To want to find my DD a pair of shoes which do not make her look like 'toddler of Barbie?'

[cushioncover]

I've been to both Clarks and John Lewis this morning to try and find a nice pair of shoes for DD who's nearly 2. Everything, especially in Clarks, was sooo pink. If it wasn't pink it was glittery or had pink flowers stuck to it. They weren't even a nice pale pink just a gawdy yucky pink.

The Clarks website shows a pale blue pair and one with spots but the biggish branch I visited said very few branches will request or be allocated these.

I really like all the colours and styles of the 'first shoes', the blues and beiges with velcro bits but they don't continue up. I don't want her to look like a boy just not to have to wear bright pink shoes with her green or red trousers.
Rant over (It's been a stressful and unproductive morning)

I love the simple buckled shoes (wtf is all this velcro malarky?). I used to have a pair of shoes like those Colorado boots - in a sort of tan colour - DD would look adorable in them imvho. Shame I can't really stretch to £40

Yes, I was picturing them with jeans too.

I can understand lots of pink shoes in the range that roughly covers girls age 3-8 as they love it at that age and are quite headstrong. Just don't think pink glittery shoes with buckles are what girls age 2 and under need. (Nor what their fussy mothers want! )

My daughter has some gold shoes for parties (in a style similar to the Start-Rite Diana model) and some very pale pink leather ballet flats and pink Havaianas (the fairy model) and pink Converse boots... ho hum... at 3.5...

But for school it's plainer stuff.

After a few scary Clark's horrors I've always bought my girls Ecco shoes from a local independent shop. They are slightly pricier but look great and wear really well. Have a look on their website to find a supplier local to you.

Ecco are cheaper than Startrite though. And DD has had very nice Ecco shoes in the past (less fussy than Clarks) but they were too big round the heel. Startrite were too wide across the front so we ended up with the Clarks.

I will check out Ecco stockists too, thanks.

I could have written the OP for my DD who is 6 after a horendous shopping trip yesterday. I don't mind simple plain pink shoes but everything I saw was just disgustingly twee. I love the Start-rite shoes but they are getting pricey, especially going into summer when I know she'll be wearing sandals a lot anyway.

after trawling shoe shops yesterday, waited 1 hour and 10mins in russell and bromley and bought the start right louisa. the rest of the shoes were terrrible. i think i wore these 40 years ago.

Clarks clearly aren't listening to the target market.

I love Primigi and Ecco shoes and adored her first ones bought in v expensive local shop (t-bar red unisex, bought them in the sale - and blue for next size up!!)

I'm afraid I now do second-hand, good quality, shoes for dd (she is 2 so am guessing they have been hardly worn) and was looking for unisex ones that could be passed down but have ended up with gorgeous v girly ones! (but lovely too)

Found this site yesterday - might be alright if you try on the shoes in Russell and Bromley first and they have exactly what you want.

uuugh yeah most look vile - like they have come free with a happy meal

Have to admit, stuff like this makes me glad I have a boy!
YANBU

DD tried on some gorgeous red strappy wedge sandals in Next today. But she is six, so couldn't have them. Why were they not in my size? It is wrong that they were shoes for little girls when they should have been for me.

Have to echo the TK Maxx suggestion. DD is 2 and we've had some really nice and interesting shoes from there, including Ecco for £10... it's quite hit and miss though - you have to keep checking what stock's come in.

I feel the same as the OP. Last summer, I saw a pair of plain light brown mary-jane-type shoes on the Clarks web site. They came in bright pink too. Could I find them in any of the shops? No. I had a really annoying conversation with some jumped-up little weekend worker in a Mothercare Clarks concession shop who just kept patronising me. I had thought they could order some in. No. I thought Clarks prided themselves on customer service but they don't. I emailed the central customer service at their head office and they couldn't help either. All they will do is check the stock at your nearest 5 shops. I asked why the shoe was on their website as a current design if it wasn't available. I was told that it was because the 'hot' pink colour was more popular. ? I think most of us could come up with better designs.

Sorry for ranting but it really annoyed me at the time. I wish there were more plain shoes (colour is fine but just one colour at a time) around for small children rather than everything pink and purple with multi-coloured frou-frou flowers and hearts all over them. I will check out the references to other suppliers.

I agree Sky. I wouldn't have such an issue with a plain pink shoes. The fussiness makes them so much worse.

oooooooooh I was going to post a shoe rant

we get a few clark's shoes here in NZ (I saw the most divine red mary janes) BUT they do not go up to DD's size

she does, admittedly, have quite huge feet (9.5, and she's only 3.4 ) BUT FFS we can't seem to find anything that fits. Apparently, her feet are wide at the front and slim at the back. Summer shoes were fine, but currently we can't find anything for winter EXCEPT endless Barbie/pink/trainer/sparkly lighting up shite

we have to wait for some eye-wateringly expensive boots from Germany or somewher eto come in to the shop next week and try those on to see if they fit. I am very cross.

I know they might not do the fitting in the shop, but ive always go my little girl, now 3-5yrs , from George at Adsa!! they are great value £12-14 for leather and not all the same girlie pink. I gor her a lovely pillar box red chunky velcro strap with a big red button on the front last August anmd thay have just gor scraped now!!! and she was wearing them everyday practically

dd has had these aster shoes for a couple of years now. she does have pink, but they come in other colours

Ok, i think clarks boys shoes are shite. My son is 4, due to start school in september and is a size 10.5, but trying to get him any Clarks shoes that are nice blue/brown shoes like the younger ones is impossible. Apparently in his size they only seem to do the black school shoes, which are gross with normal clothes, or some chavvy cica trainers. Ended up getting him some lovely Merrell trainers from an independent shop, and he has some converse, but was distinctly unimpressed with the range of "proper" shoes in his size.

My DD just got her first pair of Piedro boots TODAY for her hypermobile ankles and could only get black patent...they look like baby Doc Martens actually and are quite funky!!

So YANBU..all kids should be able to get funky black patent boots!

Mind you I would love to get her pink ones as well, hopefully we can eventually!!

Can anyone sense a business opportunity here? Well-made children's shoes that don't cost a fortune and aren't covered in chavvy tat - how hard can it be?