M + S Girls school shoes - GRRRR

bylromarha

Got stocked up on uniform in August's 3 for 2 last year.

I got DD (3) 2 pairs of shoes for the year.

Started wearing the M+S ones with velcro strap in Jan - by March the velcro had worn through and stopped working, meaning shoes coming off all the time.

Changed to the larger pair in April. Beginning of June, velcro stopped working. Poor DD has to go until end of term with shoes that fall off easily. Her feet fit fine, but the velcro doesn't stay attached.

I've asked teacher to keep an eye if she sits on carpet and plays with the strap - she doesn't.

M+S don't want to know as I purchased in 2009.

So just a warning to those thinking of stocking up on "quality" M+S - avoid the girls shoes with velcro straps. Boys shoes and rest of uniform have been great BTW...

ema_o

Can you not replace the velcro and repair the shoes?

bylromarha

Does that not miss the point though? You pay extra for M+S and they're shoddy.

And having tried to do that on the last pair - I don't have the skills :rotfl:

ginvzt

Have you tried complaining to M&S?

I had shoes that sole crumbled out in one place. Ok, it was not from M&S (one of high street stores, can't remember which one), I took them back, and it was just under 6 months since purchase. Since I didn't have a receipt, just CC statement, I was offered a gift voucher, or choose another pair. The ones I chose where 1p cheaper and (£49.99 instead of £50) and I got 1p back...

bylromarha

As I bought in 2009, they aren't interested. I did try though!

BitterAndTwisted

Have you taken them to a decent shoe-repair place? I bet they could fix a buckle or some other sensible fastening or perhaps even replace the velcro, you never know

Britwife

Their plimsoles aren't any more expensive than say Asda and are going to be of the same quality. If you want really good plimsoles then get them from Clarks.

Most plimsoles are cheap and made cheaply. You could always try the elastic ones or do a quick repair to them.

bylromarha

There is nothing to fix except a thin strap of velcro - no buckle, not a plimsoll either.

My options are a new pair of shoes for the last few weeks of term or DD copes with straps that don't hold for 4 weeks. Either way, a pair of M+S school shoes should last longer than 8 weeks. The first pair lasted 8 weeks. This second pair lasted 7 weeks. It's terrible quality.

Nicolefury

For the price you pay for two pairs, you may aswell just go to Clarks and get some decent shoes. M&S school shoes just won't last, you can tell by looking at them.

bylromarha

But it would be 2 pairs from Clarks...she had a shoddy 10.5, then moved onto an even poorer 11.5 She's still 11.5 size foot. The shoes are absolutely fine, it's the velcro that perished.

The premium you pay for M+S, you expect them to be decent. But they aren't. Hence my warning to other parents with girls who are buying school shoes for the first time.

I shan't be buying velcro again - and looking at the Clarks site (and having had to return 3 pairs of faulty Clarks shoes through my kids lives...) they are ALL velcro for DD's age. Thankfully, she can do buckles, so will be trying to find a pair of those.

BitterAndTwisted

Please take them to a decent shoe-repair place as those shoes look eminently suitable for a buckle to be fixed. I once had some boots which had a strange post-type of fastening at the back and the local shoe-repairers fixed a buckle to them for about a fiver. Much cheaper than new shoes