AIBU to ask how long you'd expect shoes to last for a 3 year old

[Jenala]

Bought DS3 new shoes/trainers from Clarks on 16th August. He then wore sandals most of the rest of the month plus a week abroad in September, and wellies on rainy days. So they've been worn probably about 5 or 6 weeks. One of the lights on each shoe already doesn't work, the front of both are scuffed almost to the next layer and the stitching is starting to come away around the straps. They look more as I'd expect after a few months of use, not a few weeks.

I'm not generally one to really care how things look but I sort of think for £34 I could expect a bit more out of them?

Wondering how unreasonable it would be to go back and try my luck for money off my next pair or something.

Happy to be told I'm being ridiculous

The picture actually doesn't look that bad the lights almost immediately not working annoys me a bit too though.

I always felt sorry for shoes when I bought them for my kids. They never lasted long. It got better as they got older.

You could try and take them back. Shy bairns get nowt and all that

Take them back - especially if stitching is coming away. The lights and scuffing is par for the course, but stitching should last.

If you've lost the receipt but paid on card, take a bank statement and they can match the transaction.

Looks like he’s been dragging his toes on the floor in the buggy/on a scooter/bike. Par for the course I’d say.

Probably should have just spent £10 on supermarket shoes! He has very narrow feet though and it's hard to find stuff that's not too wide at the ankles.

His brother (16mo) has perfect looking shoes even though they get similar use as he walks everywhere... He doesn't climb everywhere I guess though haha

To me that looks about right. But then I have he only child who can wear out a pair of DM boots so perhaps I’m not the right person to judge what is normal!

It does look as if your toddler is a bit of a toe scuffer - it looks like they've been using them as brakes or to push themselves along on a bike or ride on. The rest of the shoe looks ok for their age.

The toes look right based on my 3 year old; she uses her toes as scooter/bike brakes (she has brakes and is quite capable of using them, but prefers toes 🙄).

Stitching is another thing. I've just complained about the stitching on my eldest's school shoes. Retailer said it was a fault and I got a full refund since they didn't have the shoes in stock.

This looks like scooter scuffs to me. Lights not working is a genuine reason to return, but you should have really taken them back as soon as that happened.

If your DS is still the same shoe size, I would allow a return and to supply same shoe or similar.

If DS has now grown out of them then no. Regardless of when the lights stopped working, you would need to be buying new shoes now anyway and to ask for refund or money off is a bit CF.

I only noticed the lights had stopped working yesterday. He hasn't outgrown them.

The culprit for the scuffs is his balance bike!! Doh. I haven't used it much lately but his grandparents have one at theirs which he uses constantly when visiting. Definitely not Clarks fault that one...

Might go in and mention the stitching and lights. I'm being a CF really though as I want to keep these ones and just get money off the next ones