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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to assume clarks shoes are best for kids?

163 replies

Fishface77 · 28/04/2016 12:25

My daughter is 4 and needs shoes/trainers. I went to sports direct and she attached Gerald to some frozen ones.

I want her to have clarks but my DH said these would be fine.
Where is best for children's shoes! There's so much choice (and so much expense) but I want her to have a decent pair of shoes.

OP posts:
Cakescakescakes · 28/04/2016 14:07

Another vote for Geox. Incredibly hard wearing yet breathable and comfy. Worth the money.

G1raffe · 28/04/2016 14:09

Our independent shop sold start rite and Clarks and the Clarks ones have fitted my daughters feet better so I wouldn't go on that.

I personally wouldn't buy off the Internet either. We're lucky both our Clarks have older experienced fitters. One doesn't stop all sizes in all styles but the other one does.

I don't like pink and sparkles and have managed to avoid them so far!!

TimeToMuskUp · 28/04/2016 14:09

I love Geox and StarRite shoes, neither has ever been destroyed by the two DCs here.

I think StartRite do some called Rhino which are just the best school shoes ever. DS1 (10) has Timberland boots for school now as his feet are so enormous and they're also brilliant.

Ilisten2thesoundofdrums · 28/04/2016 14:10

I don't think its the brand as such its the fitting.
You need someone who can check the fitting for you. Too narrow or too wide are bad and you need some growing room at the toe.
Go to an independent shop where they have lots of brands and care about the fitting more.

Salene · 28/04/2016 14:11

Independent stores that stock the likes of start rite are better in my eyes

I find Clarke shoes are cheaply made, and poor quality.

frazzled24 · 28/04/2016 14:25

I think it depends on their feet really. I've not managed to find anything but Clarks/Start Rite that don't cause mine to have blisters. But other people do.

I don't find they last very long. The soles wear out at the front within 3-6 months for us.

Sparklycat · 28/04/2016 14:28

I don't have confidence in Clarks, we go to a local independent shoe shop and normal end up with some Spanish kids brand as my lg has narrow feet.

NickyEds · 28/04/2016 14:28

Our local independent is only tiny so have very little choice and it's very expensive. All of ds's shoes have come from Clarks , I went there because I can remember my Mother taking me. Ds is 2.4 years old and has had 6 bloody pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of sandles, 3 pairs of wellies and maybe 3 pairs of slippers, it will have come to over £300 I bet. My nephew has had all of ds's shoes when he's grown out of them, never been measured as far as I know and his feet are fine so maybe I'm just a mug!

LittleLionMansMummy · 28/04/2016 14:38

Bought Clarks for ds when he was starting out walking as I liked their fitting service and believed it was right to get good quality initially. However as ds has got older and batters the hell out of his shoes I've found that Clarks just haven't stood up to the wear and tear. I bought Timberland school shoes and dsis recommended Skechers, which her dd wears - comfortable and stand up to all sorts of heavy wear.

WeeHelena · 28/04/2016 14:48

They're shit for kids i have finally given in going there after 5 yrs.
They are probably good from baby to toddler but after that I think they are no different to anywhere else.but shit

Iv had problems from the very beginning from there, to shoes that hurt my dd feet to ill fitting and plain rubbish quality.

I went to next and was very happy with the result!

WeeHelena · 28/04/2016 14:52

And yes to never actually having the style you choose in stock or that they just don't fit dds miss matched narrow feet.

Magicpaintbrush · 28/04/2016 15:07

I get my dd measured at Clarks but her last few shoes from there have resulted in blisters, so I tried Marks and Spencer and the shoes she had from there have been perfect, no blisters, really comfy, and ten quid cheaper. Smile

alibubbles · 28/04/2016 15:39

Clarks are nasty and they sell you what they rather than what fir. Startrite are far better and much better quality. One of my children has 2 pairs of Clarks to the other child's one pair of Startrite a term. The Clarks look rubbish after 2 weeks.

haggisaggis · 28/04/2016 16:29

Is getting kids shoes fitted in a children's shoe shop only a British thing? I know I was the same when my dc were small but I notice in the US that there does not appear to be the same emphasis given on "properly fitted shoes". I assume that there parents just fit them themselves? Are we just being conned do you think? (Clarks / Startrite have not stopped either me or my ds having / developing bunions!)

dodobookends · 28/04/2016 16:32

Clarks styles never really fitted my dd properly, she got on better with Start-Rite.

pickledparsnip · 28/04/2016 23:55

I think I've only ever had ds's feet measured in a shop twice (he's 6). I just use a print out shoe guide or measure his feet and see what the individual brand has on their website with regards to sizing. It's really not rocket science.

My dad is a bit appalled that I don't get his feet "properly" measured in a shop.

BoatyMcBoat · 28/04/2016 23:59

When dd was small, I bought into the prevailing idea that only Clarke's were good enough fitting and supportive enough and yada yada yada. I suffered in their shops for years.

And then I read a thread on Mumsnet. Someone said that they didn't have Clarke's in their country (USA I think) and they didn't have generations of people with deformed feet from Bad Shoes growing up.

I stopped worrying about it then. And saved rather a lot of money.

WhatTheFrog · 29/04/2016 00:19

My story about Clarks. Took 15month (though tiny) confident walker for a fitting and was told she was a 3.5F, and we bought her first pair of shoes there and then, that size. She walked fine in them but they had about an inch of extra room beyond her toes. Two months later we took her to an independent shoe shop who measured her as "not yet a 2" and told to wait a couple of months and put her in soft leather pumps for the time being (as nobody sells decent shoes that small. Felt very grrr about Clarks. Anyhow,took her into a different Clarks branch 3 months later and they measured her as 3.5H "very wide feet". I stupidly thought she must have been a 3.5 by now, so bought the shoes. They kept tripping her up and falling off her feet so took her back and store manager measured her as 3F!!! Exchanged shoes for us and the smaller ones seemed fine. Fed up with Clarks now, we took her back to the independent shop for her next fitting 8 weeks later and they said the Clarks 3F pair were fine in length but a bit WIDE (wish she'd seen the 3.5 H pair!) and to bring her back in another 6 weeks as she was still a comfortable 3. The very first pair we bought are still too long, but strangely too narrow. What is the point in being measured by Clarks if they cannot measure correctly andctheir shoe sizes are inconsistent?

RedOnHerHedd · 29/04/2016 00:36

I've always found Clarkes to be brilliant quality that last until my DCs grow out of them. I've bought other shoes for slightly less (leather, looked good quality etc) and they've barely lasted a month. I don't bother with any other brand now for school shoes. Unless the DCs decided that they wanted Dr Martens... Now that's a shoe/boot that lasts!

A4Document · 29/04/2016 03:05

Start-Rite here, from independent shops. Also you can order from their website and they have a video to show you how to fit the shoes.

I found Clarks weren't good at fitting and wanted to compromise if the right size wasn't in stock.

NeverNic · 29/04/2016 12:07

Clarks are terrible at measuring feet if you have a high instep. I don't think the assistants are actually trained. Always use an independent if you can.

fanjodisfunction · 29/04/2016 12:14

I go to Clark's and I make sure I go there during the week when the more experienced staff seem to be there for measuring. I think it's important to have proper fitted shoes at a young age when their feet grow so much.

CrieffBobsledTeam · 29/04/2016 12:15

What is important is to get children's shoes properly fitted. Clarks shoes might be the best for your child, or not, and the Sports Direct Frozen ones might actually be fine but you do need to get them checked. If you ask for a fitting at a shoe shop you will be able to bring the Frozen ones for them to check on her.
I agree with everyone who has said independent shoe shop or department store, where they sell a range of brands. My experience of the Clarks shop (from a time when DD1 was little and I thought that was where you had to go) is that many of the assistants are lacking in customer service skills (last straw was when one was rude to 2yo DD) and that they are pressured to sell you something - I don't remember ever being told we didn't need a new pair yet there as I have been in John Lewis and Clinkards.
Brantano are also good, especially for trainers.

CrieffBobsledTeam · 29/04/2016 12:18

Also some Clarks are not great quality - I do still buy them sometimes esp as DD2 had extremely difficult feet and often have to get the one pair that fits properly, but we have a mile walk to school and some of them have worn out/cracked in the sole before they've grown out of them. Start-rite and Hush Puppies are better I think.

wonderstuff · 29/04/2016 12:20

I hate clarks, you spend bloody hours queuing then they they only have one shoe in stock. I go to a lovely independent shop, there is never much wait and always a decent choice. My dd has awkward feet, up to a size difference between them and super sensitive, I find hush puppies work well for her.
What is important is shoes fit, you can work that out as well as the clarks assistant. My son is fine in shoes from wherever, I buy supermarket trainers sometimes. My daughter just has to have particular fitting shoes, which costs a fortune but I'd just one of those things.