To go back to Clarks

[wafflethewonderdog]

Bought DD some school shoes from Clarks 3 weeks ago. She's worn them 2 days this week and they've rubbed blisters on her heels and she's complaining they hurt her toes. She's now wearing her old shoes as they still had a bit of life in them.
AIBU to go back to the shop and ask them to remeasure her? Would they do anything because they've been worn?

We've had similar problems and gone back for replacement with no problems. There's no reason at all why you should put up with ill-fitting shoes, especially if it was Clarks who measured.

They don't have to as they've been worn, but if she was fitted and measured for them it's worth asking.

Did they fit them? If so, I would definitely take them back

Thanks. I'll go back this weekend - still got the card with her size on and the assistants name so hopefully they'll do something 😕

My DDs new school shoes rubbed last September so I dashed out and bought some different ones for her - then she got used to the new ones and only wore the emergency replacements once! (She preferred the style of the new ones). So it could be that they just need breaking in.

OP I am going back tomorrow to clarks as well for the same reason .!
Ds is older gone into 6th form with lobely brown shoes instead of the black.
£85 !!

And his feet are rubbed raw .
They did meadure him and gave him a size down than normal.
I have phoned the shop and they told us to go in and they will replace ..

I will let you know how I get on.

DD was training in a Y1 classroom two years back in September and said that by the end of the FIRST day, half the little girls had bleeding heels from blisters raised, rubbed and popped by their new school shoes, Clarks and other brands. NONE of the little boys had.

Boys' shoes are designed for running about in; girls' for looking fashionable.

I'd take them back, complain emphatically and choose something acceptable to the child from the boys' side. That should fix it.

I would lay odds that the issue is not sizing or measuring but design.

Why do we let our girls be hobbled like this? Add in winter tights that descend until the crotch is at knee level under skirts and dresses that the wind - or the boys - flip up and you have the sad playground scene of boys running free all over the playground while girls huddle against the wall clutching their skirts and waiting for the bell.

lobely 🤣🤣

I have found them to be good with returns on a couple of occasions. Worth asking!

DD2 got the same pair and hers haven't rubbed so am thinking they have measured her wrongly. Will update tomorrow 😀

I have taken back Clarks before, refitted and new size issued. No problems.

Unfortunately for us I had to buy new shoes in July and thought they'd still fit, looks like on say 3 that they are too small. Obviously I'll have to pay for new ones in this instance.

Clarks are usually very helpful. Go back.

I just do NOT understand the obsession with the Clarks measuring. I had never even heard of it till I came to the UK.

I think Clarks must've told parents in the 80's that their kids will have deformed Hobbit feet if they aren't measured "properly" by a 20 year old "professional" fitter. What is the big deal with spending half the price and just trying on multiple pairs until you find a comfortable one. My DD has only ever worn supermarket shoes, and they are fine and fit well and last ages.

@confront They did, yes, as did their main competitor Start-Rite. Also back then there wasn't much choice and those two brands were specified by some schools anyway. The girls shoes were a lot more robust then though, often the same design for both girls and boys.
I've ended up going to the pile-high measure-yourself places and often getting ankle boots for dd - I'm not paying 40 quid for shoes as useless as ballet shoes when she needs to walk over a mile in the rain!

I think Clarks must've told parents in the 80's that their kids will have deformed Hobbit feet if they aren't measured "properly" by a 20 year old "professional" fitter.

Yep, but there was also a time when they refused to sell children's shoes if they hadn't measured the feet. Of course, they can't do that now with selling online via their website and don't insist on measuring in their outlet stores.

I always thought it funny that they made a big deal of measuring the feet, and then were happy to go up/down a size or get wider/narrower if the size they'd measured didn't fit properly. Why not just do the "trial and error" method used by all the other shops in the first place if they're going to ignore their own fitting machines!

At the end of the day, I think it was "smoke and mirrors" to give the illusion of getting a better service to justify their extortionately priced shoes.

I think new shoes always need breaking in. I get blisters every time I wear new shoes and I always have done, nothing to do with the size or fit of the shoe. Your feet need to adapt to those particular shoes.

I think new shoes always need breaking in. I get blisters every time I wear new shoes

No, they don't. Blisters and heel rubbing is a sign that they're not the right size. I think I've only had blisters once in the last 20 years (and I do A LOT of walking - 3/4/5 miles per day). That was solved by putting in an extra insole, so they were the wrong size!

But I only go to stores when half sizes and wide/narrow fits are available. Half sizes used to be the norm but seem to have disappeared recently, so they're getting harder to find.

Go back to Clark's. They actually have a 12 week return policy as long as you have the box and the receipt.

Heel rubbing is usually caused by poor manufacture rather than poor fitting - it could be a bad batch and the heel back height is actually just too high or too low and the curve is hitting the wrong point in the heel - this could also cause the sore toe prob as the foot is being pushed forward.

Take them back and try on a few different styles and sizes. Clark's are pretty good for returns and high returns on certain styles will lead to internal investigations. Dont let kids get sore feet - breaking in shoes/and needing to soften leather is very different from shoes giving you blisters.

I design shoes for high street - brands hate this kind of stuff happening

Agree with @whattodowith - a new pair of shoes always meant blisters for the first few days back when we were kids. The trick is wear them the first day, have a couple of days break and then lo and behold the next time you put them on, they’re fine and don’t hurt any more.

Mind you, I wouldn’t fork out for Clark’s shoes in the first place. Quality is rubbish imho.

We had a similar situation in that DD was measured at Jones bootmakers and they basically handed us a pair of Startrite shoes, put them on DD and said they were perfect. We tried them on at home yesterday and this is what they look like. That's not right, is it???

My sons Clark’s shoes always rub for the first week, just load him up with plasters and they are usually fine the second week. They just need wearing in a bit.

@NearlyGranny it definitely isn’t just little girls shoes.

I bought some new work shoes at Clarks and one day working my feet were cut to shreds it was awful!

I took them back because they had specifically measured me and they re-measured and I was half a size different, and wide fit. They swapped them for a new pair no problem.

The old shoes would not have been able to be resold because they had obviously been worn.

I've got fed up with Clarks for school shoes as they always measure DD incorrectly & 9 times out of 10 try her in shoes to small for her & which cause her pain.
On one occasion in the same week she was 2 different sizes (an adult size 2.5 & an adult size 3.5) the smaller size in one store & the bigger size in another store when she was actually an adult size 4 in other shops.
I measure myself & buy elsewhere now & we don't have any problems.

Ha - me on my hobbyhorse, sorry to hear it's boys, too.