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AIBU?

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Original poster

To take nearly 16yo DS to Clarks Kids?

227 replies

SmashedCucumber · 22/08/2020 11:01

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?

OP posts:
Marzipan12 · 23/08/2020 10:21

My 12 year old is in adult sizes. We just go into Clarks and ask for his feet measured, we don't queue in the kids section anymore. Adults get there feet measured aswell. He then picks from the adult section. Job done, zero embarrassment and no need to go anywhere near the kids section.

ErrolTheDragon · 23/08/2020 10:27

@GhostTypeEevee

It can't only be my son's school that Clarke's shoes aren't akin to a death knell? He wears plain black lace ups from there since starting secondary and has never had a problem
Of course not. Clarke's was the only place DD would go for school shoes because she knew they'd have a range of appropriate styles and sizes. She wanted to just get them bought with minimum fuss.
premiumshoes · 23/08/2020 10:33

@MsTSwift

I thought shoe fittings are for pre verbal toddlers? I took my 11 year old told them her size then she tries a few pairs in and tells me with her words which one fit. Utter cringe! Poor lad!

You thought shoe fitting were for pre verbal toddlers? I don't believe you did. I think you said that to have a go. Surely nobody thinks show fittings are only for young children?

Cringe? Really? You must lead a very boring life if you cringe at the idea of butting shoes that fit.

GhostTypeEevee · 23/08/2020 10:33

@ErrolTheDragon

Same with my son. Shoe shopping is his idea of hell and he just wants to be in and out as quickly as possible. He's never had his shoes picked up in secondary and most kids I see all where similar

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 23/08/2020 10:37

GetOffYourHighHorse although I agree that a 16 year old can Generally sort out his or her own shoes (my eldest has been doing since she was 14 - she has 80€ a month clothing allowance and we have no school uniforms), boys are usually still growing at 16 and can easily go up two or three sizes in 6 months during the big growth spurt.

Worriedmum999 · 23/08/2020 10:42

You can buy a foot measuring gauge online (ebay/Amazon) if you are so desperate to measure them.

BluePaintSample · 23/08/2020 10:48

Ah peer pressure, so apparently it is embarrassing to go shoe shopping with your parent.

What age is acceptable? What is the cut off? At what age can you go shoe shopping with a parent and the second the clock strokes midnight, it becomes a mortifying experience. Just so everyone knows, what is it?

Some teenagers actually like spending time with a parent, even a son with his Mother. It doesn't mean he is being babied. Is the cut off age different for girls and boys? Or the same?

I took Ds1 when he was 16 and in year 11, he does wear Clarks firstly because it is conveniently located close to us and means we don't have to go into the city. Secondly, he has very wide feet (as does Ds2 who John Lewis couldn't get a shoe to fit either). They do measure him, but no, he doesn't choose a character or colour on the ipad, the staff are not stupid, he is clearly a NT teenager. All their shoes are in the back so you have to ask to try shoes on, whatever size you think you are.

I am glad that my son has friends who don't give a flying fuck about your shoes or the brand of bag you wear on your back, especially considering the limited choice of school shoes for a kid with H+ wide feet.

FrenchItalian · 23/08/2020 10:51

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GetOffYourHighHorse · 23/08/2020 10:52

I bet the parents who get their 16yr old's feet measured also ask for stickers for them when they visit the dentist or the doctors.

NoToMisogyny · 23/08/2020 11:16

I was in Clarks with my 9 yr old the other day and there were loads of kids (going into year 7) being measured and fitted for secondary school shoes. There were no thunder claps as they walked in and no one collapsed with the vapours

GetOffYourHighHorse · 23/08/2020 11:34

@NoToMisogyny

I was in Clarks with my 9 yr old the other day and there were loads of kids (going into year 7) being measured and fitted for secondary school shoes. There were no thunder claps as they walked in and no one collapsed with the vapours
Year 7, so 11? The op is in about 16 year olds getting measured and fitted, like they are unable to know their own shoe size and choose a pair unsupervised.

Also, no one has mentioned thunderclaps or vapours but at 16 approaching college then uni age parents really need to be gearing kids up for a teeny bit of independence. Not needing an assistant to help with shoe size is a start.

NoToMisogyny · 23/08/2020 11:55

Many people were saying Clark’s is a no go for all secondary pupils. I’m confused by this ‘just guess your shoe size’ shtick - everyone I know gets their kids’ feet measured (not always in a shop, granted) until they’ve finished growing. They don’t fork out to order several pairs of shoes in different sizes and styles every time shoes are too small. Boys’ feet in particular can shoot up more than a size at a time so it would be a total arse ache

OhToBeASeahorse · 23/08/2020 12:04

@NoToMisogyny Clark's shoe fitting seems to bring out a weird side to MN. A poor OP a while ago expressed disappointment that they didnt take a photo of their baby's first shoe fitting. The vitriol she received back was mental.

As for thinking shoe fitting is for pre verbal toddlers. Course you did. That's why the children's bit of the shop is just full of toddler shoes and nothing else. Hmm

disappointingdessert · 23/08/2020 12:26

they try some on, I ask if they are comfortable, they grunt, I pay and we all go home.

This made me laugh. It's exactly right. There are only two shops in my city that sell shoes acceptable at my ds' school. And he wears orthotics so we always get them fitted. No one gives a shit. The kids are all wearing the same shoes.

JaneJack23 · 23/08/2020 12:51

Why would you need to have his feet measured?!?! Measuring feet is for babies and toddlers who are too young to communicate to an adult if their shoes fit. A 16 year old can try on and purchase their own shoes at a store of their choice.

TheTeenageYears · 23/08/2020 12:56

I've just realised I must have been paying the VAT since DS was 8 or 9. Age 11 he was already an 8.5 and now has huge feet which means he only has the option of expensive shoes - last school shoes were £140 however they are excellent quality, have great cushioning and other than reheeling after the first year and reheeling and resoling after the second they are still in pretty good shape.

premiumshoes · 23/08/2020 13:42

Measuring feet is for babies and toddlers who are too young to communicate to an adult if their shoes fit.

It's really not.

Prettybluepigeons · 23/08/2020 13:47

No, foot measuring is for people whose feet are growing to ensure they get shoes that won't damage their feet.
Children and teens have different shape and size feet- different depth etc
Its not as easy as saying just buy adult shoes.

If you want to take short cuts with your children's foot health that's up to you but nobody should denigrate those who take it seriously.

Luzina · 23/08/2020 13:49

I took my almost 15yo DS to Clarks to get his feet measured and buy school shoes. He didn't mind. He's only just a size 7 though.

SarahBellam · 23/08/2020 14:02

My 14yo wouldn’t be seen dead in Clark’s. It’s the Doc shop, Schuh or, at a pinch, Office.

pinkbalconyrailing · 23/08/2020 14:36

measuring feet is useless ime as there is so much vatiation between brands and styles.

Prettybluepigeons · 23/08/2020 15:13

I can't believe how many teenagers get to dictate where parents spend their money.

WoodliceCollection · 23/08/2020 15:17

Jesus. Give the poor kid £50 and send him out to buy his own shoes, assuming no disability prevents this.

MrsAvocet · 23/08/2020 15:32

I'm really not getting this. I've never bought a pair of Clarks shoes in my life as it happens, so I don't have a particularly pro Clarks view, but a lot of these posts make no sense to me and I think the OP is getting an unnecessarily hard time. I'm sure she wasn't planning to buy her son shoes with soles that flash when he walks or a hidden compartment in the heel for a toy. Hmm
I had a quick look on the Doc Martens website, as a PP said that they were her son's preferred brand. I'll admit to being surprised - it was better than I expected. I did find a couple of styles which wouldn't lead to a trip to exclusion on day 1 at my children's school, including these.
www.drmartens.com/uk/en_gb/p/14345001#
Then I found these on the Clarks website - in the kids section in fact
www.clarks.co.uk/c/Loxham-Derby-Youth/p/26151593
So, one of these pairs of shoes is cool, and the other is "social suicide". Why? Apart from the obvious £70 what is the difference? Would anyone even notice? I am pretty sure my boys wouldn't.

Thisismytimetoshine · 23/08/2020 15:32

Some schools are very prescriptive about uniform shoes, so a lot of kids wouldn't be able to make those sort of demands 🤷🏻‍♀️

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