Badly fitted shoes at Clarks,Reading Berkshire,,,,,,,,,,,

denise38

I am never ever going back. I have 3 shops in my area and have had problems with all 3 regarding badly fitted shoes and feet wrongly sized.
Most recently went to get a pair of Doodles for youngest who was wearing an 8/5 to a 9. I was told she was a 10.5!!!! She isn't even 4! So I didn't say anything and let her try to find a 10.5 that fitted. Surprise surprise she couldn't!! She couldn't get a 10 to fit her either. I bought another pair of canvas shoes elsewhere size 9 1/2!!!
I now go to a boutique shop which sells school shoes alongside Lelli kelly's and such like. I actually get shoes that fit properly and are fitted properly. LAst school shoes I got their feet measured then took some home from Clarks to try and fitted them myself. I had taken them to be measured there on the stupid machine! They measured them at least 1 1/2 sizes bigger than they were. I did query it but they were adamant. Again I left empty handed.
I don't actually know anyone in my area who goes there as they have all had to return shoes bought from Dundee branch which have been too big /too small or made their feet bleed. Most go to boutique type places or more expensive shops as they just can't get them properly fitted from Clarks.

beanielou

I too had problems with shoes for my DS when he was quite a bit younger.
This was in Perth.Stopped going after second error!

ruthyjo

I've had loads of problems with Clarks recently. I really struggled to get my daughter, who has a high instep, a pair of summer shoes. Went trailing around a load of Clarks shops. Each shop would bring out the couple of styles they had in the size that they had measured her (which varied from shop to shop anyway with each successive sales assistant insisting their measurement was the accurate one). I thought their range was poor - my daughter is 4 and has size 27 (9ish) feet but already seemed to be in a range that were only appropriate for older children - wedge heels etc and the range had a small number of styles in it anyway. Invariably if there is anything that looks the remotest bit okay they don't have it in stock. The worst thing is that they are quite happy to fob you off with ill fitting shoes. My daughters feet were bulging out between the strap and toe of their mary janes with absolutely no room at all but clarkes were quite happy to send her out of the shop in them. Eventually went to a boutique selling a good range of makes. The shop owner spent ages (over an hour) sorting her out, had a huge amount of choice and different makes so lots more variation in depths etc and because there wasn't a queue of fraught parents and overwrought kids clutching tickets and waiting to be served both my daughter and I felt much more relaxed and my daughter obligingly tried on about twelve pairs. The shop owner knew her range really well and knew which pairs it wasn't even worth bothering to try. The eventual pair of Angulus shoes cost £49 so were a bit more than Clarks but not that much and I can see myself by looking that they fit better than any other shoes she's owned since she learnt to walk. Shan't bother returning to Clarks either.

NervousYetFeisty

Have to speak up for Clarks here as my experience has been so different.

A friend bought a pair for her ds that after a few days wear became uncomfortable - obviously a mistake made in the fitting, or perhaps the way he walked made a difference that the fitter didn't pick up on. They happily exchanged them, no Qs asked. I bought a pair for my ds - the strap began to break after a month. Again, exchanged no Qs. The assistant apologised, was very friendly and fitted ds for another pair as his feet may have grown in those four weeks.

Often when ds has his feet measured we come away with shoes in another size because styles vary with some being better suited to ds's foot shape than others. I have no problem with this - good staff are fitters, not measurers imo, if that makes sense!

I guess it all depends on the store - we've been really lucky.

elaine373

One positive out of 15, not good is it?? Like a fool i went to clarks again, a week ago and got my 2 daughters shoes. Today i notice that one shoe is slipping considerably. I will be taking them back of course. The problem is where do you go to get fitted shoes, if not at clarks? If i had somewhere else to get some fitted shoes, i would never go to clarks again.

trippy

I think you need to find a store where you trust the fitters. My ds's first shoes lasted him around 6 months and had obviously not been fitted well (in Bury). So I went to a different Clarks shop (in Mothercare World, Blackburn) where I have found them brilliant. I had to take some shoes back as they had started falling apart and they gave me a new pair with no problems. And the new pair were one whole size bigger! The lady there has even prevented me from buying a pair of doodles sandals for ds that I had my heart set on because the style didn't suit his shape of foot.

But if you have problems with the quality/ fitters I would write to Clarks head office and point out that they're riding on a repuation that's years old and not necessarily deserved these days. That said, I wouldn't want to have to pay a lot more for Startrite et al as I pay enough for shoes as it is and I wouldn't pay less to get shoes from a supermarket or cheaper shop.

Quackers

elaine373 wrote:

One positive out of 15, not good is it??

Isn't that because people are more likely to complain than they are to praise good service?

Thats the only reason you have 1 positive and 15 negatives.