To take nearly 16yo DS to Clarks Kids?

[SmashedCucumber]

DS is 16 in a few months, and today we have an appointment for a shoe fitting at Clarks kids. He hasn’t been measured for ages, I want to make sure we know his true size to then replace his battered school shoes and trainers. Clarks kids go up to an adult size 10 in some styles and his feet are still smaller than that.
DS is moaning saying he doesn’t want to have to go on the foot measuring device which is very much geared around little ones, (getting them to choose their favourite colour etc before the machine starts measuring), which I understand totally, will they be able to measure his feet in some other non-cringey way? I resent paying adult price shoes when the kids section can still cater for him.
Or should I cancel the appointment, get his feet measured some other way and then buy shoes from the (adult range) elsewhere?

Is it really THAT BAD?

My DS got done the other day just at the front of the shop next to several adults trying on shoes with assistance. What's the difference getting measured there or anywhere else?

They don't use the kiddie ones on bigger feet.

What's the harm in getting feet properly measured? You get shoes elsewhere that run & hurt and it's a total waste of money.

Some of these comments are bonkers.

However if it's so shameful they sell home measures for about a tenner.

Hilarious can't stop laughing please don't take him .

@rwalker

Hilarious can't stop laughing please don't take him .

What are you laughing at?

nooooo
your poor ds.
just do as most people do and try out some shoes. you must have a rough idea how big his feet are, surely. and how you check the fit you can find on the net.

clarks are not the best/only shoe shop.

shoe measurement devices are a big con. shoes are all different from brand to brand and sometimes even from the same brand.
just like a zara size 12 shirt is not the same as a m&s size.

Another 'MN different planet's thread. 16 might be in the older side but I used to work in a Clark's, we had plenty of secondary school kids in. I'm now a teacher and most of the kids have Clark's or Startrite etc

Print out a size template from the internet (check it's got a ruler on it that you can confirm the scale is right). DS1 buys his shoes online this way and it seems to work

Surely all shoe stores have the ability to measure someone's feet. Don't you all use a Brannock Device?

Oh my goodness my kids would have just refused or thought I was joking!

16 is not just "secondary" it's 6th form or college. Treat them like children then don't expect them to act like adults IMO.

She's taking him to a shoe shop that sells shoes from baby to adult. Ok, it's not the worlds most fashionable shop, but she was hardly planning to parade him around the town with a romper on.

You've all gone mad. I bet teenagers would give far less of a crap 💩

As so many times on MN, I'm with @HauntedPencil (I've name changed a few times, I'm not stalking you, I promise).

Why thank you. It's nice someone does

Oh my god. You can't. My 13 year old DS was reluctant enough to try on a pair in from the men's section in Clarks. I relented in the end and got him a black trainer style from JD in his usual size (he is old enough to tell whether a shoe fits comfortably).
If I tried booking him a kid's measuring appointment, he would think I got him mixed up with his younger brother!

Getting your feet measured in Clarks only gives you your clarkes size though. So unless that's the only place he's going to shop it's pointless.

My 12.5 year old's feet grew almost overnight recently and I took him to replace all his shoes. He ended up with size 10 Nike football boots (tried 9 First but they were way too tight both in the toes and sides) but only size 8.5 in a different brand of trainers - he tried loads in and walked around the shop etc.

I did take my son to Clark's at 16 but only because he's got very wide feet, and a high instep and we'd tried everywhere else and got nowhere.

They did measure his feet but only with a normal measure and we only looked at the adult section.

If I'd been able to get them elsewhere I would have. Luckily though ds is not into fashion or clothes at all and couldn't have cared less where they were from or who knew 🤷🏻‍♀️

@midnightstar66

I get that, but I've been a 6 my whole life since I was 12/13, it's only in the last couple of months I've found that a 6 no longer fits.

No VAT on kids shoes so cheaper!

Clarks do not go up to an adult size 10 in the kids range!! 😂

They do go up to adult size 9 though. Luckily
some have Velcro at that size too which is essential for my disabled son. Am assuming they’re not VAT- free but not sure.

Cotswolds measure feet if you have one close to you.

VAT is charged on boy’s shoes from size 7 and girls shoes from size 3-5.5 friending in heel height, unless it can be proven that they are exclusively for children under 14. I’m not sure how you’d do that, but maybe including the shoes as part of a children’s range, selling through children’s stores/departments, so actually maybe OP does have a point. Annoying for me, with an 11 year old with size 8 feet already.

LockdownLump

That's not very nice. My mum was still accompanying me to shoe fittings- at an independent shoe shop at 15. I have nice feet thanks to her, wrongly fitted shoes can damage the feet.