Clarks Issue

[stardust22]

Purchased school shoes for my 12 year old about 2 hours ago.

In store appointment booked, feet measured, sales assistant took us over to see shoes for his size. We said we wanted lace ups as in Yr 8 now.

Picked out 2 pairs, sales assistant showed us a different pair of slip on shoes with faux laces/elasticated laces. She explained other people cut the original elasticated laces, take them out and put new normal laces in meaning you can tighten them up more.

She came back with the shoes to try on including the slip on elasticated laced ones. (We had issues with the 2 we chose, so no good.) We then tried the slip on ones, after trying them on and having them fitted the sales assistant noticed when putting back in box one shoe was a 3 ½ and one was a 4. She rectified this then my son tried them on again, had them fitted, walk about etc. He then said I have got 2 right shoes on. The sales assistant went off to rectify this, came back made sure both same size and a left and right shoe.
The shoes were quite loose but she explained once the elastic laces cut and taken out we could replace with normal laces so would be tighter.
We buy new laces at the till at the same time as buying the shoes.

We get home, I sit down, cut the elasticated lace in the one shoe and try to take it out but the laces are attached at the top of the shoe inside the leather and the lining! My husband tried pulling the lace out but it won't budge. Even if we manage to get the elasticated lace out there isn't a hole at the top for a new lace to go through so we'd have to make a hole.

I don't know what to do now. I have tried phoning the store for advice but no answer as they are very busy.

The shoes were £48 and we can't afford to buy a new pair.

I should have looked properly but going on the advice given I just snipped the lace, pulled it and then saw the issue.

Is there any point in trying to speak to the store for advice?

I'll try to attach a photo.

Any use, OP? Or, anyone else?
www.startriteshoes.com/logic-black-leather-black-boys-riptape-school-shoes
After several disappointing experiences with Clarks, we gave up. The worst were a beautiful looking pair of Navy sandals - I say 'pair', but they were so shoddy that I had to pick the closest two shoes from 4 boxes, to even get anything like a pair, because the stitching was so inconsistent. Then, school shoes so big that he tripped over the empty toes, despite my making it clear I didn't care about 'growing room' - I wanted them to fit NOW, while they new, rather than in 6 months time, when they we're so knackered, they needed replacing, anyhow!
Whilst Startrites are a bit more expensive, and by no means 'trendy', they are better quality and a consistently better fit.
I ordered these in 3 and 3.5, last week, for my (smallish)11 year old. They arrived (within 3;days) and are perfectly ok, neutral looking, decent quality, uniform rule-abiding school shoes. The velcro tab makes them a bit more adjustable.
Both pairs were too big, mind, so I've now ordered them in 2 and 2.5. For reference, my son's Adidas trainers are s3. Start rites def. come up big.
Whatever; even if the 2s are too small and need to be passed on, I still have 3 year's worth of inoffensive school shoes for £54!

I used to work on the children’s dept at Clark’s , one of the reasons they’re so expensive is your paying for Childrens to be fit - this is part of the of the service and why you pay more, so I would do as others suggest - take them back cos you’ve been sold children’s shoes that don’t fit. I would ask to speak to the Manager as i really doubt it’s company policy to be telling customers to cut the shoes to adjust them in order to make them fit ! They should fit when you walk out the shop. Sometimes if a parent chose to ignore they shop assistant advice they would write on the receipt that they had not been “fit checked” so if the customer brought them back due to poor fit they wouldn’t get a refund.

Wow. Refund given but sent away with a flea in your ear and negative publicity to a wide audience. Can we add Clark’s to the ‘brands I won’t buy” thread?!!!

Glad you got a refund OP, ridiculous advice from the shop assistant.

I'm not a fan of Clark's or the quality (or choice) but unfortunately they have the monopoly in many towns. My Dc all have big and awkward feet and we can't get shoes in their sizes in most place and nowhere else does fitting.

I think Clark’s has gone down hill of late.

They measure my sons feet, tell me the size, go out back with the shoes he likes from stock then come back and say ‘we don’t have size # but he will be OK with size # because these come up small’.

What’s the point in having his feet measured? All they want to do is sell shoes. (Obviously).

No professional pride.

We're never going back to Clark again after they ripped us off. My husband took our toddler in to get her feet measured to check if her shoes still fitted. They measured her, announced she was a size 6, checked her shoes and told him her shoes were therefore too small. Husband therefore bought new shoes - cue one very happy toddler walking home in her new shoes.

It was only after they got home I told him that her previous shoes were already a size 6. Yes, OK he maybe should have known - but since they checked her shoes in front of him he didn't query it. And we then could hardly take the new pair backas they'd been worn home, through the park and DD loved them. He did complain but was told there was nothing they could do (not even retrain the member of staff who he was able to describe!)

Yes, they got one extra sale out of us - but they've list our custom going forwards.

@2reefsin30knots

Missing the point of the thread, but you guys have 12yo boys in size 4?! My 11yo DS is in a 10. I really wish I could still buy kids shoes.

I have this joy to come next week. I really don't want to buy Clarks but I just cannot think of another shoe shop in the area that doesn't sell shoes out of mixed buckets and it's been so long since he's worn school shoes (been in PE kit all covid) we really need a fitting.

Same! Going into year 5 DSD is a size 4!!!

Missing the point of the thread, but you guys have 12yo boys in size 4?! My 11yo DS is in a 10. I really wish I could still buy kids shoes

😆 I have same problem, its easy until size 12 but after that it is a nightmare

@Ducksurprise

Missing the point of the thread, but you guys have 12yo boys in size 4?! My 11yo DS is in a 10. I really wish I could still buy kids shoes

😆 I have same problem, its easy until size 12 but after that it is a nightmare

Yr 3 DD (7yo) has just gone into size 2, finding trainers with Velcro or elastic laces was a right bugger and im a little apprehensive about what size she'll end up needing by the end of primary school 😂

stardust22 I'm glad you got a refund - it is nerve wracking having these sorts of confrontations isn't it. I thought the manager was extremely rude and more or less guaranteed that you will not be frequenting Clarks any time in the near future. How shortsighted of him and what a terrible ambassador for the company.

Having said that, I do feel sorry for the staff at Clarks. There has been a recent petition re Clarks firing and re-hiring staff on lower pay and other reduced benefits so I expect they will lose all their good staff and eventually the shops will go bust.

Like other people, my Mum always insisted on taking me to Clarks. I did the same with my children and my grandchildren often go there for school shoes too. It seems that such loyalty is unwarranted.

I have fond memories of Clarks from my early childhood, but recently interviewed for a temporary seasonal part time job while home from uni. It did sound very much sales driven, and in the interviewer's words everyone is very competitive with each other. According to her they would also take ~20k on a very busy late summer day she also said the amount of additional hours you got would depend on how well sales wise you were doing

So your experience and the manager's reaction does not come as a surprise.. I turned the job down because I didn't fancy ripping off parents and kids for minimum wage

Have had a read through all of the comments, thank you.

I have had a look on M&S, measured his feet as shown and he's coming up as a size 5. (He does wear a size 5 Nike trainer but Clarks sizing is different.)

I have now ordered 2 pairs of lace up shoes from M&S, just hoping they arrive before school starts on 6th September.

I'm so glad I posted on here

I had a Saturday job at Clarks (25 years ago, mind!) - you had to line uo at the end of the day while the manager read out your sales. If you didn't sell enough matching handbags to court shoes, or polishes etc, you got absolutely bollocked. I'd imagine it's similar today, given your experience.

Once I was told off for having a migraine - "What are you crying for? It's just a headache"

Claire - if you're reading this, you were a shit manager.

If anyone is near southampton Frenches is amazing. Sells a huge variety of shoes (inc clarks and start rite but also pedasil ricosta etc). They truly do fit and are aware what styles come up big/small. They won't let you leave if it doesn't fit and have a workshop too.

I have a measuring gauge that I use at home and then order online. Bought most recently from start-rite and shoesforkids.

We had a terrible experience in two branches of Clarks last summer-measuring at wildly different sizes, then saying her feet were too wide for the style she chose as they had a tapered toe. In the end they persuaded her into brogues which were two sizes bigger than the shoes she arrived in and with insoles recommended, they were more than roomy and she felt ridiculous. We had to return them and now refer to them as the Mr Men shoes...

If I remember rightly they guaranteed to replace if they didn't fit in February and then reneged on that deal with a money off voucher scheme due to the pandemic maybe? Anyone remember the details?

If her feet had stopped growing I'd have happily got her DMs from Schuh but she is an adult size and they're so much more expensive

I have a measure from treads and buy my shoes from them. Excellent quality, room for growth and good value.

Last year's shoes are still going strong.

He sounds like a shit person and a shit manager. He should not be telling you the sales person is getting a disciplinary even if it's true (tbh it sound OTT for a relatively small issue).

Tbf a tapered toe wont be healthy for some feet and it would be the correct thing tondo if her feet were wide for that style...

They've got a limited selection once girls go past about size 3 or 4 though.

Lysianthus - they weren't actual x-ray machines!

They simply were basic machine plates programmed to stop when they reached the sides of your feet (and record the width) and stop when they reached the top and bottom of your feet (and record the length) and do a size calculation based on that.

Another vote for Treads shoes. Excellent quality and much cheaper too. They had a sale on the other day, not sure if it's still on. £25 for good leather shoes, 12 month guarantee, can't go wrong!

There were actual x-ray machines!!!!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe-fitting_fluoroscope

That was @Pippapet

@Marcee

We've got another place local that specialises in measuring kids feet.

It's in the posh part of town.

Anyway I got some shoes but wasnt 100% they fit correctly. But the woman was adamant they fit- and they had a limited selection so we took the shoes.
But as soon as I got home I put the shoes on her and wasnt happy- she needs properly fitting shoes. She is very clumsy- I'm not sure if she has dyspraxia- so if they dont fit perfectly she will fall- and a lot of the time she wont even put her hands forward when she falls- so falls flat on her face and hurts her nose.

So anyway the next day I went to return them- and they were really off with me checking very carefully to make sure the shoes weren't dirty which they weren't cos we'd only worn them inside for a few minutes to check them. Looked annoyed from her face.

Then the woman asked for the carrier bag back as well- it was one of their branded plastic carrier bag- looked quite trendy.
I've never forgotten that and I've never been back since.

Anyway just shows other shops even if they specialise in fittings aren't always perfect and service can fall short.

Our local independent kids shoe shop is fantastic. You make an appointment and they use a manual gauge. They discuss the sizing with you and let you decide if you're happy with them. They have Start Rite, Petasil, Geox etc. Very knowledgable and friendly. Not over priced either.

Out of interest, was the shop you describe, called Stomp by any chance?!

I'm glad you got it sorted in the end OP. I hate Clarks with a passion, completely over priced boring looking shoes and not one assistant can measure accurately, obviously in my experience. You can get his feet measured it Schuh and they're great, even if you don't buy shoes from there