to not buy my children Clarks school shoes?

[MrsSocks]

I have always used Clarks for my DS as he has very wide feet and I struggle finding shoes elsewhere that he is comfy in and I believed them to be of better quality and durability than elsewhere.....however, he has completed 2 years of school and in that time has gone through 4 pairs of shoes, not because he has grown out of them but because they have literally fallen apart around his feet. The last pair in particular looked tatty and old almost as soon as I purchased them. I have also had to resort in buying half a size bigger than he measures each time (at Clarks's suggestion) as their widest width is still too narrow for him so feel the 'made to measure' advantage of Clarks shoes is somewhat defeated.

Now here I am again, looking at £40+ for Clarks school shoes for DS and DD, who starts in September, thinking there must be better and cheaper options! Where does everyone buy their school shoes from and how have they found them? I really want something of a good quality, good for their feet, that will actually last more than 5 minutes! I've been looking at Next, Marks and Spencer, Matalan, Asda, etc but would really love some idea of how they fair.......

Thank you

Teacher thanks for the link, unfortunately they don't do her size. She's in adult size 6 shoes. I've shown her dd martens and she said they're ok so we'll see!

Geox are really robust for boys. I only go to independent shoe shops, a bit pricier, but great choice. I always get ones with the biggest rubber toe bumper as well as they last much better!

Teacher mine wear them on the way to school (5-10 minutes), play time (15 minutes), lunch time (50 minutes) and after school (5-10 minutes). I thought that was pretty standard for primary age kids?

Obviously different if you have a long walk to school, but most schools here are 15 max minute walk.

I detest clarks with a passion. Biggest rip off. First they measure their feet but then bring out 10 boxes of shoes in different measurements!! Even if the shoe is flopping off the foot they still say it fits. Quality is really poor and I found the front layer comes off within days and they just look tatty and old.

I don't like Clarks at all.

Bobux area good brand but you are looking at £30-40, unless you try eBay?

I second Tesco/Sainsbury's and Marks. I think they are very good quality!

Another vote for M&S shoes, lasted from Christmas, his feet have grown so will need new ones anyway now but will reorder. Annoying they don't do fitting so have to go elsewhere to get measured.

Paula what do they wear in lessons then?

OP YANBU my son went through the bottom of his Clarke in half a term.
He grows so much I refused to pay £40 for more, so went to somewhere much cheaper.

I like Noel for my son who has wide stubby feet. They fit him really well. I think ricosta is also good. Not cheap but they do last ages and if you know your size ( Noel come up a little small) you can find them a bit cheaper on line.

Reindeer I can recommend Dr Martens if your DD is already a size 6 adult. Got some from my DD (just finished Yr 11) and she's worn them every school day for about 2 years (size 7 adult) and they still look pretty much brand new. She also wears them at the weekend sometimes unless she's in trainers or too hot.

I did buy the special Dr M wax shoe cleaner which was expensive but I think it's helped keep them looking good.

Always buy kickers in my house.
Costs a fortune, but they do last.
DS1 is 13, has a size 9 feet. Not cheap!

Startrite do more width fittings than Clarks and my H width DC gets on very well with them. They sell their own fitting gauges on their website and it's very easy to get the hang of using it. I now buy a lot of their shoes online in the sale as I can do my own fitting. I also like Geox and Ricosta.

I wouldn't touch Clarks - I went in there one and they tried to convince me that DC2 who'd measured as an H everywhere else was actually an E. DC was very vocal in telling them that their toes were squashed and hurting and the sales assistant said to me that they weren't! She definitely would have said anything for a sale!

Startrite lelli Kelly and kickers are very good. Generally dearer than Clarks though

poshme they wear these www.clarks.co.uk/c/kids-plimsolls

Reindeer, how irritating that the continental sizes don't quite map onto the UK sizes! The E39s are 5.5s, the E40s are 6.5s. IME if you measure a Clarks' size, in Startrite you take half a size smaller, so 5.5s (E39s) might well be fine.

I use a local indie shoe shop and normally buy European brands. They're about £40 a pair but unlike Clarke they have so far always lasted till he's grown out of them.

Paula, I have taught in quite a lot of primaries and none of them changed shoes during the day except for PE, so all wore school shoes all day.

The only exception i can think of (though i didn't work there) was a non-uniform school where they all worse slippers indoors.

Must be different in different areas then :) I generally buy the other shoes from Clarks as well at about £10 and they last quite well

I once had a pair of Eccos last two years, with DS in junior school. (Normal, energetic, ball-game-playing, junior school child.)

I bought a pair for him during the summer, and realised they were exactly the same as the ones he'd been wearing all year. I took them back, and got a credit note, thinking he'd soon grow out of them, and I would buy a new pair when that happened.

They lasted the whole second year.

(I did use the credit note - I have 3 DC, so no shortage of shoe buying opportunities for lucky old me!)

My 10 year old has adult size 6. H fitting feet with ridiculously high arches. He usually has Start Rite these days, but had Geox/Ricosta when he was smaller.
I always get the ones with a defensive bumper round the toes otherwise they fall apart, and 90% of the time have to tell the staff that I'll only take a H as they try to put him into a G (often upsizing) if they don't have any H shoes.

I reccomend Kickers, not the cheapest but very hard wearing and trendy!

I like Next for their school shoes - they do a wide fitting and half sizes in some styles.

We had this style year after year but then DSs weren't really hard on shoes - if he is maybe one of the trainer styles might be better.

www.next.co.uk/g53686s4#107865

I've been pleased with marks and spencer school shoes, hard wearing but still comfortable. I find they are quite wide fitting too.

I've bought my two ds Geox shoes the last couple of years. They've lasted the whole year very well. They're like trainers but still smart. They're very tough and hard-wearing; my two are very hard on their shoes as well!

This is an AIBU?

Do what you like. Bind their tiny paws in sacking and string, if you want.

Seriously, what is U/R about not buying a specific brand of school shoes?