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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Lifestyle
Rachel Pugh & Amber O'Connor

Ex-Nike employee claims there's an easy way to get brand new trainers for 'free'

A former Nike worker says there is an easy way to get brand new trainers for 'free'. According to the former retail worker, all you need is an old pair of trainers - and it's all completely above board.

Her tip went viral on TikTok where it caused a stir with shoppers. It left people debating whether or not it really works.

Hayley Darcangelis picked up on the nifty tip after she worked in a Nike store for five years. The former retail worker claimed customers can swap any old trainers that are "defective" for a shiny new pair, if they are returned within a year of purchase. Explaining the process in a viral TikTok, she said: "You can return any pair of shoes up until a year under 'defective'.

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"Now, defective is considered any normal wear and tear on shoes." Continuing the video while she holds up a worn pair of blue and white trainers, she explained: "So, it could be like this Nike sign - the Nike sign is starting to come off.

"Or it could be the front of the shoe, or let's say the laces break, or the air bubble pops. Any of those are considered defective, and what they are going to do is return them for you under defective, give you a give card, and you'll be able to buy a new pair."

And the video proved incredibly popular, gaining 172,000 likes, and thousands of comments. But some Nike fans feared the news was too good to be true, with many rushing to the comments to ask questions.

The answers were not clear though, as commenters shared different responses. "I work at Nike this is false," read one comment, while another said: "I used to work for Nike and this is true."

Perhaps explaining the discrepancy, another worker wrote: "I work for Nike too, this is semi true but it all falls on manager discretion. Some people damage the shoes on purpose and take advantage." Promisingly, several commenters also claimed to have used the hack successfully.

One person said: "My friend did this and it actually works." And a second said: "I can confirm this works because I did it last year with my custom Nike soccer cleats."

On the Nike website's FAQs section, the response to the question "How do I return defective or faulty items?" states: "If it's been less than 30 days since your purchase, simply choose one of the return options above to return the item.

"After 30 days, defective or faulty items can be returned within two years of the delivery or store purchase date with a valid proof of purchase. Please contact us for further return instructions.

"Some Nike products have specific written guarantees or warranties—please check the label, hangtag or warranty card for details and return information."

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