Importance and Price of childrens shoes???

cleopatra4485

Hi All

My DD is in need of new shoes

Do you really need to buy expensive shoes for the best fit and quality?

Is there anywhere else that is just as good, but cheaper?

Thanks
Cleo

galvanizersbaby

Hello

I used to exclusively buy Clarkes shoes for my two but am now not convinced they are any better than others.

I always get them one pair of Clarkes and get their feet measured regularly but I buy only leather shoes.

Have been ordering from Amazon as of late and have got quite a few bargains on there

amandada

I'm anal about my kids' shoes:rolleyes: and would hate to add up what I've spent over the years. I'm in the fortunate position where I can buy whatever gives the best fit and I don't look at the price till I go to pay.
However, I think as long as you buy the best fitting shoe you can afford then you can't go far wrong.
I'm totally anti-designer clothes on children, and my children are very often sporting the best that Matalan/Asda/Tesco has to offer along with their £55 shoes:D

Mips

I only buy Leather shoes and last pair I bought were Hush Puppies which came with three different inner steps - I got her feet measured professionally and was happier with those than any other Clarkes shoes I have had.


Ooooh I have bought her two pairs of Crocs though for trotting around the house and Garden in - I can't keep Slippers on her but she loves the Jibbitz stuck to her Crocs.

cleopatra4485

thanks ladies

I suppose as long as I get the best pair of shoes for him, I can settle the cost a bit, by going to tesco, matalan etc for clothes.

So galvanizersbaby, do you feel ok with buying shoes online? do you take them in somewhere to get measured or do you have something at home?

Thanks

jinky67

i always got DS measured and now do the same with DD
DS has a very high instep so had to get shoes professionally fitted and DD has very narrow feet so shoes in off the shelf shops are always too wide.
I would never compromise on the shoes I buy for my kids not while they are young anyway

elainew

I now go anywhere for my little girls shoes. She had her feet measured at Clarks only for her wee feet to blister over the next few days. Took her back and not only had they measured her feet wrong but they had also given her the wrong shoes. I took her to 3 different clarks shops and each one measured her differently. Now I buy cheaper shoes and have never had any problems.

amandada

jinky67 wrote: »

i always got DS measured and now do the same with DD
DS has a very high instep so had to get shoes professionally fitted and DD has very narrow feet so shoes in off the shelf shops are always too wide.
I would never compromise on the shoes I buy for my kids not while they are young anyway

Do we have the same children? These are exactly the problems I have with my children's feet!!:rotfl:

I know that a lot of people seem to see Clark's shoes as some sort of benchmark, but to be honest I don't see why-I've never bought them as they just don't suit the shape of my children's feet, but on looking at them, I don't think they're anything great quality-wise, and have heard too many tales of children being mis-fitted with them.
Some of the brands that seem to do well for my children have been Start-Rite, Reiker, Naturino, Reichter....basically the "European" brands. They're always beautifully made with gorgeous soft leather. (and a lot less clumpy looking than Clarks too)

Oh, and another vote for Crocs from my kids too-they love them

galvanizersbaby

cleopatra4485 wrote: »

thanks ladies

I suppose as long as I get the best pair of shoes for him, I can settle the cost a bit, by going to tesco, matalan etc for clothes.

So galvanizersbaby, do you feel ok with buying shoes online? do you take them in somewhere to get measured or do you have something at home?

Thanks

I take them to Clarkes first to get measured (bit cheeky really!)

However I have had two different measurements in 2 different Clarkes stores in the same day which was a bit odd.
I tend to buy the non school shoes online (i.e. the ones they wear at the weekend)
I've just purchased a pair of those Yotoy shoes from Clarkes for my daughter (they have dollies in the heel) - she had pestered me for them so I gave in - needless to say within a week they look like she has been wearing them for a year and the instep bit inside the shoe (the insole that hides the dollies compartment) has broken - I won't be buying another pair of these!:D

Rachie_B

Brantano i find good,range of makes and not too pricey

cleopatra4485

amandada: http://www.start-rite.co.uk/ is this the good shoe store you found?

the stock looks cute, prob have to take in to get measured somewhere first though