Aaaargghhhh! It's one of my least favorite times of year. The 'let's get new school shoes' time. For the past 8 years I have had to sit and smile whilst some numpty shop assistant measures my childs feet and then gasps in amasement and then informs me that she has 'very narrow feet'. Really! Gasp! Shock! Surprise! D'oh - I'm her mother dya not think I know that? They then go on to ask 'have you seen anything you like?' From experience I now know to just say 'Why don't you just go see if you have anything to fit her, and we'll take it from there'. I reckon that 60% of the time they come back empty handed. So you have a child that has shoes that are a)worn out b)too small (delete as appropriate) and you have just been told that the shop can't help. The number of times we have been forced to buy ill fitting shoes with multiple innersoles JUST so the shoe doesn't literally 'fly' off her foot when she walks is shameful.
What is even more annoying is that the limited number of D fitting shoes are always open, pump style. My children have and will, for the forseeable future WALK to school - even in the rain. The poor thing has cold, wet feet all winter. There are shops catering to AA and AAA womens shoes - so why don't they stock children's shoes? Did these women suddenly turn 18 and their feet suddenly become narrow - NO! It was bad enough when DD was little - she's now 12 with size 7 feet, 5'10" and like a bean pole, so clothes buying isn't much fun either. She hates shopping for clothes and shoes. She see's all the other girls buying fun, fashionable things. I try to get her to try things on and she just says 'There's no point - it won't fit' and sadly she's generally right.
Sorry Ladies - just had to get it out of my system. Wish me luck for tomorrow. Ho hum - Clarks and StartRite you've been warned - here I come.