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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel irritated every time I get DD (7) feet measured at Clarks.

42 replies

joric · 10/07/2011 17:12

DD measures H fitting on Clarks foot machine thing.

Past experience has proved that DD has v high instep and that even though she measures H sometimes she doesn't actually need an H for width.
The salespeople always either go up half a size or insist on H fitting making the shoe too long or too wide.

The last pair of trainers she was fitted with were so big on her they looked like canoes and we took them back even though they had been worn out of the shop.

I'm probably being a bit mean to Clarks as this also happens when I have tried independents shops too but my question is....

AIBU to ignore the fitter and request the size I want? I did this in an independent shop recently with a pair if pumps and after a bit of pursing of lips the sales assistant actually agreed that my choice if size was a better fit.

OP posts:
Original poster
joric · 10/07/2011 20:29

Muddling- I find the same, only a small choice of one or two- she gets through lots of shoes, heavy footed, grows every few months! So it's a pain. Have looked at a few more brands tonight!

OP posts:
buttonandjess · 10/07/2011 20:31

I got my ds (aged 3) measured about a month ago. He measured as a H fitting. The person in the shop said all they had was a "school shoe" (at the age of 3 Sad we ended up with Ecco - whose shoes are great for wide fittings!

BrokenBananaTantrum · 10/07/2011 20:37

OP if you live anywhere in the north west try Stampede in Lytham. They are brilliant. Been going there for 2 years.

clara10 · 10/07/2011 20:41

I know what you mean about clarks staff. DS is an E width, just, and we always struggle in our local clarks to get a good fit. They like you to leave with a pair of shoes regardless. Friday I popped in for a fitting, was asked what size DS wore, 8E, was told before being measured that they'd be able to get him a 9. What???
His feet were still 8E on the laser measuring thing and yet I was still brought shoes for him to try on!!!!

HelloKlitty · 10/07/2011 21:00

I often ignore them...once they were SO useless I said..."So basically NONE of your shoes fit my DD and you're sending me away without?" and she efing NODDED!

I told her to get me the ones whch I felt fitted and I would take them....I have NEVER used Clarks since. THey're shit.

Original poster
joric · 10/07/2011 21:14

Hellokitty- this has happened to me too!!

OP posts:
MuddlingMackem · 10/07/2011 21:22

Joric

Both my kids are tough on their shoes, at least at the toes, but I've always found Clarks to wear well, and even better now they're in school shoes. That black shoe magic stuff they do works a treat. Grin

To be fair, it may be that the boys school shoes are harder wearing than the girls, but since we've never bought the girls version I can't compare.

Original poster
joric · 10/07/2011 21:36

Muddling I always try to get the goretex type ones as the others dont last 5 mins! DD needs nice girly shoes that are as tough as boys shoes! Not found them yet!

OP posts:
moomaa · 10/07/2011 21:48

Another one with high instep kids. I kicked myself when I let the Clarks fitter sell me F shoes for DS this week, it has happened before and he needs a G. Took them back and they didn't have the same ones in a G. They were in the sale and they let me have a full price pair for the sale price of the ones I took back.

Was pleased with that. They were very apologetic and said that they had a lot of new people at the mo but they should all have their fittings double checked.

blueeyedmonster · 10/07/2011 21:49

Clarks round here are shit, they don't measure ds' feet properly at all and I have to tell them how to hold his feet otherwise they measure him too small.

It was the same in brantano but I have found one fitter who is fab and always measures him well, she's not afraid to hold his feet down where as the others are (he curls his toes and arches his foot every time). It's a shame the one shop I really trusted has shut dowon (the only one that did shoes that fit him every time too :( )

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 10/07/2011 21:50

Muddling I think you have something there. DD is VERY hard on her shoes a new pair a term despite not going up in size. w e have had clarks, next clarks again and they are crap. The girls shoes are all dainty and got worn down at the toe, the rubber sole was also rubblish and wore down really quickly, by the time she'd had the ladt pair a term they were nearly in holes on the bottom and doen to the leather at the toe.

We've gone for an independent fit this time and she fitted a pair of buckle my shoe, which have worn REAlly well, my only gripe is that it has taken an age to get them to hold the polish well but if that means anothet term on a pair of shoews I can deal with a nightly polish !

wandawings · 10/07/2011 22:35

Brantano were rubbish when checking my DD's feet. The woman only checked one foot and needed persuading to check the other. The other foot was indeed bigger as I expected.

pigletmania · 10/07/2011 22:39

joric i do find that the staff at JL take their time, and are quite meticulous. I don't work or associated with JL btw, just found that they were very good.

foreverondiet · 10/07/2011 22:44

Neither of my DC have ever had their feet measured on a machine thing, its always been manual.

Both kids have wide feet and high instep - when DD was younger they (small independent) fitted her in a G because they didn't have any H shoes and they were too tight width wise very quickly.

Personally in clark I always ask them to bring a selection - G, H and half a size bigger and then work out whats the best fit. I like John Lewis because they do clarks and start rite.

I have fallen out with the local independent shoe shop as they fit shoes on the tight side and then they are too small very quickly. Took DS to get new shoes as he was going to be a page boy... they INSISTED he couldn't go up even a half side ever though existing shoes were 9 months old. DS tried on the shoes they suggested and said too tight. They refused to let him try on the bigger side. Went to John Lewis and they brought out the bigger side of the same start rite shoes (whole size up, not even half size) without me saying anyway, DS was happy with them and they fitted well.

ginnybag · 11/07/2011 16:02

Joric I agree with you wrt to John Lewis. I had to get shoes for my 17m DD recently. She's a good walker but has little feet. The Clarke's woman wanted to sell her 5g shoes up from a 3.5f in eight weeks.

I could see them falling off her feet as she walked, so we left without buying them and went to Lewis's. (We were in the Trafford Centre)

It took the fitter there 25 minutes to get a good fit, 15 pairs of shoes out of the store room - 3 different fits in 5 styles. She was fab! Will be going back there again!

If you want a good fit, JL Trafford Centre and look for the pretty blonde thirty-something fitter. Great service - I'm just embarassed I can't recall her name!

itisnearlysummer · 11/07/2011 16:04

I don't like that Clarks ask what size they're currently in before measuring, as if that has any bearing on the size of their feet now.

I used to tell them and found that they'd always gone up a size. Now I say I can't remember and sometimes they haven't Hmm

Original poster
joric · 11/07/2011 18:22

Ginny- always good to have an excuse to go to Trafford centre!! I think we will go to J L there on Sat as it's only half an hour away. Thanks everyone, I was starting to think DD feet were yet another thing on the 'we're not normal' list!! :o

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