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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to want my son in properly fitting shoes? But how the hell do I afford them and what about wellys?

63 replies

washingonawednesday · 14/02/2012 08:39

13 mo ds. Just started walking (v v excited) so purchased first pair of shoes. He has a wide g fitting combined with a tiny 2.5 size.

Obviously bought clarks shoes, but at £24 a pop, am slightly concerned about keeping him in these as he gets bigger- replacement pair every 3 months ish as his feet grow I suppose- eeep!

Anyway twattish ex husband has bought him crappy cheap trainers. No indication of width fitting at all and wants to know for how long he has to have 'special' shoes that have a width fitting. Don't know what to tell him. I'm not asking him to buy shoes- but don't want him to put him in cheap crap ones.

Also I want wellys but clarks don't seem to do them small enough.

General shoe confusion!!!

OP posts:
ILoveSanta · 14/02/2012 08:41

My DS is 4.5 yrs old and I still buy him "proper shoes" from Clarks. I think feet are so important, I would hate for his little soft and still growing bones to be squashed by the wrong footwear, so it's worth it to me.

marmiteandjam · 14/02/2012 08:44

Could you have a "shoe fund" where you put aside a couple of pounds every week seeing as you know you will have to buy new shoes fairly regularly?

randommoment · 14/02/2012 08:47

I'm afraid the expensive shoe thing keeps going for donkeys years, although I stopped worrying about trainers at about age five/six as they aren't in them very much, and focussed on the school shoes. We are a shoes off indoors family as well, which helps. I never had wellies properly fitted either, just got an endless succession of handed on or Woolies cheapo ones.

missmapp · 14/02/2012 08:48

my dcs feet have never grown a size every 3 mths, sometimes they dont grow for 9 mths! I still buy fitted school shoes and one pair of 'weekend' shoes, but buy trainers and wellies as a general size 7, or whatever. Ds1 is 6, and I think I will buy fitted shoes for a while longer.

You can buy wellies in a size 3, with thick socks, one size up is fine IMO

Morloth · 14/02/2012 08:49

Wanna know a secret? DS1 was born with severe talipes.

The surgeon who worked his magic and made his feet absolutely perfect told me that the whole Clark's thing is a con.

Cheapies, that are a teeny bit big are just fine.

Barefoot as much as possible is even better.

troisgarcons · 14/02/2012 08:50

I bought clarkes until they were 12-ish and able to verify whether shoes pinched or not. Now we go for sturdiness, Kickers or DMs. Clarkes are very badly made really and last 5 mins with an older child who is used to scuffing round the play ground.

Don't get into the whole shoe thing though, they grow so fast it is pointless having more than one pair at a time.

Wellies - primark - you only need cheapo ones, they arent in them long enough and the rubber is soft

Dolcegusto · 14/02/2012 08:51

We have a clarks factory outlet near us, shoes range from £10-25 a pair. Do you have anything like this near you?

Also they stop growing as fast as they get older and don't need new shoes quite as often Smile

joanofarchitrave · 14/02/2012 08:51

They can go for months in the same size Smile - ds has been size 1.5 for about a year! I tend to go for properly fitted school shoes, and would do so basically until ds is earning Confused but tbh fitting is not rocket science. I don't worry about wellies or trainers if they're only being worn sometimes.

I put £4 a month into a savings account for ds and have always told myself that it's legitimate to take money out of it for dentists' bills or shoes. So far I haven't had to (and tbh it won't go very far towards orthodontistry Sad)

Robinredboobs · 14/02/2012 08:51

My two year old has cheap crap shoes, has outgrown them easily every 8 weeks. I can't afford one pair of Clarks. I guess I'm a shit mother.

pinkdelight · 14/02/2012 08:52

It stops being every few months before long - my ds (also a 'g' width) is age 4 and has been in his size 9s for ages now. It's just those first few that they rattle through and I managed to get the grandparents to buy some as it's the kind of thing they feel good helping out with. I'd just get any old wellies though. They don't wear them often enough or long enough to really need a special size and they tend to be pretty wide anyway.

Another tip - I've been on the brink of buying new shoes in the Clarks when a nice sales assistant has offered me much cheaper alternatives from the sale, some of which weren't on display, so it's always worth asking - they can be half the price and just as nice.

Zoonose · 14/02/2012 08:53

For DD I get her feet measured at clarks then buy nearly new from eBay in the right size and width. She is 22 mo. I figure at this age they don't wear shoes for v long so they should be fine, though I do go for ones described as hardly worn etc. Last 2 pairs cost £7 or £8 each inc posting and have been fine.

RobynLou · 14/02/2012 08:54

john lewis in the sale are great-have got loads of bargains and they do clarks/startrite + many others properly fitted

LilacWaltz · 14/02/2012 08:54

Op, 'clarks' isn't the best and only shoe shop!! You do know that don't you??

Read some of the threads on the 'clarks shoes falling apart after 2 weeks' threads

kilmuir · 14/02/2012 08:55

its feet being squashed in tight shoes i would worry about. must be uncomfortable

Honeydragon · 14/02/2012 08:55

Morloth we were told exactly the same thing, by a surgeon.

I loathe Clarkes Shoes. They never had anything that fit Ds but were always determined he leave with something

He wears geox now which don't have widths but are excellent. Dd wears whatever fits. I measure their feet at home.

DebiTheScot · 14/02/2012 08:56

They get even more expensive as they get bigger Sad I have never bought more than 2 pairs a year though and now for my eldest (5) I just buy Clarks school shoes. My youngest (3) is in ds1's hand me downs at the moment so that helps.

I've never worried about wellies, I'd be very surprised of Clarks wellies are any more supportive than cheap ones.

Try eBay, I've sold all our Clarks shoes on there for about £4 a pair which is depressing for me but good for the buyer! Also look out for outlet stores, I got ds1's school shoes for £20 instead of £35 at one.

LilacWaltz · 14/02/2012 08:56

I'm lol at the op thinking clarks shoes make her a perfect mother....somehow!!

Threeprinces · 14/02/2012 08:56

Not necessarily clarkes but properly fitting shoes are really important for little feet. After they get to school I buy school shoes and one pair of trainers in clarkes then cheap PE trainers and wellies as they're in them for such short periods. Did baulk though when ds1 (age 11)'s last shoes cost £42 in Clarkes ( and worst thing is I brought them home and can't find them so he hasn't worn them yet!).

Highlander · 14/02/2012 08:58

Morloth, was your surgeon orthopedic or a podiatrist?

Podiatrists know what they're talking about, being trained in foot ergonimcs and all. Orthopedic surgeons on the other hand........

BikeRunSki · 14/02/2012 08:58

Clarks outlet shops sell end of run, ex season etc shoes at a little over half price. Trying Mothercare for tiny wellies. When he was about 18 months old Ds grew 3 half sizes in 6 weeks
, spent the rest of that summer in Tesco sandals.

pictish · 14/02/2012 08:58

I have never had to replace every three months either, and with three kids and my eldest one 10 now, I don't think their feet grow that quickly.
I think it's one of those myths - something people like to say.

Here's how I do it, because I am, and have ever been, skint skint skint!

I buy each child a pair of shoes/boots twice year. I buy the best fitted ones I can afford. I buy a generic pair....something that will go with anything. This might be Clarks or Startrite....but more often than not I will visit Maddie and Mark's which is a snobby little kids' shoe shop in Edinburgh, where they get all the gorgeous continental stuff. They are pricey at a few quid more than Clarks, but I normally find something I LOVE! I have never particularly liked the Clarks range tbh.

Throughout the year, I may also buy them a cheap pair of plimsolls/sandals/crocs/wellies or something from Next as well, depending on the season and the weather. They will use these when the occasion demands. The rest of the time it will be the fitted shoes that cost a bomb.

Highlander · 14/02/2012 09:00

I got Geoxx for DS1. The inside soles are horrible, not soft. dS1 wierdly started to over pronate in them. He trashed them in 10 weeks. £45.......

StarryEyedYoghurt · 14/02/2012 09:02

If your DC grows out of them within 8 weeks of you buying them, take them back to Clarks (with your receipt). They have a policy that shoes that have been fitted by them should last a minimum of 12 weeks, but they recommend getting them checked every 6 - 8 weeks just to be sure.

When I take my Dcs to be fitted I always insist on taking a pair half a size bigger than they recommend, half a size = 4mm! It's not a ginormous difference.

TheCunningStunt · 14/02/2012 09:03

Well....if you google clarks you will see very mixed, if not mostly how rubbish they are. DS went to an independent shop who charged the same price. I since them invested in a food measure thing for my house, that measures length and width, so I measure him at home and you can buy his shoes at a fraction of the price. My mum paid for his school shoes and they cost her £50!!! I then searched online and found them for 15! If you are in doubt you can always get him shop measured then buy online in the right size.

HavePatience · 14/02/2012 09:05

I buy clarks at a discount on www.shoesforkids.co.uk
I go to clarks and get him measured, then buy last season's design online for much cheaper here Smile
But I agree, it is a bit of a con. As long as feet aren't squashed in shoes too small they are fine Smile