Mumsnet Talk

Hi, I have always bought my daughter Start-rite shoes. She is a G width, so wider than the averadge F fitting.
She needs new shoes again and we are really short of money. The car has had a lot of work done which we wern't expecting and we are left with practically nothing.
I wondered if there was anywhere I could buy discounted start-rite or clarks? I've looked on e-bay and they are pretty much the same price as the shops.
Either that, or do any other cheeper makes come up wide?
She's had to also have new trainers for school, I managed to get them in the sale. She had them on for 2 hours before wetting herself and soaking them. She does have a problem with this at the moment.
Part of me thinks are the expensive makes worth it? I suppose she has to have a wider fitting though.
If you have any advice, I'd be greatful.

She is 5 by the way.

www.shoesforkids.co.uk/ This site is a bit cheaper than in the shops.

i want to bump your thread - it is extrordinary that decent fitting shoes are a luxury item. it makes me angry

where do you live?
if you live anywhere near cheshire/ellesmere port there is a clarks outlet that sell shoes for around 15 quid. usually lots of gs!

i always come away empty handed because mine need a d!

next always seem very wide too

Clarks told me they didn't have a shoe that would fit my son (v wide and high instep). Great I thought - what now.
I just tried shoes on him where ever we went until I found something to fit. We found that a particular Shoe Zone style fitted him - and he had been wearing the same style (different pairs) for nearly 3 years now.

We don't have ANY luxury items. She has been in Strart-rite from pre-walkers until now. Even her slippers, trainers and wellies have always been fitted. We have nothing for ourselves. We don't drink, smoke, or go out. Everything we have goes to our daughter, so no need to take the moral high ground with me.

brantano do last season (so discounted) Clarks shoes
Perhaps you could get her measured in Clarks and then look for the correct size on ebay? You could even spot a style on ebay and try it on her in the shop (if it is current) before bidding to double check fit..

find out where your nearest clarks outlet is - I always look there first.

last post aimed at Padboz!

eh? who is taking the moral highground? everyone has been nice and helpful

erm mummyloveslucy, don't think anyone was judging you, only saying it's a scandal that manufacturers charge so much.

padboz was saying how awful it is that we have to pay huge amounts of money for good fitting shoes-she was on your side!!!!

I know, all except Padboz. Read what she posted.

Thanks everyone else, I will look on that website. I know what her measurements are as she's just been measured for her trainers.

Padboz was just saying that it's dreadful that properly fitted shoes are so expensive!

(I've heard that Next are fairly wide fitting as well so it might be worth trying there).

I thought Padboz was being supportive

F and G are pretty average width - I buy non-width fitted shoes for both my boys who are these measurements. I have found M&S shoes good and Charles Clinkard online have good sales and reductions.

My best bit of advice is to sign up to the Startrite website to get their reductions emails. They also have a really good fitting guide that will give you more confidence in fitting shoes yourself.

I don't think padboz was taking the moral highground - just sympathising with you that it is apalling that good quality childrens shoes are priced out of peoples reach.

My kids have wide feet and I buy anywhere I can get cheap ones that fit. M and S are good and TKMAXX - just squeeze their feet it them and see if there is room!

FREE THE PADBOZ 1 !!!!

Oh!! I see. Are you sure? It sounded as if I treat her shoes as a luxury item that we can do without.

If you didn't mean this then I'm really sorry. I've had a particulally trying day with my daughter and have spent from 3-8pm cleaning up her bodily fluids, so not in the best mood.

lol

Seriously, there have been a couple of long threads in the past about what a rip off fitted shoes are so it might be worth looking in the archives for them to make you feel better.

If you are near Somerset, there is a Clarks Outlet in Street.

No, for heaven's sake she was feeling outraged on your behalf!

marks and spencer do wide fitting shoes, im not sure how wide they are but the 'normal' shoes are quite roomy on my dds narrow feet.

There are Clarks outlet stores in various places throughout the UK. I couldn't find a single of list of all them but places include:

Bicester
Swindon
Portsmouth
Street (Somerset)

amongst others.

Good luck! My DD (2.5) is already an F fitting so I know how frustrating it can be.

My DS is the same btw - G fittings in Clarks etc are sometimes not even wide enough, instep very high, 'tis really difficult. I do really sympathise, because we always end up spending more than we can afford on his shoes -- we seem to have no choice. Shoe time is coming round again soon for us too.

I read padboz's post to mean that properly fitted shoes are out of reach of most people on a budget, ie they are a luxury item in the sense that they are not a budget item & the cheaper shops tend not to have them.

Hope you find something.