Clark’s school shoes

[Disgruntledcustomer]

Bought 7yr old DD school shoes from Clark’s for the beginning of the school year. They’re already really scuffed, she’s always had Clark’s shoes and they’ve lasted her the whole school year so disappointed we’re not even halfway through the school year and these ones are so worn out. Do you reckon I would be able to go into Clark’s and
ask for a replacement pair or will they laugh me out the shop?!

Sorry read that back and didn’t realised how many times I’d repeated “school year” 😂

Depends how bad and if it's more than wear and tear. But tbh if she's worn them everyday for 6months I'm not surprised they're scuffed.

I cant imagine Clarkes will replace scuffed shoes even if a week old. Clarkes didn't scuff them.

Well you can but ask.

Scuffed isn't the sole falling off or the buckle stitching coming away, it's general wear and tear. I'm very surprised a child only needs one pair of school shoes a year, DS outgrows shoes in 3-6 months

I highly doubt it.
Maybe your DC is more active than she use to be? I tend to buy a second pair of shoes at some pt in the year and also buys Clark

They've been worn for 6 months and she's a young kid, I very much doubt you'll get any sort of replacement or refund.

Not to nitpick, but it is half way through the school year. I agree with others scuffed shoes aren't a design fault.

My DS’s actually advertised as ‘tough’ Start-rite shoes were scuffed badly (so badly that they were unwearable) during his first day of school (with normal wear - he was 5!) and they refused to help whatsoever. I’d never buy from them again. So you’ll be lucky if they replace after 6 months. If they do then Clark’s customer service is significantly better than that of start-rite! Their shoes certainly are - every pair has lasted him a full year.

Have you actually looked after them properly? By which I mean very regular cleaning and polishing and ensuring they aren’t used for scooting/football/dragging feet while walking?

Expecting a pair of shoes for a seven year old child, worn every school day, to be unscuffed after more than half a school year seems crazy to me. The fact that schools operate on a yearly basis doesn’t mean it’s reasonable to expect school shoes to necessarily last that long! Maybe your daughter is being more active or maybe the style this year is less suitable.

It depends if they are still functional as good shoes. If the scuffs have holes that let water in, then I'd say you have a point.

I guess it depends if they have holes in or soles coming off. Also how well looked after they have been. My daughter had a pair of clarks school.shoes and the sole came off by the toes and seam came undone down one side after just a half term wear. I took them back and the manager tried very very hard to argue this was normal wear and tear. Eventually after a very difficult and embarrassing encounter where I stood my ground he agreed to exchange. Fortunately the replacement pair was better and lasted longer. I think it is reasonable for a clarks pair to last a school year unless used for playing sport at lunchtime.

We’ve found Clarkes to be utter shit in the past few years.
They fall apart, even without heavy use.

My children have always needed two pairs of Clarke’s school shoes a year. Usually scuffed and falling apart by the feb half term so sounds about right unfortunately although I’ve got friends whose DC shoes are still pristine in July.

I'd expect a pair of school shoes for a young child to be scuffed after almost daily wear for half a school year.

I'd be unimpressed if there were major problems after a couple of months and I'd looked after them properly though.

I doubt they'll do anything after six months!

About 25 years ago I bought some Clarks sandals which literally fell apart in the rain. They replaced those only for the same thing to happen again. I got a refund that time and they didn't query it, apparently it had happened to a lot of people and was accepted as a design fault.

Hmm I'm 52 and had the same happen when I was upper juniors yr5/6.
DM took them back got a replacement and i never dared admit I would sit in assembly and flex/crunch my toes, which is how it happened?!

I don't know any child who wouldn't have scuffed shoes after six months of near daily wear. If they're still functional then why do they need replacing?

I have had a refund for school shoes 3 times. One pair of GEOX because the patent started peeling off after less than 6 months, one pair of Clarks because the sole came away after 3 months and a pair from Sports Direct that didn’t even last 2 weeks before they became faulty!
The best thing to do is email Clarks and ask, they will ask for photos and then make a decision, embarrassment spared.

Clarks are rubbish. Marks and spencer are very good as is a company called treads which are available online.

Shoes worn 5 days a week for 6 months I’d think you’d got your monies worth.

I got a refund from Clark’s twice - once for selling me the wrong size and another time because the shoes fell apart before October half term. I stopped buying from them after the second time and found John Lewis to be better as they had a variety of brands and better fitters.

I'm impressed that the stitching has survived so long. I gave up buying Clarks halfway through yR after several pairs of shoes fell apart in the pre-school years and the school shoes were mashed halfway through the year before being grown out of.

Geox last until they're grown out of and my DCs have phases of slow-growing feet. They're not necessarily shiny and new looking, but still functional.

The one time I got a refund was after 24 hours when 5yo DS wore them to holiday club and had worn holes in the tops of his trainers. The shop staff looked extremely dubious, but the soles and uppers were still fresh, and he'd done a normal, age appropriate activities and they shouldn't have been worn through in a single day and were not fit for purpose.

6 months of wear for 5 days a week then it's not surprising they're scuffed. ANY shoes would be scuffed after that period of time! Especially if you also walk to and from school.

And most kids feet grow within the 6 months too, so 6 months is more than reasonable for a pair of school shoes.

If the soles fell off, you'd have gold reason to feel aggrieved. But no supplier will guarantee their footwear against cosmetic damage. No shoes are scuff-proof.

Have you seen the abuse primary school children subject their footwear to? Kids play hard! I've seen then spend ten minutes kicking a wall, or walking laps of the playground dragging the toes of their shoes on the ground.