Kids shoes...why so expensive?

Kimberley

charlotte664 wrote:

My kids get 2nd hand clothes from ebay, but always proper shoes from Clarks!

Ditto! same here..you must be a responsible parent and get good fitting shoes like Clarks...Tesco recently advertised school shoes for £8, yes £8, that is totally wrong..

bylromarha

Kimberley wrote:

Ditto! same here..you must be a responsible parent and get good fitting shoes like Clarks...

That's really quite a harsh statement for people who genuinely cannot afford £120+ a year on kids shoes. Less well off parent must equal bad parent?

The fact is there is no choice for consumers other than Clarks and Startrite and that is wrong.

Gingham_Ribbon

£8 for a pair of shoes is not wrong. Badly made, badly fitting shoes may be. If they were that price in Clarkes I'm sure you'd be happy to pay.

Bylromarha's right. It's the monopoly that's wrong. Where's the free market?

skylight

I did actually learn my mistake and spent £8 on a pair of shoes for 3yr old for school from Asda this month. Waste of money.

I re-spent £25 in Clarks 3 days after term started.

Saying that, I did re-sell the Asda ones on Ebay for £9.20 to a woman in Germany!!!!!!

I save really hard to buy the kids shoes - having four of them I can "spend" up to £500 a year on shoes. Plus trainers/wellies and slippers for the younger ones. Baby was walking at 9months and virtually running at 10m. Shes only 15months now and on her 3rd pair.
At least Clarks have bought in the Doodles range - I have saved a fortune this spring/summer and also getting them in the sale.

On the sale point - when is Clarks having another one!!!???

Katinkka

I have to agree with some posters. It's so important to buy well fitted shoes for children. The reason they are expensive is because they are well made and can be fitted properly to feet which are still growing. I do feel for those who struggle to afford it but kids cost money. The only shoes I buy that arent fitted are sandals from gap in the summer. They hardly wear them so I think thats OK but everyday shoes must be from clarkes.

Gingham_Ribbon

They are made every bit as well in the states and cost a fraction of the price. Friend from the US is disgusted at prices here.

tiff

I have to disagree with that, I lived in the States and found shoes generally to be poor quality and cheap looking. My friend came over to visit with her son and we went to get him some shoes but we couldnt find anything for him as he had wide feet and their shoes didnt come in different width fittings.

Spendless

Have you tried Brantano? They measure the feet and aometimes have shoes at a cheaper price.

I work in a school on a lunchtime. 1st week back of this term I lost count of the amount of kids who came to me with blisters from where their shoes had rubbed.

Baby_A

I think its come to the point that Clarks know that majority of people will pay those prices as they are one of the few who measure feet properly, and the method is highly recommended that they end up taking advantage of it.

In the last Clarks sale I saw a pair of baby walkers shoes down from £28 to £8, obviously they wont be selling those shoes at £8 to a loss to themselves and they can afford to sell it at that price!

Most of clothing I buy for my daughter is bought in the sales and unfortunately shoes you cant do the same with as you never know what size they will be. Again another fact that places like Clarks and Startrite take advantage of!

Dont get me wrong, I think the quality of Clarks is brilliant but well overpriced!

Oh well I have been holding off buying shoes for my 10 month old until now as it was summer and I thought I could get away with her wearing open toed sandals or socks, but I am off this week to buy her first pair from Clarks, so here start the £20+ shoes for a long time..............

juno

My mum always used to fit my shoes herself! The only time I ever had professionally fitted shoes I got a bad friction burn on the top of my foot, and the shop weren't that interested when we complained.