To thinks Clarks shoe shop can’t last?

[mightyducks]

Just been in for a browse. Need a new pair of work shoes, admittedly I haven’t bought any for a couple of years because of WFH , but bought from them not that long ago, shoes were around £40-£50 . Just picked up a pair, just plain black shoes, smart for work , they were £89! AIBU to think at these prices the vast majority of people just won’t shop there anymore and it will close?

I’m on the fence actually. Now I WFH I wouldn’t shop there but that’s due to WFH, not because of price. When I worked in the office, I had two pairs of Clark’s shoes, both around £80. What I liked about them was that they lasted years whilst still looking great and that I didn’t suddenly have to fork out £20 when I wasn’t expecting it on cheap shoes. To me, that’s a win.

I buy from Clarks outlet online, paid £35 for my last pair of leather black shoes. My moshulu leather boots were £70..

I wear the same shoes everyday (ankle boots in winter, leather loafers in spring/summer) so I am willing to spend a little more. £70 is my upper limit though!

I have very skinny feet & need their half sizes so I do still buy Clarkes. However, I usually wait for the sales if I can. Online often have vouchers or deals. I do buy elsewhere when I can get the right fit, but they never last as long.

@JudgeRindersMinder

I was paying £40 for my own shoes about 30 years ago, and that was just from the likes of Next, so it’s a realistic price for decent quality leather shoes, if you’re paying £40 now they’re very unlikely to be leather.

Untrue.

DH got a pair of leather boots (ankle ones,) from NEXT in January (size 10) for £55. And some leather shoes off ebay for £35 brand new (a few weeks ago.)

I got a pair of good quality leather shoes from The Original Factory Shop for £33 in July last year. It's a myth that no leather shoes exist under £40.

The fact you paid £40 for a pair of leather shoes in the early 1990s, is irrelevant. You can still get leather shoes at that price. Some are more expensive, but you can get decent quality leather shoes and boots for £35 to £50.

Me and DH paid £350 for a TV 25 years ago. We paid £325 for our last TV in 2021. Not everything has gone up over the last 2 or 3 decades.

I love their lightweight summer shoes, but this year they are £80 for a pair of fabric shoes, so I'll be looking elsewhere.

I love their boots, instantly comfortable without having to wear them in and I can walk miles in them.

I agree, I only buy kids’ shoes from there because my son has especially wide feet. I don’t understand how it survives as a business - I find the functionality on the website is really bad too.

I love their boots, I find that they are well made and last. I usually wait for a sale and buy then usually online as I find the shops hardly have any stock.

Clarks are a global brand with loads of stores in Asia, US and Europe where they seem to be branded a bit more upmarket (and in lots of countries don’t sell kids shoes at all). I’m not sure that their UK business is that important to them anymore.

I have their Hamble brogues and love them, very comfortable and have held up well. I had them resoled after two years of almost daily wear and still look great. I want them in other colours now.

Given their price point I don’t think they are that bad. I bought some shoes from Jones the Bootmaker for a similar price point to Clarks. They fell apart after two weeks, the leather was peeling, the sole split, this was just from office wear. Took them back and they swapped them, same thing happened again.

They'd do better on children's shoes if they ever had any narrower fittings. I got DD's feet measured there but never bought from them because they never had anything to fit. (The same was often true at John Lewis, too.) When the independent shop that did narrower styles was driven out of business, we resorted to getting her measured at one of the shops that had nothing, then ordering the same style as she had previously online.

Their school shoes last a full school year and barely lose any wear. I’ll always be happy to pay for that.

Foot health is also massively neglected here, you need a good fitting shoe.

@Staryflight445 - I agree, my child started needing shoes during the lockdowns. I ended up having to read lots about foot health abs measuring etc to buy online. He has a mixture of Clarks/Startrite at the moment. Next shoes etc are not the same for developing feet.

@MsVestibule

I've always bought school shoes from Clark's for my children. I bought DS(13) a pair of what looked like solid, good quality school shoes from there in September for £50. The front bit of the sole is now hanging off so I'm going to have to by a replacement pair this afternoon, even though they still fit. He doesn't play football in them, just normal walking about.

If it happens again, I won't be buying from them again - they can't rely on brand loyalty if they produce inferior products.

Or just glue it back on?

Seems mad to buy a new pair when it's a problem so easily fixed.

I think their range is too plain to appeal to most. I've looked in there multiple times when I've needed new shoes/boots and the styles are all mediocre in my opinion, nothing attractive about them.

I do agree about school shoes, I always got my dd's shoes from there when they were younger.

@MurmuratingStarling because you had a different experience doesn’t make me a liar. Please choose your words more carefully

They closed some a couple of years ago, including the one in our town.

There's a Clark's outlet a few miles away so I go there.

Every girl in dds Y9 wears either kickers or doc martens shoes and that applies throughout the school. Tbf the school takes no prisoners on shoes and they have to be suitable for the long walk there and back.

Bought dgrandbaby her first pair of shoes from there recently cos I was a bit stumped as yo what to get a non walker to wear outside at nursery!
I ignored half sizes practically the whole way through. If the magic measurer showed a half size, I would always ask for the next whole size to be tried and low and behold most of the time the fit was fine ( did this after my mate moved to France and reported back none of the magic measuring and French people weren't hobbling around as adults!

We have Clark's Village near us & go there to the outlet shop.
We get most shoes for DC from there, & I do like (& have) some of their boots & sandals.
It certainly makes a difference to go to the outlets rather than the main store, but obviously the range & sizes are more limited.

I have wide feet. If Clarke's went I'd have one less shop on a very small list...

Those posters saying they need to buy a new pair of shoes because the sole is coming off - you can just glue them back on! Honestly. There is some superglue or loctite glue that is slightly flexible and specifically mentions it is good for repairing shoes. Just glue them and stick them under a piece of furniture or something heavy for 24hours. Works a treat.
I accept they shouldn't come apart like this in the first place, but you really don't need to go and buy another pair.

I hope they do, it was the only place I could find that had wellies to fit ds wide feet!

I love Clarks shoes, but I only buy them in the sale.

@JudgeRindersMinder - I agree with you, I have not seen good quality leather shoes for under £40, I have seen “genuine leather “ shoes but not good quality ones. I think whoever named one of the lowest grades of leather “genuine leather” needs some sort of marketing super award.