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've never had a pair of Clark's shoes that have fallen apart for my kids.

Every single one of them, my kids always outgrew them rather than the shoes fall apart.

I've got one pair of work shoes from there again going strong after 2 years.

@MsVestibule check out Shoe Goo and repair them yourself rather than buying new. It's good stuff and works.

I have feet and back issues and buy Clark’s. I bought a cheap Asda pair before lockdown, awful and really hurt my feet. Now I’m bs m in the office I got myself decent shoes. I need watertight comfy shoes as I walk to the station and back every day. My last pair lasted 3 years with daily wear so hopefully these do the same, the styles are all a bit ugly though and could do with a revamp.

It's ridiculously expensive for kids shoes. I paid £38 for my little boys first pair of shoes. Insane considering how small they are

My husband occasionally buys formal type shoes from them as they have some styles in a 14

Stealth boast

@TammyOne

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

This!!

Good quality shoes are expensive. If all shoes were leather (like they mainly used to be), well made, and properly, ethically produced, in the UK or Spain/Italy (like they used to be), they would all be a Hell of a lot more expensive! Also I love Clark's sandals, and they do some good lace up boots too, so I vote YABU.

I believe they're now made in China. I found the quality has gone downhill and buy work shoes elsewhere now.

I can't walk past a Clark's shop without getting a shiver down my spine...

I thought the pic attached but many emails not.

"Many emails" ???

Was supposed to be 'maybe'

I find them good quality comfortable shoes which last a long time.

I buy Hotter shoes, you need to look at these sites when they have their outlet sales or offers and buy in advance. I usually pay about £25 for mine instead of £79 or more

Isn't this just price inflation? Doesn't sound unreasonable for a decent quality shoe, when you have to cost in the staff and the high street locations - they are competing against online only retail so the pricing will need to reflect that

It still needs bits of dead cow to make them which does have a cost

I would and do happily pay £90 for shoes but not for Clarks as they don't last 2 minutes.

Me too! I have flat feet and Hotters & Fitflop are the only shoes I can wear all day. Hotters are so well made and the outlet and sales prices are great. At first I was just buying Hotters just for work but then found they did some really stylish trainers too.

@bellabasset

I buy Hotter shoes, you need to look at these sites when they have their outlet sales or offers and buy in advance. I usually pay about £25 for mine instead of £79 or more

Sorry, previous post meant to be a reply to this!

I personally have sore feet so have to buy Clarks ,Hotter or similar . I buy clothes from Ebay, Sainsburys M and S wherever .My DM used to say always buy good shoes . Its a false economy otherwise .Worth looking in their sales as well

I think nothing of paying £80-£120 for a pair of shoes. I don’t buy lots of shoes as the ones I buy tend to last. I went into a Clarks shop yesterday to buy a pair as I had vouchers to use but they did not have my size. There were two styles I liked. They did not have my size in the cheaper pair £80. But I liked another pair that were £90 so I bought those online as there was a 15% discount.

We had one clinging on like the last tooth in our home town, as the remaining contender, along with a sparse Body Shop, in shopping arcade only build 10 years ago that is now almost completely empty. So much waste.

Sadly, our old council decided to sell most of the town centre off to private ventures many years ago, so smaller, more local businesses were driven out due to high rents. Now, since covid especially, the entire town centre is almost derelict. Enormous empty premises that used to be M&S, Next, etc. All gone.
The only people who frequent the centre now are gangs smoking skunk, and teenagers clustering into McDonalds/Primark. You can't even find one single store in the entire town that sells food.

As far as I am aware, a relative tells me that the council plan to sell it all off again, to overseas investors, who wish to install a giant hotel. It's laughable.

But Clarks just wont die!

The styles that Clarks are currently selling for approx £89 were about £69 three to four years ago not £40-50. I think you are being unrealistic tbh.

I hope they keep making kids' shoes!! Ours always last for a whole year 👏

I know Clarks was bought by a Chinese business last year and one of the first things they announced was, ‘The UK will now not be that important’.

amp.theguardian.com/business/2021/nov/28/clarks-looking-for-reboot-under-new-chinese-leadership

They say they want to follow the lead of doc martens, which reduced massively in quality and increased in price since being bought by a Chinese company.

All of it together has really put me off Clarks as a whole.

Good quality shoes, made with good quality leather, well finished, and built to last, shouldn't be cheap.

Whether Clarks shoes fit that definition or not is a separate question.

Personally, I would miss it. I've got big feet and they are one of the few places to carry my size - although in noticeably fewer styles than previously, so perhaps my days of shopping there are limited anyway.

I usually buy shoes from: Clarkes, Gabor, Josef Siebel, Jones, etc., some in France when I am there; LKB for special occasions and perhaps a bit more expensive than that. I think they are priced well for their market/quality.

@Cherryblossoms85 Have you tried Moshulu for ballet flats? Their quality is excellent.

@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.

My daughter works pt for Clarks and she's just told me that you should take them back to clarks as you'll get an exchange (prob not refund). Yes, even 7 months later...clarks are incredibly lenient apparently!