Childrens shoes...

JBD

None of my kids have ever had clarks shoes and their feet are all perfectly fine. In fact my parents used to buy me clarks shoes and I can't say my feet have benefitted in the slightest. OP just buy your children what you see fit and ignore your MIL.

clare1076

my ds & dd have never had clarks shoes and in my opinion they are very expensive for the time they are actually in the shoes as they grow so quickly. I make sure the shoes i do buy fit and there feet are not restricted.

I would say your their mum you say what shoes they wear, don't worry and ignore MIL, I most definately would.

dieselhead

I really don't think that it matters where the shoes are from, a parent should be able to make a reasonable assessment of a shoes quality and fit.

Clarkes always used to be good but there have been a lot of threads on here recently about how poor their fitting service and the quality of their shoes has become. So I think that so long as the child is comfortable and they have plenty of barefoot time there is no harm in buying what ever you see as suitable.

dizziblonde

Janepig wrote: »

Mine have a mix of both and personally I see no harm in it. They both have fitted shoes for school (although Clarks are pretty hopeless for DD as she has really narrow feet which Clarks don't cater for)

Jxx

Tell me about it... I remember the agony aged 6 or 7 when I really really wanted a pair of black patent leather shoes with bows on and they never ever ever came in the skinny feet width setting I'm scarred emotionally for live I tell you!!!! Fat feet brother got to pick whatever he wanted - I always got left with 2 or 3 styles to choose from and never the pretty pair I really wanted.

The ones that I find shockingly bad are those with the dolls in the heel - not only do you have the velcro going and the doll coming out during every lesson and assembly - when I've seen inside them when kids take them off to get changed for PE - the heels have invariably collapsed into the doll hole and they look dreadfully uncomfortable to be wearing. I really feel for the girls with some of the shoes they get sent to school in - ones with holes in the soles, ones where decorative buckles last a day, ones which are rubbing and giving them blisters so bad you end up getting them to switch into PE pumps to stop their feet getting trashed anymore.

mr_and_mrs_ts

my eldest had startrite shoes for school - but as such wide feet with a high instep so it's very difficult to cater for her and they just don't do them in clarks. the younger one had startrite for school but since last year i stopped buying them and go to brantanos. It's a question of priority with the recession and getting shoes to fit well at a good price. Brantano have fitted my children's shoes out well for less than they would normally cost. it's ok for people to say what they would buy but at the end of the day you have to look at what's best for you and what you can afford , especially in this current financial climate.

claireac

My 3yr old dd always has fitted shoes and trainers - be they Clarks or Start Right.

My local Clarks is absolutely rubbish, and I will never take her there again. Last time they tried to sell me a pair of shoes that were gaping they were so wide on her - she's very narrow. I went to Clarks in another town and they were fabulous!

I also have two older ds's and I did the same with them up until they were about 12/13, as it just got too expensive!! I just made sure they had good quality well fitting leather shoes. Incidentally they both have beautifully straight feet .

svmitche

I tend to get DS measured and buy one pair of good Clarks, then either cheaper, non specific trainers/sandals, or buy from eBay, most of the shoes on there are reasonably priced and in quite good condition. Got a pair of Clarks sandals recently from eBay for £11 that were £26 new.

kelloggs36

My experience of Clarke's - far too expensive and they NEVER have the size in the design that my children want! I feel that £30 - £40 for a pair of children's shoes which are worn for a few months is far too much - especially if you have more than one child. Once they are grown up and their feet don't grow so much I don't begrudge paying so much, but it is a week's worth of food for a single pair which is really extoritionate.

meritaten

Learn how to fit shoes - its easy. the heel should be snug but not tight. the sides shouldnt gape or distort. the toes should have enough width that the toes dont get squashed and there should be at least a quarter of an inch between the end of the toe and the end of the shoe.
not rocket science is it?
My mum always bought me clarkes shoes - and i remember one pair which were excruciating - mum didnt believe me until i took my shoes off one day after school and they were full of blood. too big apparently and rubbed me raw. I had a week off school and mum wouldnt buy clarkes after that and went with what i said was comfortable.
childrens feet as as different as fingerprints. one make may suit one child but not another - its best to go with what i said above - but watch the child walk in them - if they seem comfortable get that pair - if not try another brand. some kids seem more comfortable in asda shoes! depends on how standard their feet are!

flower24

My little girl was always a G fitting so I always bought from clarks, apart from some sandals last year from next and they fit fine, but her feet have got narrower as they've grown and she is now an F fitting, so I bought her some pump type summer shoes from next yesterday, I tried them on her 3 times to check they fit properly lol.

My little boy is an H fitting so always needs shoes from clarks, although I spotted some wide looking trainers for him in next yesterday and am thinking about trying them on him.