To not want to pay £25+ for a pair of Clark's children's shoes?

[ophelia275]

My son goes through shoes quite quickly but I cannot afford to spend £25+ on Clark's or Startrite shoes each time. I always get the guilt trip from the other parents at my ds school that if you don't get your kids feet properly measured and don't buy "fitted" Clark's or Startrite shoes, your kids feet will fall off or they will become horribly disfigured social outcasts.

Anyway, I normally buy Mercury brand which are cheap but have lasted longer than any pair of Clark's. But I am actually eyeing up a pair of slightly worn Kickers shoes on ebay that new would cost £45+ but are less than £5. Is buying used shoes the ultimate in bad mummying?

[neverbefore]

seems a waste to spend that much ,their feet grow so quick while they are young , some shoe companies play on guilt,mine never had them , they have normal feet not all gnarly and deformed , save the money for when they are teens and want converse and what ever else is in at the time .

[AlphaBetaOoda]

Dd2 can wreck shoes in weeks and Clarks are some of her fastest ones. In our experience DMs were the best ( last 6 months before she went through the toe ) and since DM stopped kids sizes we now get hush puppies which do ok although she's not as rough as she was.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

DS1's last school shoes were about £12 from Deichmann and did considerably better than the previous £35 Clark's

He will be in new shoes again in September (fast grower, was in size 1 trainers by Easter in Reception) and we will go straight back to Deichmann. Fits him well, flexible soles, officially machine washable, cheap - what's not to like?

[HoikyPoiky]

My feet and my DCs feet are really wide. Normal fit shoes are uncomfortable for me so I tend to get all our shoes from Clarks. 'H' fittings all round.
I only ever buy in the sales though.

[WeAreEternal]

DS is 6, I have only ever bought him Clarke shoes, and I don't feel they are a waste of money at all.

DS has never had a pair that have fallen apart.
We get his feet measured every three or four months and buy new a new pair as and when he needs them, he currently has four pairs of 'every day' shoes, one smart pair and his school shoes.
I would estimate that a pair last 6-9 months+ for DS.

I think Clarks shoes are good value for money, they certainly last DS well.

[spotscotch]

I dutifully went and got ds measured for his first shoes at Clark's and they said one foot was a 4 and the other was a 4.5. Fair enough, but when she tried the shoes on she said a 4 was too big so we ended up with a 3.5. I trusted her wisdom so bought the shoes, along with the free photo etc! Got home and realised that there wasn't all that much room in the shoes at all and that they were really on the small side. However as I had pestered DH that we must get Clark's, I was way too proud to take them back, therefore I spent 32 quid on a pair of shoes that lasted less than 6 weeks.

I didn't go back, next time I fitted him myself for a pair of converse that were brilliant and lasted him ages, and I have just bought him a pair of Nike trainers from sports direct which again fit fine.

Clark's/Startrite etc are a total rip off IMO.

[BackforGood]

YANBU not wanting to pay that much - which one of us does?
But I fondly remember the days when I could get my dcs shoes for only £25.... once they get into what are laughingly described as 'adult sizes', you'll be fondly remembering the £25 days.

[ouryve]

We're limited by boys with wide feet, so do usually end up with clarks for school. When DS1 went through a phase of landing in the biggest, muddiest puddles and wrecking his shoes within weeks, we just bought him £12 shoes from Shoes Zone, though!

[Fakebook]

Clarks shoes always last really well for our family. Dd's school shoes lasted the whole year and I was really proud of my buy. We got them for £21.99 from a Clarks outlet store. On the shelf we saw another pair a size bigger for £10, so I bought those aswell. Dd will be wearing those next September.

I never buy Clarks shoes full price. I've bought boots for dd for £10 and cica light up trainers for £5 in her size. All her shoes remain in perfect condition even though they've been worn for months and months until she grows out of them. The only exception are doodles; they last a few months only.

[Allegrogirl]

YANBU. DD has got through three pairs of shoes in her first year at school. Start Rite, Kickers and Clarks. She is a G/H fitting though. Would buy cheap shoes if I could squeeze her fat feet into them. I can't even buy online, except Kickers which always fit, as her feet as are really quite odd.

[JimbosJetSet]

Thanks Passive, you made me feel much better for your post... I can't believe 99% people on here saying they'd never buy second hand. All my DD's shoes are second hand (wide feet, all Clarks or Start Rite), most of my friends do the same. She has beautifully healthy feet IMHO.
I'm sure I read a Clarks thread on Mumsnet recently where everyone thought second hand kids shoes were a marvellous idea
Well I have no problem with them.

[strawberry34]

I like Clark's shoes, I like getting dd measured. I don't think £25 is a rip off for well fitting shoes. I've worn crap shoes before and they cam be very uncomfortable. I know it's easy to say you're happy to pay it if you cam afford it though, I understand it cam be tough on a budget.

[DownstairsMixUp]

YANBU. I spent a fortune on Clarks shoes and when my lo's nan treated him to a pair of tesco shoes, he preferred them and moaned about wearing the clarks ones. I would prefer to pay for some vans, converse etc for trainers over clarks trainers and i don't rate their shoes either.

[Isildur]

Deichmann is fabulous. Delivery is fast, and free, and you can return shoes really easily.

It has been a revelation in this house. All kinds of shoes, and the sale bargains are amazing. My 9 year old (who can't tie laces ) must be their best customer.

[Viviennemary]

Don't buy second hand shoes. But look for cheaper alternatives such as sale and the outlet shops people have suggested or even cheaper brands.

[NutcrackerFairy]

I think this anti second hand shoe thing is a myth sold to gullible parents by the big brands like Clarkes and Startrite.

I would think that a lot of children of previous generations wore second hand shoes handed down by older siblings and cousins. People had bigger families and children were expected to make their shoes last.

If second hand shoes are so damaging a lot of the older generation must have had deformed feet...

[Lovetea]

I visit Clarks with the DCs every 2 months and that's ONLY to get their feet measured...I then have a fake browse and leave. Clarks shoes look hideous and I would never put them on my DCs feet! My DD is under the podiatrist and she says that she would never put any of her grandchildren in their pairs as they don't have enough support etc.

[TokenGirl1]

The Clark's shoe fitters are rubbish! They sell their brand on being the best with specially trained staff. What a load of old tosh!

I've had at least two pairs had to be returned because they've been incorrectly fitted. Today my little girl was measured and they said she was a 'H' width when she's only ever been an e or f. Like her feet are suddenly going to have gone super wide. Her feet are so narrow she can't get into the supermarket brands or start rite and so I have no choice but to use Clark's, more's the pity.

Clark's are pants in my opinion!

[Scruffey]

It's very bizarre to inspect the school shoes on other kids' feet.

[LaGuardia]

I don't think you can put a price on the health of your childrens' feet. It is worth saving up for decent shoes imo.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

I find it weird to hear from other posters that they have to have Clark's for narrow feet - DS1 measures a D/E and they simply don't do boys' shoes in those width fittings.

Or so they tell me

[LynetteScavo]

I think it's important that DC have school shoes which fit, and are of reasonable quality (leather not plastic).

The two things I wouldn't compromise on are school shoes and winter coats.

Have you looked at M&S school shoes? They look very similar to Clarks on the website. I really don't rate Clarks for quality, or the sales persons fitting ability.

[LynetteScavo]

HorryIsUpduffed Clarks have refused to sell me shoes for DD as her feet are so narrow. I'm not sure what they expect her to do - walk around in bare feet? The owner of our local independent children's shoe shop told me she has had mums arrive at her shop nearly in tears, having been told by Clarks, there are no shoes suitable for their children's feet. She is always able to find them something to strap on their feet, even if the price is quite extortionate!

[Snoot]

I've had to buy Italian shoes for my two as they come up much narrower than Clarkes & Start Right. I'd totally bought into having to buy C/SR as it was my mother's mantra. Having found nothing to fit in an outlet store (Bicester Village Clarkes) and then scaling up through two town's Clarkes and Start Right suppliers I ended up in one of those scarily-expensive-looking children's boutique stores where I paid £40-45 a pair for fancy continental shoes . I later worked out that the same brands are available on eBay for half the price. Haven't looked back.

[LynetteScavo]

What brands do you recommend, Snoot?