How important are Clarks shoes?

[MsBaggins]

I have a toddler dd who has been in Clarks shoes since she could walk, the same as my older dc who still has Clark's school shoes.

To be honest I'm sick of paying extortionate amounts for ugly shoes when I could get some trainers that look nicer, are much cheaper and are still pretty sturdy.

I know Clark's are meant to be supportive for growing feet which is why I've always bought them for my dc but how important are they really?

Clarks shoes aren’t actually that great. Brands like Startrite, Geoxx and some others that I can’t remember are much better.

There are definitely better or equally as good brands out there - Clark’s is only a brand after all.

I think there are meant to be issues with wearing trainers all the time re foot support though.

I think Clarks are poor quality.

We used to go to an independent show shop and get shoes that fitted well and lasted until.out-grown. Superfit do some great styles.

I am a believer in the main pair of shoes being sized correctly, good sturdy quality and a good fit for growth.

To put it in perspective, my DC grew up in the US where there wasn't a Clark's shoe store and I didn't hear of a mass outbreak of foot problems at their schools due to a lack of Clark's shoes.

Clarks used to be great. Definitely not worth it in the last 10-15 years

Not important at all! The part that really matters is getting the fit right. We’ve always done a combo of startrite and trainers from adidas/nike. I’ve only ever heard bad things about Clarks quality and the shop near me just looks depressing so never thought to buy from there.

Saw a podiatrist with one of my kids and was told to buy any brand of shoes just make sure they fit and have enough space around the toes and have flexible soles. He suggested supermarket shoes.

Have bought from Clarks a few times as have an outlet near us, but as often as not they get the wrong size so it's not foolproof

I wouldn't mind if they were actually nice shoes but they are mostly pretty ugly and old fashioned imo.

Vans or Adidas trainers are a fraction of the price in toddler sizes - we're talking maybe £20-25 instead of £48. And they are trendier (not that that's a priority).

I would still take her to get measured at Clark's but I'm loathe to keep spending so much money there if it's not necessary.

You can buy your own measuring gauge online and do it yourself too.

As long as the shoes fit properly and give adequate support and flexibility, any brand will be fine.

I'd be wary of vans or converse though because they are very flat and offer poor support for growing feet.

Vans are really flat and thin soles. Not support. OK for casual use but not the main shoe.

Worth checking out the Clarks outlet. Ingot DDs school shoes there for less than half price. I also got her some trainers for under £20!

Feet are designed to support your body. "Support" added in to a shoe is a bad thing for growing feet, not a good thing. The most natural option is bare feet at home. Obviously outside you want some protection against sharper things, so wear shoes - but they still should be flexible and allow the foot to control movement.

Unless you have been advised that the child has problems already which need support, clunky stiff shoes are more likely to damage normal development than assist it.

There's no point getting her measured at Clark's if you're not buying their shoes - it's not a standardised measurement and only reliably applies to their shoes.

Have you looked at some brands like Ricosta, Geoxx?

Barefoot shoes are the best for us all, but especially growing feet. Thing and flexible sole with a wife toe box is what you need.

Back in yesteryear ie 80-90s I imagine there wasn't as great a range of shoes for children. Going to have your feet measured so you have properly fitting shoes I guess was important following generation of people having foot pain probably because they wore hand me downstairs or poor fitting shoes. So parents bought into Clarks marketing which still hangs around now.

Life is different now, we don't just have the choice of high street shops like Clarks but from everywhere. That doesn't mean all brands are good for growing feet through. Wide toe boxes are important and cheap shoes are likely made of cheap materials and not good for feet.

So buy carefully and maybe buy a foot gauge so you can work out an accurate size and width.

If you are interested in foot health and development then Clarks aren't great, but they're better than Vans etc.

You want barefoot style shoes, a wide toe box and flexible sole.

Bobux and Vivo are great. There's lots of other brands too.

I would be weary of Vans as they don't really provide any support, even myself when I wear vans and converse I find my ankles sore.

I do get Clarks shoes but I buy them second hand on Vinted for a few pounds (looking out for the barely worn ones). I wouldn’t buy full price. I do find they last much longer than the supermarket or high street ones generally. Trainers in particular seem to last ages - I got some from Asda once and they lasted as week before the front big started coming away from the show!

Not important at all! What is important is measuring feet properly and getting wide or narrow fit shoes if needed.
But you can buy foot measuring tools and watch shoe fitting tutorials online.
Trainers are probably good for growing feet, and also lots of places do different widths for children- next, M&S, John Lewis etc

My DD had very narrow feet and thin ankles so it was difficult to get Clarks to fit her properly. She used to have Start Rite in the summer and Elefanten boots in the winter. If you can find a small independent children’s shoe shop then you may find them cheaper than Clarks.

Deichmann sell a range of Elefanten children’s shoes https://www.deichmann.com/en-gb/brands/c-elefanten

My mum stopped buying me Clarks shoes after they said I’d need to wear boy shoes because my feet were too wide. Never liked them after that.
Also had a friend who had a Saturday job there and was treated terribly.

I also like Clarks as a lot of the kids shoes are leather. (So worth it if I find a deal on Vinted).

Clarks are no longer owned by the Clarks family. They were struggling a few years ago and the business got sold to a hedge fund based overseas.

They are not the same as they were and the quality has dropped significantly

Please don't keep your children in trainers, buy them leather school shoes. Doesn't matter what brand they are as long as they fit properly.