to think Clarks know nothing about little girls?

[missymayhemsmum]

I have almost always bought Clarks shoes - we have a family history of strange wide feet, hammer toes etc. So the rule is Clarks shoes, binned the moment they start to get small for my kids, even if everything else they wear comes from ebay/ oxfam. This week I did the easter shoe shop thing with DD(7), expecting to replace school shoes and swop winter boots for sandally things. Only all the nice pretty robust styles only go up to about a junior 10, apparently. Now my dd is (I think) a fairly average 7 year old aspiring fairy princess, who in an average day will climb a wall, stop a swing with her toes, pick at her shoe soles when bored in class, fall over, jump in puddles and generally kick her way through a pair of shoes. And she is now in a size 1G.
Now Clarks do gorgeous robust toe protecting footwear in bright colours and width fittings for under 5s. They even do gorgeous robust toe protecting footwear in bright colours and width fittings for over 45s! So what do they think they are doing offering a 7 year old either strappy white summer sandals or black ballet pumps? Practical footwear? For boys only, it seems.

I would say they are small yes. But I'd live that and think its a great thing. Ds is 11 and wears a 5-5.5 . The same bloody size as me and the last sizes for junior runners. He'll be in men's ones soon. I may start saving!

Was in there today with DD (just turned 3 on Monday) she is a size 9.
Did not like any of the choices! Horrible... Garish colours, limited styles in her size. She's a toddler ffs! We left and went to John Lewis and bought start rite. Much better.

I wore boys clarks as a child, the girls ones were never wide enough for my odd feet!

Dd is 21/2 g and I just bought some lovely doodles for her. Maybe in store there limited choice in store you can order online and collect in store.

DD is aged 11, in year 6, and wears an adult size 7/7.5 . She's been wearing a succession of pairs of these Sketchers for the past two or three years, since we got completely fed up with the poor selection at Clarks. They are comfortable, and robust enough for walking to school, climbing things etc. Unfortunately adult sizes mean adult prices, but they usually have discounted ones at Sports Direct or Brantano.

I do shop in the outlet store so I'm thinking they do have better choice and price range though.

(oh, and DD wore boys' styles of Geox for a quite a while when she was 5/6/7 - she hated pink and spent most of her time climbing things)

Clark's are absolute rubbish nowadays. Crap quality and crap styles. There are better shoes out there, can you find a proper, old fashioned shoe shop?

I agree. DD is 5 and a size 13, ballet style are no good for her. Very annoying!

Clarks could be so good, but it's like there are no parents of yunno, actual children likely to wear the shoes giving the range the once over before going into production is approved.

DD age 4.3 has a very narrow 9.5E fit (she measures a C/D on the gauge). Finding shoes is a nightmare.

gb.geox.com/girl/girls,en,sc.html?srule=all-products

where are you based because Hoades of Sevenoaks has a fantastic old fashioned shoe shop for kids on the high street.

When my two were at this awkward in between stage we took them to a specialist independent children's shoe shop in Norwich - pricy, but the stuff they sold was great quality from a range of makes including some European ones, and lots of choice.

They're now 11 and 13 and are adult size 5 and 7.5 so it's much easier now...

I buy first shoes at Clark's to check width then I buy from next, kickers, m&s etc... I bought a foot measurer thing that also does width and always use that to check sizes.

Clark's don't do lace ups which means all kids all ages haven't a clue how to tie shoe laces.

DS1 is 9 and in an adult size 5.5. Ive not been able to buy him shoes in Clarks since he was about 2 cause he has really wide feet with a wide instep and he literally can't get them on.

We usually buy Geox ones for school and they are amazing but I think they stop at a size 6.

DS2 is 3 and a size 9...goodness knows how Ive had boys with bog feet as DH is only a size 9 and Im only a 3!

I had a heated discussion with a manager in Clarks last year when I was trying to find closed toe sandals for DS2. They did them but had completely sold out and she said they had no call for them!

I second Gubbie's suggestion of Toughees. Having had Clark's and Startrite shoes fall apart in one term after being worn for scooting to school I tried Toughees after seeing them recommended on MN. They are considerably cheaper than Clark's and Startrite to start with and really keep their appearance - I don't think I have even needed to polish them despite having been worn and scooted in through the very bad weather we had after Christmas.

Clarks are now rubbish.

Startrite much better. Crocs good fir mucking about.