Children's shoes con

TinyToes

both my sons had clarks as first shoes but with my eldest i got fed up of having the same style of shoe in every size as their choice was poor. He then had mostly trainers (nike etc) which i could easily feel if they fitted or not. DS1 got some timberlands for winter (eurosprint ones) and they were amazing. kept his feet dry in all weather and came up fab with a polish. They were bought from an independent shoe shop so properly fitted and last him ages, almost a full year as he was at an age where his feet didnt grow that fast. I recently bought both DS's some kickers with lego detail on them and they last no more than 8 weeks before they didnt fit ds1, i went back to clarks and got them both new boots and i have now decided its false ecomony to buy them shoes like kickers that are so hard at the front you cant feel the toes properly. DS1's stitching came out his clarks after 4 weeks and they were replaced no problems. both their boots still look like new and have never had polish near them and are 2 months old, my boys are 2 and 4 so they get well worn and bashed about with nursery etc. I had clarks shoes all my child life and as an adult i do often buy cheap shoes, for fashion etc but i got myself a pair of clarks boots and wow they are so comfortable, im usually very heavy on the heels and they need reheeled after a few weeks but these are amazing. gotta say i do give clarks my vote.

Bella56

suki1001 wrote: »

I cannot beleive how flimsy Clarks girls shoes are. I don't understand why they have to be such slaves to fashion. i really wish they would design something more sturdy for girls. I took my dd to get some the other day. We ended up getting boys shoes for her. It actually disgusts me. I'm glad she was happy to get boys shoes. Why can't they just add a bit more to them?

Couldn't agree more! And the colours are so stereotypical, brown/blue/black for boys, pink/lilic/sparkles for girls. A little more choice wouldn't go amiss, especially if your boy doesn't like dinosaurs or your girl doesn't like pink! OK so mine are fine with those choices, but as a parent, I'd rather that they didn't have to follow the gender colour/boy toys versus girl toys rules quite so early in life!

suki1001

Bella56 wrote: »

Couldn't agree more! And the colours are so stereotypical, brown/blue/black for boys, pink/lilic/sparkles for girls. A little more choice wouldn't go amiss, especially if your boy doesn't like dinosaurs or your girl doesn't like pink! OK so mine are fine with those choices, but as a parent, I'd rather that they didn't have to follow the gender colour/boy toys versus girl toys rules quite so early in life!

I'm fortunate, mine have grown out of that stage. It's black or black. Just the girls are really flimsy, my dd is a size 5, aged 10. The choice is extremely poor too. Having said that at least the younger girls clarks shoes have some sort of sustainance to them.

Savvy_Sue

laddujaddu wrote: »

do Clarks fit adult shoes or only kids' ? TIA

they will measure adults' feet if asked and help with advice on fitting if needed. I have 'funny feet' (get them from my dad) and find that sometimes I need an insole to reduce the depth, or it feels as if my toes are going to be cut off when I bend my feet!

rosie383

Am I the only one who gets my child's feet measured and then goes home and buys the shoes off eBay? Please don't shoot me down in flames.I have a limited budget and would rather buy a second hand pair rather than a really carp pair brand new for the same budget. Looking at how many people bid for the shoes on ebay, I'm not the only one, but maybe the only one on MSE!
Now, if I could just figure out how to get shoes for my 13yr old, who 'kills' every pair of shoes she has, within weeks (shoe zone bought once lasted 4 days!!). I did buy her Clarks once this year and she managed to 'lose' one..... How the heck???? I don't normally lose my shoes when I'm actually wearing them!

Bella56

rosie383 wrote: »

Am I the only one who gets my child's feet measured and then goes home and buys the shoes off eBay? Please don't shoot me down in flames.I have a limited budget and would rather buy a second hand pair rather than a really carp pair brand new for the same budget. Looking at how many people bid for the shoes on ebay, I'm not the only one, but maybe the only one on MSE!
Now, if I could just figure out how to get shoes for my 13yr old, who 'kills' every pair of shoes she has, within weeks (shoe zone bought once lasted 4 days!!). I did buy her Clarks once this year and she managed to 'lose' one..... How the heck???? I don't normally lose my shoes when I'm actually wearing them!

I know loads of people who do just that The problem that we have found is with the different types of shoes being different fits. When I used Ebay for shoes, I tended to buy bigger as otherwise there was a good chance they just wouldn't fit. Unless you can find the same exact shoe on Ebay in the same size that fitted in the shop, I guess there is a good chance the shoe won't be a great fit?

silly_moo

Bella56 wrote: »

My osteopath swears by Ecco but I've not tried them as they seem quite expensive.

I love Ecco for work and every day use and Merrell for hiking. They are expensive but they last long and are very comfortable. Plus I'm not a fashion victim and don't buy trendy shoes so I can afford to buy a more expensive pair every now and then. I must be the only woman in the world who has about 6 pairs of shoes in total! I did buy a pair of Clarks sandals which I had on... once. I also have a pair of New Balance trainers which never get worn as Ecco are so much better for comfort.

Mrs_Arcanum

jellyhead wrote: »

Have you found anything that lasts longer than Clarks for adults? I haven't. I haven't tried Hotter yet, which my mum swears by.

Clarks rarely last 6 months for me but I am heavy on my feet and clumsy, so I probably ruin them faster than other people would. They are comfortable, which is more than can be said for most other brands I have tried.

Rohde are marvellous. Winter work shoes are 5 years old & still going strong. Paid around £35 in the sale half price so not cheap to start with but very well worth it.

Lunar_Eclipse

I've never understood the issue with 'fitted shoes' being outrageously expensive. They are generally a much higher quality shoe, with a longer anticipated life span and appropriate for specific uses (eg school) than the alternative options. I would never let either of my children wear synthetic shoes to school for instance, but understand many people can't (or won't) afford the luxury of leather.

I use shoes sizes as a guide, in the same way that I do when buying my kids clothes. They might be a size 6 in a Clarks school shoe but a 7 in a Nike trainer, in the same way that they might wear age 10 in M&S but age 8 in Next. I don't think with of my girls have ever had shoes in the size they're measured, but they offer a start in terms of their sizing. Having said that, I also now go in and say something like 'let's start with a 6E 'caus we're wearing a 5E' and take it from there.

Finally, I can't recall the lest time I bought fitted shoes for £30! My girls are in Y5&7 and their school shoes range from about £36-48, often at the higher end!

Teenie_D

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

I've never understood the issue with 'fitted shoes' being outrageously expensive. They are generally a much higher quality shoe, with a longer anticipated life span and appropriate for specific uses (eg school) than the alternative options. I would never let either of my children wear synthetic shoes to school for instance, but understand many people can't (or won't) afford the luxury of leather.
!

I agree to a certain extent but then I am very, very lucky that my DD's feet doesn't grow that much, I feel sorry for parents who are having to buy new shoes every couple of months, who can afford that! The life span will of course be longer but then children with fast growing feet wont benefit from this.

I go for startrite every time although the choice in shoes is complete pants! I got my DD a new pair for £36 last week so not hugely different to the price of Clarks.