children's shoes

[blinkineckmum]

A few weeks ago my dd was measured for her first shoes. 3F. I was told not to bother buying yet as she hadn't been walking long, and put her in a pair of her brother's old crawlers in size 3.
Now she's walking well, so I took her again. 4E. But the only pair of girls shoes in the shop that weren't pink and fit her were 4F. And not very nice.
So I thought, maybe her brother has an old pair of 4F. He doesn't, but he does have 4.5F...
WIBU to not buy her a new pair of shoes? She's gone up a size in a few weeks, so surely they won't be too big for long?
It sounds unreasonable I know, but so is parting with £34 for a pair of shoes she might not be in for long...
I think I know the answer...

[Neaders]

Use her brother's shoes... I would!

[NotJimbo]

The difference between half sizes in that range is just 4mm, so nothing at all really, and her brother's shoes will hardly have got a lot of wear, so I'd go ahead and reuse them.

[Girlwithnotattoos]

Err she's just learning to walk, Clarks always fit shoes with growing room and you want to put her in shoes that you know aren't the right size? Poor child is going to end up with claw toes. If you can't afford Clarks but her a cheaper brand that fit or have a look on eBay for the right size ( toddler shoes don't get worn out).

[wonderstuff]

All trips to Clarks in my experience result in only one pair of horrid shoes being in stock - I go to an independent shoe shop that sell all sorts of lovely shoes. Look up alternatives - not sure how Clarks have managed this near monopoly as children's shoe sellers, they aren't the best by far.

Where are you - my lovely shop is in Winchester.

[wonderstuff]

Its not my shop - its just the one I go to.

[blinkineckmum]

Gloucestershire. I always buy Clarks or Startrite sale shoes but nothing here atm. Thanks

[SauvignonPlonker]

If money is an issue, and you want proper-fitting shoes, try & find a Clarks outlet store. I got DD winter boots there for £22 &!and another pair for £2 from the sale section.

I wouldn't buy shoes from eBay for a child that's just started walking. I'd get them properly fitted.

[NotJimbo]

The thing about growing room is that it's very variable - one independent shop I went to used the thumb width rule when sizing for growing room, and my DD ended up in sandals that were too big until the following summer, I think because the guy fitting them had wider than average thumbs? Also in Clarks I've had it happen that child is measured up as, say a 5.5E, and when that isn't in stock the assistant has just rounded up/down/in or out until they find something to sell us, with a quick check, which sure enough is always found to be ok. I get that it's important that shoes fit, but I don't think it's necessary that that fit is to within a hairs breadth when measured on a Clarks gauge, e.g. take the rest of Europe as an example, the difference between a size 20 and a size 21, say, is greater than the difference between a uk size 4 and size 4.4, so what's a continental child to do?

[NotJimbo]

Typo above, I meant between a UK size 4 and 4.5, clearly shoes are not sold in tenths of a size :-)

[DearMrDilkington]

What do you mean the only shoes they had weren't pink? I'm guessing her brothers shoes aren't pink either so did it matter? Surely having a size that fits is more important than colour.

[DearMrDilkington]

Ah my apologises you didn't want pink shoes! Get some from eBay. Much cheaper and they only get wrecked anyway

[blinkineckmum]

I just really dislike the pink ones. Of course size is more important. Style second.

[CheshireChat]

Not sure if they have size 4s, but sports direct do kids shoes for a lot less. Dunlop trainers for about £7 and some little plimsolls for £2.

[blinkineckmum]

A bit of googling now tells me startrite are bigger anyway. So when I got ds measured in Clarks then bought off the startrite website I was getting the wrong size all along. And if I buy 4 in startrite for her, it's just like the 4.5 Clarks we have in the cupboard. .. I'm not buying 3.5!

[Yura]

i find clarks massively overrated - try to find a good independent shoe store! so far, every time we've been to clarks, they tried to sell us obviously not fitting shoes.
in the early sizes children hardly walk in so i use good condition hand me downs. try to get your daughter to make wet footprints on cardboard, cut around with about 1 cm at the front. put in shoe. if the footprint has either to much or not enough room (front, back and sides), the shoe does not fit.

[RedStripeLassie]

Sports direct to really, really (like 70% off) cheap children's shoes. You can get a pair of proper trainers for about 5-7 pounds.

[Colby43443]

I personally think properly measured shoes are very important for growing children, and despite what people say here Clark's is the best place for this on the high street. If the shoes fit and there's growing room and her toes aren't clawing then it should be okay.
L

[Gymnopedies]

Last time we bought Clarks shoes for DS (measured and fitted in store), they gave him blisters within 2 weeks. I now get his shoes from Sainsbury's and try them in the store.
It sounds like your DD should be fine.
Just remembered that with DS's first Clarks he kept tripping too so I took him back to be remeasured and they told me it was fine (he eventually stopped tripping when his feet grew so I think they were too big!). He was mainly walking barefoot fortunately.