To think that Clarkes and Start-Rite should...

[littlebrownmouse]

...sell shoes in a size ten and a half for my three year old dd that are not either black school shoes or knee high boots. What to do? I just want a pair of shoes or ankle boots in a nice jolly shade or shades that are filled in at the front and that are suitable for a just three year old, not an eight year old school girl and that can be worn with jeans or skirts, have velcro rather than buckles or laces and are not black. Its not much to ask surely, therre must be other three year olds with giant sized feet. All advice accepted.

Chop her toes off, better now than later when she wants women's shoes in a size 8 that don't make her look like a tranny.

Don't think she'd be very keen actually. Would I not go to prison for doing such a thing?

I get DD Ricosta ankle boots every year, lovely soft, well fitted from an independent retailer near me.
They are waterproof too!

here

We have one of those, I go in for Start-Rite but am a bit scared of the price of all other makes. Also, lovely French and Italian designer type ones don't seem to come width fitted. Will take deep breath and check it out tomorrow.

Try a designer children's shoes shop. You may find some for the same price as SR or not much more.

Ricosta ones look lovely and one of the retailers is our local independent shoe shop. Thanks.

I found Ricosta work out to be similar to Start Rite, and although they only come in 3 widths, we have always been ok, DD has very narrow feet!

Prices look good too. Am loving Ricosta Lala and have found another local stockist.

It's the Lala that DD has, she loves them.

Totally agree, my 3 year old is a size 10 and when I took her into clarks all they seemed to have were massive boots or school shoes. I will check out Ricosta, so glad I found this thread!

Yanbu atall. I to have a 3 year old with size 10 feet and found nothing in clarks we liked, The boots were all useless if you own a jean wearing child and tbh i thought the styles were bloody hideous anyway

In the end we got her some from Next.

WM, sounds like your DD dresses similarly to mine! Long boots also not very suitable for sitting on floor, crawling through tunnels and taking on and off at nursery. When I tried black shoes and grown up boots on DD in Clarkes, even the trying-on-lady said "Oh, don't get her those, they look far too grown up for her, take her somewhere else and get her some proper little girl's shoes!" She clearly wasn't on commision!

I had this last winter when my per-schooler was a 10.5. Black boys shoes or trainers was all Clarks could offer in September though I think they got some boots in later on. I got him fab red shoes at an independent shoe shop and I'm so pleased I did as he'll have black school shoes for the next 12 years or so!

She was only three in June, so I've got ages before she will actually need black school shoes.

oh my god littlebrownmouse!!!!!!! I've been ranting about this to friends for the past two weeks!!!!!

Word for word I had the same problem with my 3 year old. The shop assistant told me to complain to clarkes as a lot of parents have commented how unfair it is.

Let's do it!!!!

we ended up getting dark navy shoes with a toy in the heel! Can't remember what they're called but I'm not too happy about them. All the other shoes just didn't fit too well so we really were limited. So unfair as my dd is so into pinks and lilacs or anything girly actually.

Well, she's looking beautiful in her Ricosta Lala boots. Thanks for all help and suggestions!

I got these for DD from Clarks. I think they are lovely.