Aibu to assume clarks shoes are best for kids?

[Fishface77]

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.

I don't think it's necessarily which make of shoes but the fitting. We are fortunate to have found a fantastic lady in a local shop which is part of a small chain. She has done all the kids feet since walking (teenagers now). And for my middle one it's been a godsend as she's got narrow feet with even narrower heels. Our choice has always been limited but we've never had a duff pair except when we've had another fitter.

As they've got older we have been able to buy "off the peg" shoes but I've always stuck to fitted for school shoes and sports trainers but not 'fashion' shoes.

I find Clarks awful! They measure feet incorrectly, ugly shoes which last no more than a week. I go to a local, trained fitter and but StartRite (best shoes around) they last forever and are smart looking.

Startrite are the best, last ages, Clarks are rubbish quality.

I go to a shop that sells a range of brands for school shoes.

Dd1 always ends up with either clarks or startrite, she has clarks now.

Dd2 has orthopedic insoles so she normally has hush puppies. She hates them, she finds them plain, we have had some occasional success with startrite but it takes trying on nearly every pair in the shop and it needs a very paitent and understanding fitter.

I dont like clarks and try to avoid them they get destroyed quickly on my children, but they are fine on me for work.

Out of school I am a lot more relaxed and they have diffrent shoes. Dd2 doesnt wear her insoles at the weekend on the advice of her pysio, so I like to let her have the pretty shoes for then.

I must live on a different planet to everyone else. Always had very good service in Clarks and the shoes have always fitted well, lasted as long as DD's feet fitted them and looked good. She's at a non-uniform school though, so we don't need 'school shoes'. Her feet also grow slowly so her shoes have had to last a good while. She's very active as well.

I must admit with the odd exception I find Clarks fugly....

Not many mentions of barefoot shoes on this thread . . . there'a lots of new research which shows that going barefoot is best for everyone especially kids with growing feet. Obviously actually being barefoot is rarely practical in day to day life but there are lots newer brands which make barefoot shoes - wide toe box, very flexible flat sole. Since learning about it I've only got my kids barefoot brands, livie&Luca (lovely designs, very cute) and bobux (very nice boots which come in black for school) in particular. They can be more expensive than Clarks but I have found many on sale (I'd recommend an online store called barefoot and also little gems which is online too but has shops in east London and I think somewhere near Liverpool, happy little soles is great too but there sales aren't as good as these two)

Where do you buy Start right shoes? Is it only Jones'? There isn't one near us and I don't remember seeing them in our independent shop.

Clinkards or john lewis near me

I'd just like all shoe makers of children's shoe put proper soles on them.

I can only buy dd2 shoes from Next as they are the company I have found that have proper soles on them so DD2 doesn't walk through them within a month. Yes she walks like an elephant but I still think a shoe that's cost me £30 plus I expect them to last.

I started off with Clarkes when they were toddlers because it was the 'right thing to do'.

I've switched now though and both of mine get their trainers (and 'school shoes' - plain black trainers) from Sports Direct.

Sending two football obsessed little boys into school wearing Clarks shoes, where they play football every day on the tarmac bit of the yard, is just pointless I have discovered. They last 3 months before they're scuffed beyond recognition.

I can't say enough for Sports Direct though, on price and quality. Ds2's last pair cost £12 - a pair of plain black Nike trainers - which were reduced from £42. They are from October and still going strong - he'd have ploughed through at least two pairs of Clarks by now!

Yes to properly fitting shoes but NO to Clarks- they were great 30 years ago but these days they're crap. My kids have Start Rite, Ricosta, Geox, Petasil, Superfit etc. whatever people think about the canvas Lelli Kellys their plainest black school shoes (no bows, sparkles, changeable straps etc) were brilliant for my daughter- leather lined, decent sole, lasted a full school year and still good enough to be handed down to a friend. Definitely go to an independent show shop not Clarks- there is literally not a single pair of girls shoes on their website that I'd be happy for my daughter to wear.