to be aghast - yes, aghast - at the huge amount of authoritarian advice people seem to need and expect with regard to children's footwear?

oh and lizziemum, john lewis told us ds didn't need shoes yet (while he was running round shop at top speed). i later found that they didn't stock any in his size [hmmm]

i went to independent shoe shop and got ds a pair of £45 lace ups, took five mins and they fitted for four months. bargainous and no queing for a nitwit with a tape measure.

Gingernutlover - clarks and start rite have a different measuring scale - 3 1/2 is about a 4 in clarks, although sometimes the difference is slightly bigger or smaller.

I don't like the Clarks shoe selection at all.

Mind you, my daughter only started walking a couple of months ago and still only really potters around our house and garden.

She has a couple of pairs of Mothercare's finest and a pair of fancy-dan, pain-in-the-arse to put on Converse All-Stars (they're pink with white spots though!).

I was traumatised as an older child as I went to a private school that listed the 4 acceptable styles of show and where to purchase them. Lord, but they were ugly.

So, when's she older my daughter will only wear mini-Manolos and mini-Choos. Natch.

do we all need special width fitting as adults? NO. we just buy shoes which FIT our feet.

it is such a bloody con, clarks have created a whole culture where we are told that children's feet must be width measured or they'll be crippled just so we are scared to go elsewhere.

We just don't bother with Clarks, they do just seem to want to sell you ANY shoes when you're in there. We take dd's to Russell and Bromley every 8 weeks or so to check their shoes still fit, they are happy to offer this service and don't try to flog a new pair each time.

Although we do seem to have 2 Imeldas in the making

lizzimum if you need a d fitting try startrite. blardy expensive but they do fit.

As much as it kills me I have to defend Clarkes...

I have been in several times with DD (3.5) and been told at least 3 times that she doesn't need new ones yet... and to come back in a months time etc..

Right defending over, now I can whinge about lack of selection...

If you hate bright pink and don't want them to wear black just yet (plenty of years of having to wear black at school, from what I hear).. there is no much left...

I guess the service really does depend on the local store, but for me they have been good service, crap selection..

Now our Brabantia - great selection, no service!

Both my DDs lived in Clarks Doodles till they were too big for them and bare feet round the house. I expect I will now find a thread saying Doodles cause long term physical damage and their feet will be like crusty old rhino trotters when they are 40 but to hell with it, they looked so darn pretty!

gingernutlover

I had the opposit in Clarks last week.

DD had her feet she has very narrow feet, measured and was told

"Right she an 8 1/2 D fitting"

"Ok" i said "what do you have in her size"

I never look beforehand as they never have the ones i like in her Size.

"We don't do shoes in a D fitting, we only start from an E fitting"

"Ok where can i buy her shoes from"

"don't know, we don't do them"

Very helpful i thought, it's a good job it's summer and she can wear cheap sandles (or her boots) when we go out.

grrr

sorry know that was a bit of a rant but it makes me wonder how many people spend a lot of money on shoes when they dont need to, jsut cos the sales lady says they should - another example of parents being made to feel they cant make the best decision for theiur child

given my experience in clarks yesterdasy I have to add to this thread

I went to have dd's feet measured she is 20 months and has been in a size 4 since i was sold some by clarks in january.

Well the lady in clarks, asked what size dd was wearing now, before she did anything else - i just said I wasnt sure and would check when i took her shoes off, she immediatly said she would do it and blatantly checked the size before she measured, so suprise suprise, dd is now a 4.5

except as I pointed out to the lady , there is still room in the shoes beyond her toes. Her reply was "oh yes but, she measures as a 4.5 so she needs new shoes, those ones are hurting her"! WTF

needless to say, didnot buy shoes, although she tired several times to get me to.

I went to russell and bromley next as they seem to have a greater selection - not just clarks!- and the lady measured dd's feet, did not ask her size first! And said she is a 3.5 to 4.

what is going on?

the lady in the 2nd shop also felt dd's toes in the shoes and agreed that there was plenty of room left and suggested I pop back in a month or so to check again if i felt her feet had grown.

You can buy new too, but yes sometiomes. ALready worn in then and WTH, he doesn't know any different and I save about £20+ for each pair I buy

Hah - DS2 has talipes (club foot) and they they just have to put up with what ever he wears to school (though at the moment it is the most expensive pair of clarks ever - had to get two different sizes and they only had those two sizes in for an expensive shoe....)

Brantano do measuring too, or at least mine does. But I generally get DS measured in the local Clarks, then go "what- you only have velcro fastening, well I dont want that" and buy on eBay. LOL

That's what I do SEA.

I fucking hate Clarks

Bastards

Especially in half term

measure them in the shoe shop then go to brantano