See how Mumsnetters got on with the Brantano children’s shoe fitting experience! NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This thread is for the 95 Mumsnetters who are testing Brantano’s child shoe fitting service.

The Mumsnetters were given £50 vouchers to use on a pair of children’s shoes and asked to try the children’s fitting service.

So, now we are interested to hear how you got on! Please share below your responses to the following questions, and feel free to add any additional comments you have.

• Which store did you visit?
  
• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  
• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  
• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  
• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  
• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  
• What did your children think of the experience?
  
• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  
• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Thanks!
MNHQ

[Caillou]

• Which store did you visit?

We went to the Brantano Bedford branch,

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

It was for dd who is 3.5 years old

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

We did buy trainers, even though we would have preferred leather shoes or sandals but there wasn't any choice in her size sadly

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

We chose some Nike trainers

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

I thought it was pretty basic, from what was described on the mumsnet thread and having never been in a Brantano store before, I was thinking it would be something quite specific.

When in reality, I could have measured dd myself with a measuring gauge bought online

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

The lady who looked after us was lovely, as were her colleagues, she took the time to find dd shoes that she liked and fitted nicely. And her colleagues made sure we were looked after when we were waiting for the lady to come back with more shoes option.

• What did your children think of the experience?

My daughter loved it, even though she was disappointed that the hush puppies butterfly sandals were not available in her size,

She was keen to wear her shoes the next day, but at the end of the day she was in pain around the ankle , I think that the Velcro strap was a bit too tightened. She did have a bruise the next day, so I have left it a few days for her to wear them again.

If she is still in pain next time she wear them, I think we will try to return them to the store and have her fetes measured again and refitted.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

I am in two mind, because as much as the staff was really nice (they didn't know about the product test until we paid) the lack of choice in big brands was quite poor (no clarks for children, a few hush puppies but not many sizes and quite a few startrite but in very small sizes)

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

I might recommend it to someone who isn't fussed about a particular brand as the choice of unbranded shoes is larger, but if it is to someone who comes in mind of buying a pair of clarks (like me) then it may be a waste of time

Thank you again for letting us test :)

[FloristHump]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Riverside, Chelmsford

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

1yr old DS

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

Cruisers

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Start Rite

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

The lady that served us was really helpful and knowledgeable. She advised us that Ds1s hard shoes that we had previously bought were too big, and that we should go back to his previous size and save the bigger shoes until he has grown more.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

Customer service was excellent- the lady that looked after us gave us her undivided attention and spent quite a long time checking we were happy.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

He liked playing with the toy table.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

Probably not. Lots of the shoes were very expensive (£30+) and there is a Clarks more local than Brantano.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Probably not, for the reasons above.

Thank you for letting us be part of the test.

[DefiniteMaybe]

Which store did you visit?
Longton, Stoke on trent

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

My son age 6

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

Trainers

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Nike

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

I thought it was ok, the fitter got the same measurement as a clarks fitter did a few weeks earlier. However, once ds had been measured the fitter didn't seem interested in checking the fit of the shoes.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

lt wasn't great, it took a while to get the attention of a fitter and it was only when the deputy manager shouted someone over that we got seen to.
your children think of the experience?
Ds thought it was good, he liked using the ipad

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

Probably not, the fitters in clarks give much more attention and seem more confident in their fitting.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

probably not

[Bonkerz]

• Which store did you visit?

I visited Beaumont Leys store in Leicester.

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

I took my son who is 4 years old.

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

I bought some Clarks school shoes and also some angry birds trainers which ds chose!

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Clarks and angry birds

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

We didn't have to wait too long on entering the store before someone came over and asked if we were ok. I explained I needed DS feet measuring and she got the standing foot gauge. She told me the size I needed. I asked about width fitting as I was looking at Clarks shoes and she was quite dismissive and said she could tell he was a G fitting and didn't need to measure him. At no point was she rude I guess I just expected her to measure to be sure!

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

The service was fine. Friendly and fast. We spent about 20 minutes choosing and looking at shoes and the shop assistant did check we were ok and advised if we were buying a size bigger we should drop a width size which was helpful.

• What did your children think of the experience?

My son loved getting his feet measured and he also got a sticker which he loved. He did pick out some dinosaur doodles but they weren't available in his size so he chose angry birds which was a real treat for him so Thankyou x

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Yes. Have used this brantano before

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes. Compared to our local Clarks I find brantano much better for shoe sizing and selection.

[SteadyHand]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Milton Keynes

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

Girl aged 8

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

School shoes

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Hush puppies

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

It seemed fun and interactive. My dd enjoyed watching the iPad calculate her size. Once we had chosen her shoes, I asked a different sales person to check the fitting, and she was friendly but not overly sure of the answer...

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

Very good and attentive. We went at 3pm in a Saturday and there were several spare staff to be found.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

She was delighted to be getting new school shoes and was pleased that her feet had grown a size (finally!)

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

Yes I would.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Yes I would for older children. It's handy as the store is out of town with free parking, unlike Clarks. It was very quite so service was quick. For a quick in and out visit it was perfect. I do prefer the overall experience in Clarks though where you have one fitter who takes you through the whole process and brings out styles from the back room- I always loved that anticipation as a child, what would they come out with?!

[SewingAndCakes]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Brantano Leyland

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

2y11m boy.

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

1 pair of canvas trainers
1 pair of sporty trainers

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

OshKosh
Skechers

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

The lady was very confident at measuring him and talked to my son as well as to me. She made him feel at ease when he was a bit shy. She explained every step of the measuring to him, and was patient when he didn't do as requested straight away. She explained that The width of his feet would determine the types of shoe that would fit him comfortably.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

Really good. She was very helpful and spent a lot of time with me making sure I was happy with the choice and fit of the shoes. She explained that I could order online from a wider range and then collect and fit in store.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

Ds3 enjoyed it; he got a sticker and wanted to buy some of the toys they also sell.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

I would use the store and fitting service again, but it's a bit too far from where I live to go back to the Leyland store. I'll be looking for a closer one and will take my older two boys for their school shoes.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Yes.

[SteadyHand]

I forgot to say, thank you so much for choosing us. My dd needed new school shoes and money is tight, so this product test couldn't have come at a better time.

[SewingAndCakes]

Thanks for giving us the chance to be testers!

[PeterIanStaker]

• Which store did you visit?

Sutton-in-Ashfield

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

Boy, age 7

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

School shoes

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Hush Puppies

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

I wasn't impressed. The fitter took the insole out of the shoe, got my son to stand on it and used that as a gauge to see if his foot would fit in the shoe.
I don't feel confident that the shoes are the best fit, but it was all they had that was in the right ballpark, so we went with it. The lack of choice really made it a 'take it or leave it' choice

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

Not great. Very slow till service, poor communication from the fitter.

• What did your children think of the experience?

No choice of shoes at all really did disappoint him (he likes to have some say in what he wears). The shop was very hot, and although there was only one other customer in the shop, getting served took a very long time. They didn't enjoy it.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

No, the choice of shoes was really very poor; my son measured between width fittings, but there were absolutely no shoes in one of the widths to try - I would have liked to have tried the wider fit just to compare, but it wasn't a possibility. I'm happier with Clarks, or Charles Clinkards where we can try a variety of shoes and brands.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

No. I thought the choice of leather shoes was terrible. This particular branch didn't stock Clarks because, I was told, they are too close to an actual branch of Clarks

[Mandatorymongoose]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Original plan was to visit Bolton but it turns out they don't actually stock children's shoes. I'm glad I phoned them before I drove over there. My alternative plan was Rochdale - who do stock children's shoes but who didn't have any staff qualified to do fittings (again I'm glad I phoned them) and since we were testing the fitting service I thought that wouldn't count.

So, we went to Warrington who did fitting but didn't actually stock any shoes small enough for DS (I didn't think to ask what sizes! I did check they sold children's shoes) and then to St Helens to finally get some shoes so we tested their fitting while we were there.

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

DS aged 2 years 4 months

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

2 pairs of trainers, ideally we'd have liked a pair of proper shoes as we have a wedding coming up but there was nothing suitable in his size (6.5).

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Adidas / Nike

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

Warrington - they approached us and offered to do a fitting which was great and were really good with DS even though he was very uncooperative but it came up smaller than previous fittings he's had and they didn't mention the width measurement (although as he's standard width fitting maybe they just felt they didn't need to?)

St Helens - no one offered a fitting even after we'd been sat on the benches looking hopeful for a while and I had to go hunt down the assistant. DS was still not terribly cooperative and the fitting felt a bit rushed. They only measured one foot, although closer to what I was expecting this time and they did mention the width and the height of his instep so that was a positive. I did ask if they'd check some shoes once he had them on and they said yes but then disappeared off so I just chose some I thought were ok in the end.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

Warrington - they were lovely, really helpful, gave me lots of information about how I could order stuff online to try on in store with no obligation and provided me with a catalogue, suggested other branches that might have more stock available. Friendly, helpful and polite.

St Helens - they were ok, customer service improved a lot at the till after I handed my voucher over.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

DS was tired and grumpy but the staff at the Warrington store were really friendly and made him laugh.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

Sadly, probably not - given how far I ended up having to travel to find a store I could get DS fitted in I'd have needed the service to be really fantastic and I don't think it was anything better than my local shoe shop. If there was a branch nearby I'd probably give it another go.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Not at the moment - sorry!

It was interesting taking part in the testing though, thank you.

[sharond101]

• Which store did you visit? Coatbridge
  
• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)? My 3 year old Son.
  
• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)? We bought canvas shoes and trainers.
  
• What brand was the pair of shoes? Clarks and Nike
  
• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service? I thought it was very friendly and liked how they told me when to get measured again. My Son liked that they gave him a picture with his size on it. It was a simple measurement though and if the machine was available to use I could have did it myself.
  
• What did you think of the customer service in general? Very friendly and attentive (we were the only ones in the shop).
  
• What did your children think of the experience?My Son was very excited.
  
• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?No as the selection of shoes was very poor and only a few pairs in the measured size.
  
• Would you recommend it to your friends/family? For fitting and customer service but not for product choice.

[PeterIanStaker]

Just to add - there was no ipad at our branch, just the old-fashioned slider measure (it didn't even have the width tape, just a guide printed on the bottom). DS might have enjoyed it more if there were gadgets to admire.

[MadameJosephine]

Which store did you visit?

Washington, tyne and wear

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

2.5 yo DD

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

Canvas "Doodles"

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Clarks

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

We had a mixed experience as I ended up visiting twice.

The first visit was a Saturday about lunchtime. I couldn't find anybody on the shop floor to measure DD's feet and if I had been an ordinary customer would probably have left and gone to Clarks which is only a few doors away but as I needed to test the service I joined the queue at the tills and asked somebody if they could get someone to come. The man who measured her feet was obviously busy and simply measured her feet using the standard Brantano gauge, told me her size (6E), pointed to some shelves saying 'kids shoes are over there' and left me to it. The only positive thing was that when I couldn't find a single pair in her size (happens all the time, Clarks never have any either as she has very narrow feet) he told me that i could go online and order some to be delivered to the store with no obligation to buy and then return to try them on. I did try this but unfortunately the only pair on the website in her size were shiny black patent school type shoes which i didn't like so we went back again today. We got there shortly after the shop opened so there were very few customers there and we were seen straight away by a young man called Dean (when I left I told him what I'd ben doing and said I would mention him by name as I really felt he did a great job). He had great product knowledge, measured her feet with 2 separate gauges as he said that some brands sizes were bigger/wider than others. We then tried about 8 different styles and brands while he checked the fit of each and showed me how to do this myself before we eventually found a pair of clarks doodles in a 6F with velcro straps that could tighten them up a bit. DD was delighted with her sparkly new shoes. He gave me little card with a recommended date to return to have her feet remeasured which is now stuck on my fridge and a voucher for 15% off the next pair which was great.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

See above, I think its good as long as you go when its quiet and the staff have the time to spend with you. Unfortunately if it wasn't for the fact I had a voucher I probably would not have returned after the first visit.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

Shopping for shoes with a 2 year old can be quite stressful but there were toys for her to play with. She was a bit upset after the first visit when we left with nothing after I had said we were going to buy shoes but was over the moon with the shoes we got second time around. We struggle sometimes with shoes for her as she is hypermobile. she's only just stopped wearing boots all the time and still cant wear sandals or flimsy summer shoes but the shoes we ended up with were really pretty and the velcro strap tightened up to support her feet. Overall she enjoyed the experience apart from being told she could not have all of the shoes she tried on lol

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

Yes but I'd make sure i go early on a weekday morning

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Yes, on balance I think I would

[MadMonkeys]

• Which store did you visit?

Tamworth

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

DD, aged 2

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

Sandals and smart shoes

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Clarks

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

The sandals were fine (although I imagine sandals are rather more forgiving than other shoes).

There were no shoes in the right size at all, so the store have ordered a pair to be fitted when they arrive.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

Good. Friendly staff - happy to help but not in your face.

• What did your children think of the experience?

Rather disappointing that there were no shoes at all in DD's size to try on. Other than that a good experience.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Possibly. I would go to the nearby Clarks store as my first choice as they have more shoes in stock to try on and the prices are the same.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

I'd recommend Clarks as a first choice.

[purplemonstermum]

Which store did you visit?

Romford.

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

My DD aged 7 and my DS2 aged 10.

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

We bought a pair of wellies for festival-going DS1 (16) (who wasn't with us!) but otherwise we didn't buy any shoes - we could not find any that fitted properly, so the children ended up with a teddy bear each instead.

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

The wellies were Brantano own brand I think.

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

Sorry, but I was not impressed. We had to ask for the children's feet to be measured (no-one approached us when we came in) and the lady then measured and disappeared. Although I broadly agreed with her measurements (based on the last shoes the children had a few weeks ago), she then made no effort to find us any shoes. I went off to browse and when I turned around to ask for advice she had gone! I then had both children looking for shoes independently on the shelves and coming at me both at once asking me to check sizes etc. In most shoe shops they take the children one at a time and bring you shoes to try on so it does not descend into chaos!

Eventually I found the manager and asked her for advice. she was much better (especially once she realised that we had a voucher...). However, as she had not measured the children she was relying on my memories of what sizes they were. The shop actually had few of the "better" brands (Clarks, Hush Puppy, Nike) in my children's sizes, particularly as they both came up a half size (1.5 in my DD's case and 5.5 in my DS2's) and DD has wide feet (G fitting). there seemed to be very few (if any) G-fit or half sizes in the shop. Instead the manageress kept showing us (what I thought were) inappropriate shoes e.g. flimsy, glittery, badly fitting party shoes or high heeled sandals (! she's 7!) for my DD. The lady suggested inner soles for the badly fitting party shoes, but these did not really help and the shoes were still too large. The size down were too small and there was no half size. In my DS2's case, he really wanted a pair of flip flops, but there were none in his size in stock. he then decided to have Nike trainers but again these did not fit and there were no half sizes...

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

the manageress was very helpful and made a lot of effort to find us something but tbh I think she was fighting a losing battle given the poor stock...

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

they were disappointed that we could not find them any shoes.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

Sorry to say but no!

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Again...no! I think Brantano need to decide what type of shoe shop they are, as although they advertise themselves as measuring children's feet, this is not helpful if they then don't have any decent shoes in a full range of whole and half sizes/width fittings. Instead most of the stock seems to be help-yourself shoes as you would find in places e.g. Mothercare, Next, supermarkets etc.

[BrittaTheNeedlesslyDefiant]

Which store did you visit?
Broughton retail park

Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
My son, age 6.

What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
School shoes (but a bit trainerish in style). Also bought a pair of sandals, the cost of which was partly covered by the voucher.

What brand was the pair of shoes?
Hush Puppies

What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
I thought it was pretty good, actually. The fitter used a gauge to find DS's size and was able to check the fit manually, using the Hush Puppies insoles to adjust it. Not noticeably different from the fitting service at Clarks.

What did you think of the customer service in general?
Excellent. I approached the counter and asked for DS to be fitted, and this then took place immediately, no waiting or faffing. The fitter was pleasant and attentive - she engaged well with DS and was happy to go and look in the back for other styles in his size.

What did your children think of the experience?
He liked it - he was included in the process and asked for his opinion.

Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
I might do. I cannot fault the service, but really my only caveat would be that there wasn't a lot of choice. I always buy leather shoes, and the only leather shoes available were a handful of black Hush Puppies, all quite similar to each other. I asked if they had anything in brown (as DS' school is relaxed about footwear, shoes don't need to be black and I prefer brown as find it more versatile) but they did not. The non-leather shoes all looked a bit flimsy. We did also buy a pair of sandals, to use up the voucher, and while these will be fine for knocking around in I expect they will be wrecked by the end of the summer.

Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
Maybe. The service was good and there were some well-priced options. I didn't look at the adult shoes.

[miaow123]

Visited the wakefield store

your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
-girl 3 years

What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
Trainers and sandals

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Sketchers and unknown

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

Great, we went in the evening so quiet. The lady was knowledgable about sizing and check numerous shoes for my daughter, also trying insoles as an option when inbetween sizes.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

Great communication, friendly and patient.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

She enjoyed the attention and got very giddy. She got a sticker too.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

Yes, they had a good range of F fitting sizes and they spent along time getting the right fit in all the brands we tried and we tried a lot!

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Yes although I think different stores have different stock eg I was told Barnsley store has startright shoes also.

[antsypants]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Kingston park, Newcastle upon Tyne

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

5 year old girl

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

Sandals and trainers

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Clarkes sandals and Adidas trainers

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

Although the assistants just use a measuring chart and tape, it was a much better reading than the ipads they use in other stores, they measured dd at an 11g which is one width smaller than her previous fitting three months ago, which was reassuring as her previous shoes seemed quite loose... I discussed this with the assistant who showed me how to correctly check that her foot was properly in the shoes and pushed up to the heel as she was curling her toes up which I hadn't noticed.

We tried several pairs of trainers and some seemed tighter than others at which point the assistant called over a colleague to give a second opinion, the thing that really impressed me was that they addressed and spoke to dd as opposed to me when trying them on.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

I went on a Sunday and although there were not many people in, the experience did not feel hurried, the assistants were really warm and efficient and not at all patronising to dd, I felt assured that we were getting taken care of... They also offer a waterproofing service when you purchase the shoes.

It is also really handy that they display both shoes as I can imagine it would save a lot of time in busy periods.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

Dd enjoyed it, they had toys and a play table and all of the shoes were within her reach.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

I intend to use it at the end of summer for dd's school shoes.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Yes, definetly, the shoes have both been worn with no tightness or discomfort.

[thewomaninwhitefluffybunnyears]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Avonmeads in Bristol

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

DD2 (age 5) and DD3 (age 3)

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

We spent a little over the voucher but bought 2 x pair croc type shoes and 2 x trainers/canvas dap shoes.

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

All four were Brantano.

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

It was the end of the day on a Sat when we visited (around 4.15pm). The shop was empty and lots of staff were available. The person that dealt with us was enthusiastic about measuring both children and good with them. This part of the service was great. The fitter seemed confident about what he was doing although I did have to push for info on width of fittings rather than just numerical size.

Once the children had been measured, no one approached us to help with finding suitable shoes at all. We were left to our own devices and were clearly looking for both DDs. Very few customers were there so plenty of staff were available. This was disappointing.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

See above for my comments on this. The actual shoe fitting was good and the fitter was keen, friendly and enthusiastic. Once the fitting had taken place, I was not impressed. I do feel that we should have been offered some help in finding suitable shoes. It was obvious that we were looking.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

They enjoyed the experience as they like being measured and also enjoy trying shoes on. They liked the range of shoes and also that they could just try things on without having to ask someone to find it in their size. They would visit again!

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

In all honesty, probably not. This was not based on the actual fitting service in terms of finding shoe sizes, but the lack of customer service in terms of helping people to locate good fitting shoes. Shoes are expensive and I want to know if they fit well., No one even attempted to help us with this.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

No in terms of the comments about advice re fit of shoes. The plus point would be the wide range of shoes for things like cheap summer shoes. I would not use or recommend Brantano for more expensive purchases such as school shoes.

Thanks for letting us roadtest MN.

[thewomaninwhitefluffybunnyears]

If relevant, the Avonmeads store used the old tape measure and did not have an Ipad. I have used the Ipad at Clarks before and I truly don't mind which is used. The focus is on customer service and ensuring a good fit.

[Uzma01]

*Which store did you visit?
Yardley, on Birmingham

Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
My five year old son.

What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
School shoes.

What brand was the pair of shoes?
Clarks.

What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
It was reminiscent of the old fitting service for Clarks before they added an interactive element with a tablet. It was straightforward and quick, since my son doesn't wriggle around as much as my daughter when getting feet measured. I mentioned I was looking for school shoes, so was taken over to the relevant part of the boy's shoe section and left to browse. Any questions I asked were answered by the staff in a cheerful manner.

What did you think of the customer service in general?
Excellent, really friendly staff and helpful. Was given a lot of time after I made my selection to have my questions answered.

What did your children think of the experience?
My son was excited to be getting some new shoes since his younger sister got some a couple of weeks back! He was delighted we were picked to get some free shoes for him.

Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
Yes, it's the nearest Brantano to us as a couple of other branches have closed. Yes, I'd use the shoe fitting service too. For school shoes though I may just stick to the Clarks that's only a mile away from me as they tend to have a greater range in different sizes.

Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
Yes, there's a good range of different brands and at a range of prices. Lots to choose from for both adults and children. The new shoe size for my son meant I was a bit limited as to what I could choose but I know that Clarks ones aren't going to let me down. Plus the little toy hidden in the heel was an unexpected surprise.

[lavendersgreen]

• Which store did you visit
  

Oldbury, West Midlands

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

Girl aged 10

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

Sandals and causal pump type shoe

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Both skittles

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

Disappointed that feet were measured manually - clarks do the whole computerised thing, which kids love. Unfortunately the size we were advised was a size too big.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

This element of the visit really let them down - the assistant was measuring another child while we waited and never once acknowledged us, even though we were waiting for over 10 minutes. Just a 'hi, sorry to keep you' would have been appreciated. Clarks again have the edge on this with their ticket system because if many people had been waiting it could have got very awkward with who thought they were next.

• What did your children think of the experience
  

Unfortunately there were a very limited number of styles in my daughter's size (as confirmed by staff when asked). This was disappointing.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

I wouldn't use the fitting service again, no. However, in my opinion, what they do so much better than Clarks is display the shoes in pairs so you are free to try them on at your leisure. Staff do not constantly hassle you and it feels very relaxed.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Yes actually I would. In spite of the negatives, the shoes are great quality at reasonable prices and the we had fun trying as many pairs as we wanted without a 'chaperone'!

Thank you so much for the voucher mumsnet.

[BikeRunSki]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Wakefield

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

6 year old son and 3 year old daughter

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

Trainers for both, although this was not what I had intended. There was no choice other than trainers or school shoes available in their sizes, and we didn't need school shoes.

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Nike (for my son), Osaga (for my daughter)

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

I wasn't very impressed. The young man who did the fitting told us it was the first time he'd done it, but wasn't supervised. He told me my son was a G fitting, which is considerably wider than he has ever been before (he has always been a D or E before). When I questioned this he looked at the gauge again and just said "well that's what it says here". When I pointed out that my son's socks were wrinkled around his foot, the fitter sort of shrugged and reluctantly agreed that DS might be an F when he had pulled his socks up. My daughter only had her feet measured by an independent shop very recently and she was measured the same size, so that was OK.

Once we had chosen our shoes, the fitter was unhappy that we had chosen my son's shoes that said they were a size bigger than what he had measured and was reluctant to let us get them. I pointed out that the "right" size in that style had been too small. When he asked how we knew, I said 1- we could feel his toes right at the end and 2- my husband (who was with us) used to be a shoe fitter! When we paid for the shoes we told this the girl on the till questioned why we were buying a different size to what had been measured. When we explained she said words to the effect of "of yes, Nike are well known for coming up small but great for narrower feet". The fitter had no knowledge of how the sizing/width varied between styles and manufacturers. I'd have expected better (some!) product knowledge some sort of guidance on this, but the fitter disappeared once he had measured my children's feet.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

Friendly, but not very knowledgeable

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

They got stickers and new shoes, so they had fun.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

No. I have no faith in the quality of the shoes fitting service we got, and I doubt I would have got any shoes had
1 - the shoes not been free and
2 - my husband (a trained and experienced shoes fitter from a previous career) not been with us to check the shoe fitting, I doubt I would have got them.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

No

I have no confidence in the fitting service and the choice of shoes was dire. There was nothing to choose from apart from school shoes and trainers. We were hoping to get something for out of school, but smarter and more robust than trainers.

I was also surprised that the Clark's shoes available stopped at infant sizes.

[snowymum12]

Store visited: Swadlincote

DC: daughter age 2y 10 months.

Type of shoes tried: I wanted proper sensible shoes but there were none available in her size so I opted for a pair of sandals.

Brand: OSh Kosh B'Gosh (again, I would have ordinarily have bought clarks or start rite but there were none available)

Shoe fitting service: I felt that it was inadequate. The shoe fitter measured my daughter's feet incorrectly. She did not measure her width at all. I felt that the member of staff did not have the proper training for this task.

Customer service in general: I can't fault the friendliness of the staff, they were absolutely lovely.

Child's view: my daughter was stressed by having to try on shoes which were clearly too small. She didn't like trying on the shoes in the aisle either. I expected to wait on seats and have shoes brought to us. It was cramped and felt rushed.


Would I use the store/fitting service again? : no.

Recommend?: no. I think that the store isn't set up for children's shoe fitting.

[asuwere]

• Which store did you visit?
  

Dundee

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
  

DS 6yrs and DD 2yrs

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
  

school shoes for DS, trainers for DD

• What brand was the pair of shoes?
  

Clarks shoes for DS, Disney trainers for DD

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
  

The fitter was lovely and did everything right, after measuring, she asked what kind of shoes we wanted and took us to the right section and showed us the options in the size needed. She then did fully check that the shoes fitted once tried on.
Although it was very good, and I can't really fault it, it wasn't anything I couldn't have done myself as the foot gauges are out for anyone to use (which I like!)

• What did you think of the customer service in general?
  

Excellent! Very friendly staff, volunteered to check stock levels when DS asked for style which wasn't one of the options originally given to him.

• What did your children think of the experience?
  

They both loved it. DS ended up getting the first pair he tried on but DD seemed to enjoy being able to try on lots of different pairs and being spoilt!

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
  

I may use the store but probably not the fitting service. As above, there were no faults with it but I think I would be just as easy to do it myself.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
  

Yes, I think so, if it came up.

Thank you for picking me for this, I really appreciated the money off shoes and the DC enjoyed getting to pick shoes without me checking the prices first! :)