Stuff the clarks. Recommend me cheap but decent school shoes please!

[Obeythedancecommander]

I went into clarks to get my 5yo & 7yo feet measured yesterday. The shop was empty with 3 shoe fitters free but as I hadn't booked an appointment I was greeted rather miserably (didn't even give me chance to approach the desk before redirecting me!). After waiting 15 mins with my 2yo losing the plot I walked out, I'll be damned if I'm dropping £100 to be completely ignored when the store was empty.

Can anyone recommend any fairly decent alternative school shoes and what the sizes are like? (I think a 11.5 in a clarks seems to be smaller than an 11.5 elsewhere). One of my daughters has slightly wide feet and was in a g fitting last time. If they last even a couple of months I'll be happy.

M&S. I bought a Start Rite shoe measure gauge and measure them at home, and buy online.

My son’s shoes tend to last until he’s out grown them, but my daughter’s shoes last about 5 mins - they are super flimsy compared to the boy’s shoes, so I’m not spending £50 on them.

M and S. My Ds has had shoes from there for years and most of the time they last the full school year

M&S! They also measure feet in some stores too

I'd go to Schuh

My kids usually only have clarks or kickers.
They are wrecked after a few weeks, I’ve gone with Tesco this time for £18 and will see how they hold up!

Such a shame about Clarks 😠
We've had great success with them - their old shoes still look new (after a polish) so only replacing as they’ve outgrown them.

We got ours in sports direct in the sale at £15 each this year. Last year's from Tesco lasted all year. I also use a gauge at home, Clarks is a waste of money, I think.

Clarks do hold up well so far but I've had it happen with all 3 of my children where the fitting has been wrong and we've had to take them back and get remeasured. £50 is so much money when they are growing so fast.

M&S - I've always shopped at Clarks but thought I'd give somewhere else a try after my DS 15 chose some for £54..... Very similar style in M&S for £34 and they more than lasted the year (& he played football every lunchtime too!).

Sainsburys school shoes are good the ToeZone ones. If you nip into Next kids shoes section they have A3 printouts that you put against a wall and have your kid stand on and it tells you their shoes size. I have a couple at home and they've been pretty accurate to get a starting point then just try a couple of pairs on in the style you like.

M&S. Wherever you go, look in the boys section too. They last longer than girls shoes

Another vote for M&S! Or Next although the quality isn't quite as good ime, especially for girls' shoes.

Nike Court Borough (low) in black leather have been a surprise success for DS. I got them at Deichmann for less than £20 because I couldn't get hold of his usual Froddo shoes. He prefers the Nike!

Sainsbury toe zone are better than M&S in our experience. Marks are OK though, always longer lasting than Clarks for us.

ToeZone I usually get them from Sainsburys but they didn't have them in the right size this time. Actually managed to find some on the Next website.

We've mainly used M&S through primary school. About £10 cheaper per pair than clarks and still got a full school year if dc didn't grow. Dc have high instep and found they suited. Generally they went for some sort of T-bar style shoe.

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Can anyone who recommed m&s help me please? I've just used the tape measure to measure their feet according to the m&s website.

My 2 year old who was last measured at clarks to be a 7.5 H (super wide) is measuring to be a 9 standard fit at M&S

My 5yo who was last measured to be a 10.5 G (wide) at clarks is measuring to be a 12.5 (she is 185mm long) and 10mm below the narrow width size at m&s, she is measuring at 170mm in width but the narrow size starts at 180mm.

Does this sound right? I've always been told my kids need wide fitting shoes with clarks but to have narrow and standard just seems crazy.

There's no m&s locally who do measuring so I'd be buying online.

I will see how they measure up on the toeszones at sainsburys too

I don't understand the hate for Clarks, our Clarks shoes have always done really well and if they do get the fitting wrong, they'll change them. The one time I did have a pair that split, after more than a term, they replaced those too. They even remeasured and gave us the next size up!

However, I wouldn't back if I experienced service like you did. I'd be inclined to complain to HO actually.

We always went in store, while they didn't have fitting they have a size guide printed on the floor in both the stores near us. So was easy to work out sizes.

Not sure if M&S run wide but often we were measured G & H at clarks and they seemed to work for us.

I’ve not had an issue with the shoes per se or the shop (they have taken shoes back when son grew out of them very quickly) but they are exceedingly expensive. We’re talking £120 these days for two pairs which may or may not last a full school year.

I second the sainsburys toe zone ones. I'm pretty sure my 5 year old spends his whole school days scuffing his toes along the floor, he gets through shoes at a ridiculous rate! Theyve lasted way longer than others I've tried (including the last pair of Clarks I brought)

Clarke's are poor value in my experience with girl shoes looking worn out after a few weeks. Startrite all the way but Sainsbury's £18 boots lasted a while winter and looked great.

Just to say DS can't wear Sainsbury's or M&S, so they don't suit everyone. The Sainsbury's ones are very hard (feel them before you buy them!) and the fit on M&S was wider at the back and narrower at the front so his heel was moving up and down.

M&S here too, although Sainsbury's this year my dd seen them wanted to try them so l got them. I only have M&S food hall by me so l order them to there and do my returns there, l order 2 sizes and return the one l don’t need, the refunds are fast,so is the delivery.