Are you a bad mum if you don't buy...

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to your children Clarks, Start Rite, Hampton school shoes? Would you think badly of me...? In our school it's the non written norm but I'm thinking to be brave and break the rules...aibu ?? ;)

There is a factory still in the UK making Clarks shoes.

Certainly not like the old days, it there is one left.

Another vote for Ricosta. Last year at preschool he had a pair of Walkmates from M&S. Lasted so well and had brilliant instep support. Sadly this year they didn't do black ones so that I bought normal marks ones. Dreadful. I had to replace them within 3 weeks of school. Realising that I can't justify buying 4+ shoes a year I went to an independent shop and these were the best fit for him by far. I will go back there again.

I will not do Clarks or Russell and Bromley though. As a toddler both places measured his feet incorrectly. My mil bought a pair of Clarks for him (even though I don't rate their fitting) and they were huge and his feet hurt wearing them.

YAnbu - i get my sons feet measured at Clarks but I buy M&S shoes for him. They are cheaper and they have a toughened but at the front so they don't get ruined. They fit him fine and his feet are not affected in any way. I'd only stick without a Clark's etc if I couldn't find shoes that he was comfortable in. I think it's unreasonable to have to pay more for his shoes than I would an adults pair of shoes!

I got my DD a pair of DM (Dr Martens) shoes (size 13). A few pounds more than Clarks, but she wears them all the time, loves them, they still look immaculate (and cool), and she'll only stop wearing them when she grows out of them. They're not wearing out anytime soon!

I tend to get their feet measured in clarks and then go elsewhere to buy the shoes. My DGD2 had her feet measured (aged 1 and a confident walker) and the only pair that fit properly for width were £33. DGD1 wore her first pair of shoes for 4 weeks, before growing out of them. Hopefully this little one won't!

Measuring at Clarks, Start Rite etc and buying elsewhere doesn't mean a good fit sadly, as sizing varies quite a lot store to store and some stores don't offer the width fittings that Clarks etc do. If fitting yourself you need to know what to check for.
Some cheaper shoes also have very inflexible soles and uppers which aren't good for growing feet. Dr Martens, while not cheap, are also very rigid.
I would choose barefoot styles every time for my son if they were easily available in shops but they aren't and buying involves online purchases and multiple returns. I don't have the time or patience so stick to Clarks, from a local outlet store so cheaper.

You are a bad mum if you buy those without question, they are pretty poor, using out dated ideas of what shoe and childrens development are.

Seriously?

Have you thought about the fact that the whole world doesn't have access to Clarks or Startrite shoes for their children, and nearly all the children I see running about here seem to have perfectly formed and working feet. I doubt that even one of them has ever worn a pair of overpriced shoes ever.

So what you are saying in essence that I am a bad mother as my dc wear shoes which come from department store, instead of an overpriced shoe shop. You do realize that the shoes are probably all made in the same factory anyway, but just labelled differently.

This is one thing I do not miss about the UK. The snobbery about shoes and clothing.

I think a bad mother is rather one who doesn't feed her child correctly, stands back and allows them to be victims of abuse, does not allow the dc to attend school etc.... that to me is bad parenting. If your child is wearing shoes, that fit, are clean and do what they are meant to (ie protect the foot from injury), you are hardly committing the crime of the century if they are from a lesser know shop.

As long as they are leather i.e. breathable I don't mind about the brand. My 5 yr old is in Sainsbury's school shoes and I think they're fine. £12.

DD had Clarke's when younger as I was determined to ensure a good fit but then she moaned about how solid they were and by year 5 would simply change intro her trainers once at school. She's in year 10 now and in the black leather Vans mentioned by a PP.

I also worked in a shoe shop as a teen and was trained to fit shoes - so I check all DD's. But YANBU to not buy Clarke's if you don't want to!

I get my littles ones feet measured at clarke's but I don't buy from there as they can't seem to design for the wide foot, high arch combo. I buy walkmates or chipmunks for my 2 for their good shoes and school shoes and they have an array of supermarket, department store or next shoes for other occasions dependent on what fits well and is comfortable.

Hush Puppies have proved their worth and usually last ds a whole school year. Only reason we need to change them is due to a growth spurt.

And tbh I wouldn't have a clue what other dc are wearing.

I always go to Clarks to get my boys their shoes, mainly because they are fitted properly and while their feet are so delicate and growing so fast I want them in well supported shoes. Needless to say, weekend shoes are off the shelf and not Clarks! I clean DS' shoes every week and they always last as long as he needs them.

No, but it's a false economy to buy cheap shoes as kids, particularly boys, are generally hard on school shoes. I prefer Ecco shoes - last a whole year and are capable of being handed on to younger sibling.

If you get the wrong fit can really have a major impact in how your child's feet grown. I'm like many others I feel getting the right fit is so important and I'm willing to pay for this service. I go cheaper on clothing. Supermarkets, primark etc as they are great value for money. But not so happy doing this for shoes. And as he grows out of them they are good for use by friends so don't mind paying the extra xx

You are definitely not a bad mother because of that! If you try your best to find your child well-fitting shoes, that is enough!

Queen Bee at my DS's primary informed me that I "should" buy Clarks (when I sent my child with Kickers-type, but not Kickers, lace-ups, which the School deemed inappropriate ). That is obviously the unwritten rule but I don't find them particularly good quality and consider them expensive for what they are. I have simply taken to buying shoes when visiting relatives across the channel: you can find a range of really good quality, well fitting, attractive, EU-made shoes with comfortable, flexible soles for less than the cost of any of the brands you mention... They are mostly unbranded, which Queen Bee and her court must find disappointing. My child, more importantly, has happy feet.

Continental shoes may not be much of a reasonably priced choice with the pound racing downwards though

My daughter sees a podiatrist - your local NHS podiatrist will have leaflets about what to look for in a shoe. So it isn't the brand (eg Clarks) that matters as much as an individual shoe. You want a shoe that gives some support to the arch - if you put your hand inside a shoe you should be able to feel the support, it should be shaped, not flat. You want a shoe with a flexible sole but neither too rigid nor too bendy. The shoe should give the foot support and protection, so it needs front, back and side suport. Shoes that cause children to grip with their toes - like flip flops or ballet shoes without straps - are bad for growing feet. Trainers are often the best type of shoe for a growing child.

After years of buying Clarks, I've just discovered that M&S are a much better fit for my kids, they last much longer and they're cheaper.

Aagh! Shoes! Oo er ... Yes, buying well fitting shoes, preferably in leather is generally a good thing if you can do it ...but it's a bit of a nightmare in my family. My ds has always been tall and his feet have kept pace with him so I've had a season ticket to Clarks for a long old time and many's the number of my friends boys who are kitted out in his cast offs! I thought this year we had finally got to a point where his shoes weren't the same number as his age ... but oh no. He's now 15, 6ft 4 and his size 14.5s are too tight as of this morning apparently! Sadly Clarke's now just look at us sympathetically and shake their heads so I'm becoming an expert in plus size boys shoes!!

Small Son kills shoes. I've given up buying expensive ones, because he kills them just as quickly as the cheaper ones. I buy several pairs at the beginning of the year in a couple of different sizes (from Aldi or Lidl) and spend very little more for a whole year's worth than on a single pair of Clarks or similar.

I buy Clarks for my boys. I like the ones with the rubber that comes up and over the toes. Other styles get so scuffed at the front that they fall apart.

I've found that Clarke's and start right are the only shoes that last. Just a shame they grow out of them before they scuff! Here's an article- buy decent shoes- www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/children/3319062/Sensible-shoes-put-childrens-feet-first.html

I dont think YABU -buy the best you can afford, that fit , and your children Will actually wear! Get them measured by a trained seller and then shop around.

I'm Always quite shocked at the cost of children's shoes but i Also live abroad in a Country that is expensive, has a poor choice/range of items and Also harsh weather conditions. I tend to order from the u.k but never the brands you mention - totally over rated. I shop around for brands such as Dr martens, Aigle, sorel and
Well made shoes from smaller businesses such as "Young soles".

I dont know if it's because clarks and startrite have Been long Associated with being the "School shoe?"......

My ds is a D fitting according to clarks who don't have any D fitting shoes or boots in his size

So he's in cheap shit from Matalan that fit his orthotic insoles and have survived half a term and he walks 8 miles a week in them outside of the walking around a secondary school!

I don't like how expensive clarkes shoes are, but DD1 is wide fit so we have to go there for school shoes. I also don't like how hard and inflexible they are - growing feet need flexible soles and wide toe boxes to allow the tiny bones and muscles to develop properly...It's not just the development of the feet of concern here, it's also posture and alignment of the skeleton. Badly fitting and/or thick, inflexible shoes are all terrible. Personally I'd have mine in barefoot style shoes but they don't comply with uniform rules :-/