To think Clark’s shoes aren’t the same size as any other shop?

[Boomkin]

DC was measured as a 9.5F in Clarks but they didn’t have any white trainers in stock in that size. So I ordered 9.5F trainers from Next. They are enormous! Then I ordered a 9.5 from Schuh which is also enormous. Are Clark’s sizes just wrong?! It’s costing me a fortune in returns. Clark’s is adamant that 9.5F is the correct size for my child.

I find it really annoying too that they don’t correlate with everyone else. They measure DD as a 4.5 when she’s a 6.

My children measure a d/e width. Several times they have tried to convince me a G is fine! I stopped going years ago!

Agree… Dd 12, size 4.5 everywhere, 3 in clarks

Best thing I have bought this year was a shoe measure gadget. About a £5. Measure myself at home now.

@Caspianberg

Best thing I have bought this year was a shoe measure gadget. About a £5. Measure myself at home now.

Was just going to say this. Very helpful during lockdown.

Agree. DS 14 everywhere else a 7.5 - 8 in Clarks size 6

I have a theory they size down because they make most profit in the children's section so they want to keep even the gigantic teen boys buying school shoes there.

I've always been able to match DS (3) to the same size from Clarke's to elsewhere he's an 8 in Clarke's and was also an 8 in Asda shoes.

Where do people go as an alternative to Clarke's? Asking cuz DS starts school next year and their school shoes are extortionate but my mum has drilled into me that I need to get him properly fitted shoes

I've got their foot gauge and it does seem off. Tells me I'm a 5.5 and I've been near enough a seven for the whole of my adult life.

Clarks don’t want you going in to get measured then buying shoes elsewhere so they alter the sizing

I guess it's fair enough that they don't want you getting feet measured by then but going else where to make the purchase, foot measuring is factored into the price.

As an alternative is Trotters still about? I'm sure K shoes used to be an alternative back in the day

Clarks are much smaller sizes. My children and 7.5 and 8.5 in Clarks and 9.5 and 10.5 everywhere else.

Clarks are much smaller sizes
I’ve found the opposite. Clark’s said DS was a 9.5 and he actually needs a 7.5.

Clarks have their own sizes so they can hawk their shoe gauge and their ‘fitting services’ (which consist of measuring a foot which anyone can do at home) and charging a shed load for their shoes. It’s such a con

And they’ve successfully built this myth around correctly fitted shoes loads of people buy into. I mean of course kids shoes need to fit but it’s not hard to do that yourself in any shop/ with a tape measure. They’re not going to grow deformed because you were a cm off in measurement

Clarks are weird sizes and even 3 shoes in the same size can be a completely different size and fit when my kids try them on!

6 or 7 years ago, they fitted DS as a 6 whatever wide. They didn't stock wide enough for DS's cube shaped wierd feet, so suggested he went up to a 9.5 to accomodate the required width...

He looked like a clown in the shoes they put him in and as he'd only been walking a year, fell over them walking accross the shop. Tried again with DD (normal feet) and the shoes wore through in under a month. Never stepped foot in there again. I've bought better fitting and better lasting from bloody shoezone, I really don't understand Clarks reputation at all.

@Back2School

It's a shame there are so few independent children’s shoe shops around these days. They always seemed to be so knowledgeable about all the different brands and how they would fit on your child's foot. We were on holiday near Dumfries this year and I took my daughter to an independent shoe shop there (The Pied Piper). The lady immediately ruled out several brands as my daughter has v narrow feet. Think I might holiday up there again next summer just to go back!

Best shoe shop ever never been so sad when my boys outgrew children's sizes

My 7yo DD sees a podiatrist and he measures her feet every 3 months for me, in clarks shes at least a size but usually two either smaller or bigger than she's been measured.

Other brands she's usually within half a size of the podiatrists measurement, so it's definitely a clarks problem.

He does it properly with a tape measure as she has prescription insoles that are specifically made for her feet shape and size.

I used to work for clarks. Just like clothing sizes, shoe sizes vary greatly, especiallyin different brands. The size is just a guide, a starting point if you will, its not as simple as measuring and that ls the size they will go out in. Your paying for a fit, not a measurement.

So many idiotic comments here from people with no real knowledge

I lost all faith in Clarke's when the shoe fitter told me my 4 yo dd should wear two pairs of socks until half term, rather than just finding her a pair of shoes the correct size. He also measured all my children a half size smaller than they'd been measured as 5 months previously in the same shop using the same gauge and tried to blame it on shoes fitting differently

Clarks only measure for Clark's shoes. Makes no sense and is most annoying