to think Clarks know nothing about little girls?

[missymayhemsmum]

I have almost always bought Clarks shoes - we have a family history of strange wide feet, hammer toes etc. So the rule is Clarks shoes, binned the moment they start to get small for my kids, even if everything else they wear comes from ebay/ oxfam. This week I did the easter shoe shop thing with DD(7), expecting to replace school shoes and swop winter boots for sandally things. Only all the nice pretty robust styles only go up to about a junior 10, apparently. Now my dd is (I think) a fairly average 7 year old aspiring fairy princess, who in an average day will climb a wall, stop a swing with her toes, pick at her shoe soles when bored in class, fall over, jump in puddles and generally kick her way through a pair of shoes. And she is now in a size 1G.
Now Clarks do gorgeous robust toe protecting footwear in bright colours and width fittings for under 5s. They even do gorgeous robust toe protecting footwear in bright colours and width fittings for over 45s! So what do they think they are doing offering a 7 year old either strappy white summer sandals or black ballet pumps? Practical footwear? For boys only, it seems.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

I always bought Clarkes until someone got dd a pair of crocs. Best shoes ever owned. she bombs around in them, they are robust and washable. Perfect.

[zoemaguire]

Totally agree. Its very odd! I don't even bother going in there any more, so poor is the choice in those kinds of sizes.

[ICanSeeTheSun]

I second crocs.

DD wants Lillie Kelly shoes, she can jog on.

Clarks was hopeless at fitting my DC shoes

[RiverTam]

write to them? You are right, the Doodles range only really goes up to size 9, which is bonkers, DD will be that next year when she's only 5!

[littledrummergirl]

I get frustrated in there trying to get winter shoes for my dd. I want them to cover her whole foot, not just the toe end, she has really narrow feet as well so they tend to gape.
I understand your frustration.

[scarlettsmummy2]

Flip, my daughter is five and a size nine. She just got some gorgeous spotty shoes- I had no idea they only went up to a ten. That's a real shame as they have some lovely little girls shoes at the moment.

[nicky2512]

My complaint with clarks girls shoes is that they don't make enough for older kids. DD is 12 and has v narrow feet but there's very little in bigger sizes. My DS has very broad feet and he wears geox shoes and sandals. They might be worth looking at for your DD. I'm not sure about what styles they do for girls but they are a wide fit and very hard wearing. He usually grows out of them rather than wears them out!

[RedSoloCup]

I've gone over the M&S now they are in bigger sizes for school shoes and I've been v happy with what I've bought.

[Catsize]

I fear for the future. Son is 8.5G UK size, and only turned 2 at Christmas.

[nicky2512]

Just to add to that, DS is only 8 and is in a size 3! I will soon be buying adult shoes!

[slalomsuki]

It gets worse. My dd is 8 and has a size 4E foot. I don't want her to have shoes with a heel and still need a narrow width fitting. Also want Velcro trainers but Clarks and other shoe shops don't account for a young girl with big feet.

She is not alone in her class as at least 3 other girls have bigger feet than her at 8

[ThePinkOcelot]

I went off Clarks the, as I think they go shabby really quickly. I buy dds school shoes from a M&S or BHS these days. Much more hard wearing and longer lasting than Clarks. I think Clarks are way over priced too.

[nicky2512]

O Slalomsuki. That is hard. Most adult shoes are probably too wide for her too. My dd is a size 3 and v narrow but she lives in converse. (I actually started a thread trying to find her nice shoes or sandals). Someone could make a fortune producing kids shoes in more "unusual" sizes!

[Ubik1]

Oh I agree

I would love some hard wearing shoes in a primary colour for my DDs.

It's all flipping sparkly pinky fairy shite.

Dd3 (4) was after some rather cool boys trainers - the assistant was but my daughter actually has taste, it seems.

[TimeToThinkOfYourFuture]

Mine is 3 and already size 10.5! Major meltdown in John Lewis last week as the only options were black. We ended up at Charles Clinkard with a pair of very lovely hush puppies in blue with a bow but also those sensible rubber toes.

[ThreeLannistersOneTargaryen]

It's ridiculous. In his school shoes, my son is equipped for puddles, slippery pavements, splashes, and similar eventualities. My daughter is equipped for nothing but impromptu ballet rehearsals.

She is an active nine year old who likes scooting, climbing trees and getting muddy. She also likes shoes with little flowers/stars on them and wants to wear similar styles to her friends. According to Clarks, she can't have both.

[OddBoots]

My dd opted for shoes labelled 'boys' when she got to that stage, I think they had a car rather than a doll in the heel so she was pleased with that too.

[itsnothingoriginal]

Ha ha don't bother writing to them. They don't give a shit!!

Been there, done that and never intend to bother trying Clarks again for DD. I just wish it wasn't so hard to find decent, supportive girls shoes beyond the age of 5/6 yrs

Clarks know people will carry on buying their girls shoes in droves despite the fact that their older ranges provide nowhere near enough ankle or arch support for some children.

[gallicgirl]

Have you tried Livie and Luca?
I think they go up to a size 3 in some styles.

[Gubbins]

Toughees do great school shoes. Proper buckled Mary Jane styles going all the way up to size 8.

[missymayhemsmum]

Thanks Gallicgirl and Gubbins, will have a look. Do want to be able to check fit though. Her last school shoes (must be black) were start-rite patent which still look great on top, even though the soles have been partly peeled away.... one terms wear!

[BikeRunSki]

My 2 yo dd thinks she is Acti

[BikeRunSki]

.... action man. I usually avoid Clark's but was very handy recently. She and I dismissed the pink sparkly stuff and she ended up with some rather nice navy leather sneakers from the boys selection. They are now knackered, about a month later. The sales lady suggested I email Clark's HQ about their styles. I did, suggesting that there could be a market for plain, bright, non sparkly, flat, closed shoes in a selection of colours. Like their converse style Doodles in leather. They replied that there was no such market.!i have since discovered that StartRite do exactly this!

[softlysoftly]

I agree. DD1 wanted the same lovely robust spotty shoes as DD2 from Clark's but at a size 10 (4yo) she's not got flipping useless pink ballet pumps.

I'm going to have to go and get some decent trainers from somewhere grrrr.

[Quinteszilla]

Ds2 is 9 in a few months, he takes a 1. Are his feet small then?

I was a size 4 until my first pregnancy.