To think that Clarks/ starite shoes are rip off

[ReallyTired]

The shoes cost a bomb and my son's shoes fell apart after four months. Yet I feel guilt tripped into not buying fitted shoes, (even though half the assistants have no clue about fitting shoes)

Am I really going to do untold damage to my son's feet getting him school shoes from sports direct?

www.sportsdirect.com/propeller-bart-back-to-school-junior-shoes-093009

Ds tells me that these shoes are more comfortable than the clarks shoes. At £6.50 I am in profit if these shoes last a month and I buy four pairs.

Don't get me wrong. I have no problems if people wish to buy from Clarks because they want a wider shoe, better looking or think the shoes will last longer than the equivalent pair from Tesco/Asda. Go for it.

What I dislike are those who think that any child wearing shoes from Tesco/Asda will automatically be cripples and have badly deformed feet.

DD just got her first pair of shoes a few months ago - we went to Clarks to get her measured and this is our experience:

• Shoes are horrible (all pink, purple or sparkling); tried asking for boys' models and was told the width was different so they couldn't sell them for DD as they "wouldn't fit properly"

• They were scuffed and the leather worn out in 7 days. She was only 14 months, hardly running around school or particularly hardwearing.

• I was told she has a very high instep (which is very noticeable) and that the only pair that would fit her was a Mary Jane style in sickly raspberry pink and they couldn't advise me on Autumn/Winter closed shoes.

I'm going to John Lewis tomorrow to get fitted for Startrite and hoping for a better result this time.

Someone mentioned up thread that the British are obsessed with children's shoes; try living in Portugal or Spain!

Very few children escaped what they called "orthopaedic boots" to correct everything from flat feet to high insteps - they were heavy and horrid to wear, I hated mine.

Here's an example

I have bought from Clarks and a cheaper show shop.

Everytime we buy from the cheaper shoe shop DD1 falls more. We go to Clarks and she doesn't fall as much.

We measure her feet in the cheaper shop and they fit her.

We went to Clarks yesterday for her school shoes. We paid £15 for the shoes (Plain Black and it covers the whole foot) and for the name tags and the polish stuff. I went into the cheaper shoe shop to get some slippers for her and the shoes in there was nowhere near as good or as comfy for her.

We have bought a number of shoes from Clarks and they have gotten too small within a term or two the cheaper shoe shop they fall apart within a month.

The best shoes I've ever bought DD were a pair of £10 ones from Asda. Threw them out only yesterday as they were now too small but they were still immaculate after almost 2 terms.

All named brand shoes she has are in a worse condition than non branded shoes.

Never had any issues with Clarks myself.
One pair tends to last the whole school year, always has done.
Very good value IMO