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

[Coulddowithanap]

I used to buy school shose from an independent shop that was really nice but the shoes were over £50. They did exchange the shoes after they came apart within a month and then they did last till my daughters feet grew. Still needed new shoes for the last 2 terms. Ended up getting an adds pair for around £10, they lasted 5 weeks, then got a cheap pair from shoe zone also for around £10 and they lasted even less time.

I'm back to buying them at clarks, don't spend more that £30 on them and the last pair actually lasted the whole year.

[ShelaghTurner]

DD1 has had Clarks since birth and the only problem we've ever had is this past school year when the inside collapsed (dolly shoes, I didn't know until it was too late ) and I replaced them at May half term with a pair from Asda. She's going into year 4 now and we'll probably continue with Clarks as they usually last the year. DD2 starts school too and she may prove to be a different kettle of fish...

[CoraPirbright]

I am always a bit when these threads pop up - which they do quite a lot about Clarks. I always use Startrite and have never had a problem with them falling apart. With a bit of polish, they stay looking ok and I only have to replace when the kids grow out of them. They are expensive but not much more so than Clarks or buying 3 lots of cheaper shoes which fall apart. As the old saying says, "you buy cheap, you buy twice" which apparently is news to Clarks as they are expensive but apparently quite useless!!

[Mov1ngOn]

Clarks has been good for us. I like the fitters who fit for the shoe style/feet rather than just the size and have said if shoes don't fit/haven't got in stock.

We found out patent lasts longer than plain leather (I'm sure opposite was true as a kid.)

I'm surprised at all these lasting a year threads though, my daughter grows about a half size every 6-9 months roughly so i replace as and when.

The local independent used to have Clarks and start rite and the Clarks fitted her foot better.

[Rinoachicken]

We got DS1. (6) school shoes from Clare's and they lasted one term. Got his replacements from Asda and they lasted til he grew out of them!

[Rinoachicken]

From Clarks not Clare's!!

[JennyBunn]

I gave up on Clarks after having to return 4 pairs of my daughter's shoes all of which broke in the same way. The metal tab that the velcro strap slides through tore off on each pair. The only reason I persevered was there is a Clark's locally to me.

Start-rite were much better but involved a trip into town.

I like the look of those Toughees though! Thanks to whoever posted the link.

[dog4x4parkingloobrushwanker]

My ds has a pair of plain black vans and a pair of black Nike Air Force 1's, the school policy is relaxed as long as they are black so these work well as they are so hard wearing, an option if your school uniform policy isn't especially strict/smart.

[BikeRunSki]

Boys shoes -
Clarks - 1 term
M&S - half a term
Geox - 1 term, just
Superfit - a whole school year, still looked new.
Froddo - 2.5 terms, but limped on with holes in soles to the end of the year.

The Supefit and Froddo shoes came from an independent kids shoe shop. Neither were cheap (£50) but well worth it. Started slightly big with an insole, which we took out when his feet grew.

[WankersHacksandThieves]

My Dss are teenagers now and size 11 feet, they have Kickers in a couple of different styles - school policy is Black Shoes and is reasonably enforced except on the last term before summer where the shoes may have been grown out of and naturally parents aren't keen to replace until after the summer. I think that's fair.

[VioletRoar]

Our clarks lasted September-June this time round-have always avoided them before after hearing horror stories, I suspect we locked out though.

I buy clarks via grants no as you can usually get a pretty hefty voucher code. Ds's last pair cost £26!

Thanks pp for the wynsors suggestion- had never heard of them before!

[MrsMook]

I gave up on DS1 and Clarkes. He has small slow growing feet and wears them out long before he grows out of them. I abandoned the first pair of school shoes as there was about 1 cm of Velcro connecting and it needed the carpet fluff scraping out every few days. After several months we just couldn't close them properly and they kept falling off contributing to him destroying the heels by trampling them. M&S have lasted the rest of the year. I got a pair with a good piece of Velcro and a good chunky sole.

I resent buying a child's item that wears out before it is grown out of. Having size 2 feet, I've noticed that the soles on children's shoes wear out considerably quicker than an adults shoe, and they're not significantly cheaper.

Saying that, he got new M&S trainers yesterday. They are going back to the shops tomorrow because in one day they have holes in them and the soles are worn through at the end. He's not even particularly sporty. Any tips on good quality, wide cut trainers in small sizes would be appreciated- he's only an 8 at the end of reception year.

[DeathMetalMum]

Dd had these Clarkson shoes last year www.marksandspencer.com/freshfeet-coated-leather-t-bar-school-shoes-with-silver-technology-younger-girls-/p/p22370619?image=HT_04_T72_8610B_Y0_X_EC_0&color=BLACK&prevPage=plp&pdpredirect they were brilliant. She has quite a high instep but they were plenty wide enough. She grew out of them around the June half term, we replaced them with a pair from asda which weren't too bad, but they would have lasted until the end of term had she not grown out of them. Dd walked or scooted a mile each way on the school run on top of the normal outdoor play etc in them so definitely had good wear out of them. We had already given up on Clarks shoes before she started school tbh after several pairs where Dd had walked through the heels we decided they weren't worth it unless in the sale.

[WankersHacksandThieves]

I think adidas are quite wide fitting - these look pretty good:

www.mandmdirect.com/01/details/AD12039/adidas-Infants-Messi-Elasticated-Laces-Trainer-White-Royal-Scarlet

[FurryTurnip]

We have the opposite problem, DS has small and very narrow feet, so Clarkes don't do them that narrow. I also find their fitting to be shite, they tried to convince me a pair were a great fit when I could see a huge gap all the way round.

I also now use a great Independent shoe shop, love the Ricosta shoes. Much better range of styles, colours and fitting, and staff who know what they are doing!

[BikeRunSki]

WankersHAcksandThieves Those Adidas are only in tiny sizes, and no way would be accepted as suitable school shoes for most school uniforms.

Furry That is exactly why I stopped shopping at Clark's. That, and the fact that their shoes fell apart in a few weeks. And the sales assistant woman refused to sell me shoes for DD - which DD had chosen - because they were from the boys section. She did sell them to me in the end, but reluctantly, with the advice "Well fixing is different in boys and girls styles, so don;t complain if they don't fit".

[Felyne]

I use //www.shoesforkids.co.uk, their customer service is really good and they seem to do sort of end of line leftover stock, got DS a pair of gore-tex shoes for way less than Clarks wanted to charge me!
Other than that I usually get 2 terms worth out of M&S school shoes for DD, she only gets new shoes as her feet grow rather than the shoes fall apart.

[Felyne]

Meant to add you do need to know their shoe size though for that website

[WankersHacksandThieves]

BIKe Sorry, that link was for MrsMook who was looking for infant size 8 trainers :)

[wheresthel1ght]

My dd was under a podiatrist when she first started walking as her toes overlap, I was told to ignore clarks measuring service as they encourage shoes to be too tight.

I do prefer clarks as she requires wider fitting shoes to allow her toes to spread and I find the supermarkets (especially tesco) to be insanely narrow. However I tend to buy In The outlet shops when they have sales on, I haven't ever paid more than £15 for a pair of her shoes. Things like doodles I tend to search eBay for second hand deals

[rosie39forever]

Kickers in our house but buy from eBay as there are loads of kickers shops that do good discounts as they are last seasons.

[MrsMook]

Thanks Wankers (ooh, that sounds soo rude )

I tried Decathlon for trainers today... fail. They don't do under 10.5. I've got a refund on the damaged M&S trainers. I don't think the assistant really believed that they looked like this after one day of normal wear in a school based holiday club from the look on her face. The uppers and inner soles are still clean showing they were barely used

[Nousernameforme]

This is just quickly i haven't RTFT so sorry if i am repeating but last year i went to tk maxx in the summer holidays managed to get proper leather shoes for each of them for around the £20 mark lasted until the ds's grew out of theirs and dd lasted until april which was great as she is very hard going on her shoes. Obv stock is always changing but is worth a look as i have never thought about going there before

[tinyterrors]

I used to buy decent leather shoe, hush puppies and the like, for my ds and he wrecked them within a term (if not half a term) and it was costing a fortune that I don't have. He plays playground football and rums everywhere and I got fed up of throwing money away on expensive shoes.

Now I buy the £13 asda school shoes that are styled like trainers and have a character like spiderman or star wars etched into the sole and one pair has lasted from September to the May/June half term when he grew out of them. They still had plenty of wear left but were too small.

Now I just need to find dd some that are as hard wearing as she burns through shoes and boots (any that aren't trainers) at a pair per half term this last year.