Kids' Classic II Gel Heart Boot

My daughter received these for Christmas and loved them. After less than three weeks of wearing them to school, the front started to peel off. I called customer service and explained the situation they promptly told me to return them for quality because this should not happen. When I brought them back to the store, the children’s shoe department manager argued with me that the shoes must have been worn inappropriately for this to happen - that these boots need to be treated delicately. I was shocked - this is not the level of customer service I expect from Nordstrom. And apparently these shoes should not be worn outside to protect them.