Boys canvas shoes - are NEXT any good?

bonty44

Having a nightmare trying to find decent canvas shoes for my DS2 (4) with big feet! Okay, so he's only a Clarks 10.5 F but they have got NOTHING suitable in any of the shops around here and not even online (in the styles I like)

Has anyone tried NEXT shoes for children and, if so, how do they compare?

Have tried Startrite, Vans, etc., all to no avail ... .and I don't have a local shopping outlet. By the time I've tried some of the discount websites and added p&p I'm not saving any money and I still won't know, necessarily, if they fit.

Krystaltips

Have you tried eBay? I got my daughter some great converse from there a couple of years ago, she has long thin feet too...

busy_mom_2

I have bought childrens shoes from next before and had no problems. not the cheapest but did last well.

bonty44

Thanks guys; no luck on Ebay for several weeks now, at this rate he'll be going barefoot (well, it never did Zola Budd any harm!)

Thanks busymom - how did the Next ones compare sizewise to Clarks, do you know??

amandada

I've had good ones for my ds from Tesco both last year and this year

jenhug

Do you have a Brantano? Or Barratts?

cte1111

I've found Next shoes fine. In fact a pair of canvas shoes that I bought for my daughter in February last year are still going strong, as she has passed them on to a school friend with smaller feet.

The sizing was OK I think. I usually find in any shoe shops you have to try on a few. The size was pretty much the same as she had been measured I think. My son had to go up a size when I bought him some sandals from there, but he might well have grown in the meantime.

I've also bought shoes from Tesco. Not so keen on the party shoes, as they always seem to be too wide for my DD, and the sizing is a bit patchy, but again OK if you try them on. The sandals for my DS last year lasted fine.

TK Maxx is another option, but can be frustrating owing to the fact that sizes seem to be all in different places, but I bought some posh canvas ones there for my DD a few weeks ago which she was very pleased with.

bonty44

Hadn't thought of TK Maxx, I could get there without too much difficulty - it's hard trying to fit it all in between days at work.

No Barratts or Brantano near here I'm afraid, and our local Tesco doesn't have much but I might be able to nip to a bigger one on Tuesday.

In the meantime I've found a passable pair on the John Lewis website, so I'll order a few sizes and look for best fit ... he's got long, narrow feet which means that most 'cuts' don't suit ... Thanks for all the suggestions!