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Original poster

To thinks Clarks shoe shop can’t last?

192 replies

mightyducks · 04/04/2022 11:12

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?

OP posts:
duvetdayforeveryone · 04/04/2022 14:26

Wait for the sales Grin

mizzo · 04/04/2022 14:28

@bellamountain

I can go to Sports Direct and buy trainers for my children, Nike at £25 a pair. Who on earth are spending £50 on ugly Clarkes trainers for their kids?
I loathe buying from Sports Direct because of the refund policy. I bought DS a pair of cheap Nikes, school ask them to leave trainers there for playing on the field. They fell apart after a couple of months Hmm
mam0918 · 04/04/2022 14:29

Nearly every parent buys their kid's first shoes there as they have completely cornered the market on measured baby shoes.

at 650,000 to 750,000 kids born per year in the UK and at approx. £15-£18 a pair for early shoe thats millions (even if only half the lower end of kids born per year bought 1 pair there it's 5 million per year) I think they're doing fine.

I do wonder who on earth is buying adult shoes their though.

Gonnagetgoing · 04/04/2022 14:30

I bought some work sandals about 2 years ago from Clarks but only because I needed them and they were comfy.

Not been in their shop in my local shopping centre for ages but another shop near me doesn’t have shoes which would appeal to me.

Gizacluethen · 04/04/2022 14:31

DSs first shoes were 30 bloody quid. I've bought a foot gauge off ebay (startrite for anyone needing) cost 8 quid and I'll buy his future shoes second hand.

Checkthemeaning · 04/04/2022 14:34

I have loads of pairs of Clarks! Three pairs of desert boots, few pair of Wallabees and plenty others.

In the social & music circles I move in, Clarks are VERY popular. Liam Gallagher wears them all the time!

Silverclocks · 04/04/2022 14:34

I think if you want reasonable quality, comfortable leather shoes, Clarks takes some beating. They're comparable in price to things like Hotter and cheaper than similar quality with more style.

randomchap · 04/04/2022 14:35

Clarks was bought out by a Hong Kong based private equity firm last year. The Clarks family no longer control the firm. Have the price rises coincided with the new ownership?

I used to buy my work shoes from there as they were hard wearing, comfortable and weren't too expensive. Went in there last month and the adult male basic work shoes were £100+ and looked to be worse quality than my last pair from 2020

Iamnotmad · 04/04/2022 14:36

Changing to Clarks shoes got rid of my plantar fascitis within a week.

FatOaf · 04/04/2022 14:37

There are still plenty of people who believe in brands and will ignore the evidence of their own eyes (and feet). If price and quality governed a business's success, Clarks would have disappeared many, many years ago. But some people will put black cardboard on their children's feet because it has a Clarks label on, and pay £50+ for the privilege.

Fairislefandango · 04/04/2022 14:39

I have a big Clarks outlet store in my local town and buy school shoes and sometimes shoes for me from there. There's so much choice, I never bother going to the normal shop now.

Samanabanana · 04/04/2022 14:42

I buy all my work shoes from Clarks- I have very fussy feet and they're the only shoes my feet will tolerate for 8+ hours a day. Our local Clarks is always packed so I don't think it will he going anywhere anytime soon...

Babyvenusplant · 04/04/2022 14:48

@DorothyZbornakIsAQueen

I've recently bought a pair of school shoes for DD, but I think it will be the last pair I buy from there. She needed to get her feet measured and then I felt obliged to buy.

£46 for a pair of plain black shoes. But she is a 1/2 size and I don't know anywhere that does half sizes of decent quality

Next do 1/2 sizes
user1471443411 · 04/04/2022 14:51

I know they always get slated on here, but I do like some of their shoes, find them generally good quality and comfortable. However, I do agree that they can't continue with the prices some of their shoes are going for now, and lots of people only buy them in the sales, which must be the only think keeping them going.
The decent shoes from there, like Unstructured, are so expensive which might be worth it if they were going to last but many of the styles can't be resoled. DD2 has a couple of pairs which are both coming away from the sole at the toes and I don't think I can justify buying her another pair at full price. I looked at the Outlet online but they seem like different shoes, and poor photographs? I'm not sure I'd trust that these shoes were genuine and not just made for the outlet shoes (also most of them aren't that much cheaper).

swimlyn · 04/04/2022 14:51

@Silverclocks

I think if you want reasonable quality, comfortable leather shoes, Clarks takes some beating. They're comparable in price to things like Hotter and cheaper than similar quality with more style.
Yes, Clarks and Hotter, brilliant to begin with but then deteriorate rapidly. They used to both be good for years, now it's a year or so...

M&S have gone the same route of buy cheap and sell just as high as always. It just won't wash nowadays.

I don't mind paying for quality, but they're trading on their name only now.

mummymei · 04/04/2022 15:13

I grew up with (and still have) very narrow feet. Clarks is the only place I can get shoes to fit. Ordinary shoes from next etc are a standard width and I just walk out of them.

Judellie · 04/04/2022 15:30

No mention of Charles Clinkard? They measure children's feet. Got myself a pair of Doc Marten shoes from there just after the first lockdown for £31.50 tho they may be up a bit in price now. Was never struck on Clarks and Brantano (who also did the measuring) closed before Covid started!

Baggingarea · 04/04/2022 15:33

So expensive and the quality is awful! Heartily agree OP.

isthismylifenow · 04/04/2022 15:35

@SherryPalmer

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.
Yes this is the case. I am in another country and we have a few Clarks stores in some major shopping centres.

They are not filled to the brim with stock, but there are very few (if any) childrens shoes to buy.

Childrens shoes are not the target market here in this type of store.

Phormiumjester2 · 04/04/2022 15:42

@FatOaf

There are still plenty of people who believe in brands and will ignore the evidence of their own eyes (and feet). If price and quality governed a business's success, Clarks would have disappeared many, many years ago. But some people will put black cardboard on their children's feet because it has a Clarks label on, and pay £50+ for the privilege.
Yes! And also my mum. My mum would have pulled a face if I'd put my kids in anything "less" than Clarks because she, apparently, starved the family to buy them for me. It's tantamount neglect to buy from Next.
Parker231 · 04/04/2022 15:49

I’ve always associated Clarks as being for children or old people. Now their quality is so poor I can’t see anything there I would buy - outdated and poor quality

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 04/04/2022 15:52

I only shop there because they do a 9 in some women’s styles.

Bootothegoose · 04/04/2022 16:03

I shopped exclusively at Clarks for DD until she reached school age apart from trainers (real PFB! She even had Clarks wellies) because I'd always thought it was the best place to go.

I took DS to be fitted for his first shoes at about 15 months old and the lady had to measure his feet three times for the same measurement. She then brought out the wrong pair twice and when she came to put them on his feet he SCREAMED.

Out of sheer embarrassment and putting it down to him being fussy (which he was and is) I shushed him as she velcro'ed them on and then felt around his feet and proclaimed them a great fit. Get them off him and I say I'm not sure he doesn't seem comfortable at all. Look inside and the cardboard stuffing is still inside the shoe.

Not only had she forgotten to take it out, she'd felt around and said they were a great fit. She got very arsey when I said I didn't want to try them on again and would leave it for today and stood up and walked off, packing the shoes up and muttering. A manager was close by and heard the exchange but didn't say a word.

I never went back, our Clarks moved into town not long later and I've never been. I ordered a foot gauge online and ordered his first shoes from Kidly instead who were fantastic about returns.

I will bob into the Clarks outlet if I'm at Cheshire Oaks but never think to go to Clarks anymore. I find the styles quite outdated and I've found cheaper and better quality at places like Marks. I really thought I'd miss their school shoes but both have always had Kickers which are phenomenal.

caringcarer · 04/04/2022 16:11

I send my dd money to buy Clarke's shoes for dgc. One has a wide fitting and I worry his foot would be squashed in a supermarket standard size. She has told me she can't afford Clarke's.

isthismylifenow · 04/04/2022 16:13

@randomchap

Clarks was bought out by a Hong Kong based private equity firm last year. The Clarks family no longer control the firm. Have the price rises coincided with the new ownership?

I used to buy my work shoes from there as they were hard wearing, comfortable and weren't too expensive. Went in there last month and the adult male basic work shoes were £100+ and looked to be worse quality than my last pair from 2020

This makes sense now.

I posted before about finding a pair of Clarks brogue shoes. I am not in the UK and we have a few warehouse type shops that buy bulk imported end of range clothes and shoes.

I went to try on the shoes and noticed that a few of the exact same shoe was branded with 4 different names. One was Clarks, one was Cos, one was a Chinese name and the other I just cannot remember. (I have seen it mentioned here so its a brand name)

I assume they came in from the manufacturer, who are clearly making for many companies. So Clarks are not only Clarks. There are other brands out there which are the exact same thing.

And Clarks probably buy from different manufacturers, so perhaps why people are finding the quality different across the ranges.

(I do see this label thing quite a lot on clothing too, a lot of Primark/Atmosphere for eg, and then the same item with a different shop label ie H&M)