Clarks school shoes?

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For the last couple years I have spent a lot on Clarks school shoes for DS. It just seems the place to go for good quality longer lasting school shoes. I do find spending £50plus on school shoes a lot though and DD is starting school this year so £100 plus.

A friend of mine has just said she never bothers with Clarks and has always just bought school shoes from one of the supermarkets. That in the past Clark's was the best but now most places do good quality shoes.

I would prefer to spend less obviously but don't want to end up buying cheaper shoes to then still end up getting Clarks. Just wondered if other MNs agree with friend?

I do sometimes get Clarks if I can afford it at the time. I've got 4 kids and it's expensive. I have bought from places like Asda and Matalan and sometimes they are OK, but the last few times their shoes have been completely ruined after just a few weeks. And I don't just mean a few scuffs, I mean the sole hanging off. So I tend to go somewhere like Sports Direct where they are reasonably priced but better quality than supermarkets.

I buy Clark’s online, at the outlet website. I measure myself as the in store measuring allows for no growth room. Always a very very neat fit. I have a Clark’s foot measuring gauge but you can print one out.

bought supermarket shoes a couple times and they lasted a few weeks!

I've stopped buying Clarks and now get school shoes from M&S. Usually no more than £30 and superior quality.

Clark's sell a measuring gauge on their website, or at least they used to. I use that and allow a little bit for growth room.

I don't rate Clark's shoes.

We have brought geox the last two years have been brilliant.

I always bought clarks, despite having a couple of quality issues, primarily because I thought they were the best for children's feet.

Then last September my son lost his shoes doing PE. I held off a few days as I thought they would turn up, but they didn't. I bought a leather pair from Sainsbury's, still thinking he would get the first pair back, but he didn't and wore the Sainsbury's ones the rest of the year. The last week of term, clarks ones appeared, but he didn't want them he liked the others better.

I am hoping to get the same shoes again in the next size this year.

I always bought Clarks but the quality is not worth the price tag now and they didn't last the year. So I changed to hush puppies from Amazon. Significant price difference and quality is great. They even have adjustable insoles for growing feet!

This year I got next size up from HP themselves in the sale for £22. I wouldn't get non leather shoes.

I stopped buying Clarks shoes a couple of years ago as the quality was terrible and the shoes never lasted. Last year I bought shoes from M&S and they lasted until he grew out of them, much better quality!

I always used to buy Clarks because they would measure DS's feet and check the fit. Now that he is old enough to say whether they are comfortable we have started buying from M&S instead.

We got my step son’s first pair of school shoes from Clarks and within a week they’d come away at one of the seams and were so scuffed where the leather just wore - they gave me a full refund as even they agreed that wasn’t good.

after that we got him a pair of black leather Nike’s - they’ve lasted so well and are really comfy so we’ll be getting him another pair for year 1.

Agree with this...DS had Sainsburys Toezone ones last year and they lasted all year, found them to be really good quality. Think they were around £25.

Also Deichmann is good, they are usually around £30ish and seem good quality.

I don't rate Clarks shoes at all.

We went through 5 pairs in one school year with a child who played football every break time in them.

Tried M&S school shoes and they are the only ones that lasted a full school year, other than if he grew out of them.

Clarks arent great but supermarkets arent either. You need them to be measured properly so try looking for an independent shoe shop. The European brands are the best - Ricosta, Froddo, Primigi etc.

And for those asking about getting them measured , I have a Clarks measuring gauge but I think Deichmann and Next also measure in store.

One of the school mums told me that if you have the receipt or proof of purchase and the shoe breaks within 6 months then they exchange them for free

The problem with measuring is that there are different mechanisms, e.g. UK / Euro sizing then the different brands, some are a smaller than average fit, some are larger. Thats why you cant beat a professional shoe fitter who knows their brands and can get you the most out of your purchases.

Clarks, kickers, lelli kelli, supermarket etc I find them all to be a pile of shit. Tried them all over the years.

They never make it to Christmas term without breaking, straps snapping, badly scuffing or the inside sole bit scrunching up.

The only shoes I've found to last the entire school year (if they aren't out grown) is Dr Martens.

They are upto £70, maybe less depending on whether you need junior or youth sizes.

I won't get the kids anything else now because the extra 20 odd quid than buying the others is worth it if they last.

https://www.schuh.co.uk/school-shoes/?gadsource=1#g=&c2=&c=&p=0,999&b=34%7CDr%20Martens,&sz=&m=&w=&c3=&h=&o=pop&st=&origst=&c4=136&bRef=&s=&nd=&kwtype=c&page=1&va=&imp=&&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh7K1BhCZARIsAKOrVqEAGSnpp-wgUm5gXoV-7OpwGKp7biDntrdmXs72GvrLMRRONI7p50aAjeeEALwwwcB

You can buy your own measuring tool on Amazon.

Local privately owned shoe shop. They're amazing. They professionally measure her feet and make sure the shoes fit properly not just in length but in width. They have her walk up & down etc. Much better than the untrained teenagers in Clark's who hand you the shoes and walk off.....

OP, we always buy the Italian brand Petasil as they're the only kids brand left which still have arch support and as I've come to know first hand the ramifications of having no arch support as a child (as my mum & dad always bought us Clarks which have no arch support!!!!), arch support is SO SO important.

Lelli Kelly also have a very slight arch support but it's minimal.

@AliceMcK Yes! Petasil 👍🏻

Clark's are awful! They have no arch support and are terrible for children's feet! See @AliceMcK 's post above. Try Petasil

I've bought supermarket shoes for DS before and they wore holes in the bottom.

I think shoes are one item that is worth spending money on for good quality.

I started off with Clarks and Start Rite then realised it's very dependent on the actual shoe, I've found better quality in M&S and actually a good pair too in TU. Some Clarks and Start Rite shoes are very stiff and inflexible. Clarks are quite narrow too.

I found Clarks the best for mine, partly due to the leather and partly due to fit. Supermarket shoes if leather tend to be hard and coated in plastic, Next shoes seemed good quality but just didn't fit right. If yours are primary age I'd just get trainers (black if the school are strict).

I always bought DS Clarks shoes as they were actually designed to fit children's feet. A huge amount of research went into the ergonomics. I still buy him Clarks now - school shoes and trainers aged 10 as he says that supermarket ones are uncomfortable.