes look awesome from the picture! I am so glad you shared your very honest review with us though because you could really save us all the headache of going through what you did! Glad you got a full refund!
Sage says
Thanks, Melissa! They really are nice looking shoes, too bad the company is awful to deal with and the shoes are so poorly made. I’ve been wearing them for less than a month and the wooden footbeds have chipped and the rubber on the bottom of the soles is peeling off! So definitely not worth the €209 :(