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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to feel ripped off after spending £28 on a pair of shoes from clarkes.....

69 replies

mum2samandalex · 31/03/2009 00:12

it was his first pair of shoes and only one bloody choice and not the nicest i can tell you. What is it about having to buy clarkes shoes my mums alway telling me youve got to buy clarkes or else your ruin their feet. I have to go back 6-8 weeks to get them remeasured!

OP posts:
Bonneville · 31/03/2009 00:17

YANBU I learned my lesson after dc1. Never went near a Clarkes with dc2. It didnt make any difference. We are brainwashed into thinking we are terrible mothers if we dont go to Clarkes!

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 31/03/2009 00:18

It doesn't matter where you buy the shoes, he'll still need re-measured and re-fitted in 6 - 8 weeks.

Monty100 · 31/03/2009 00:23

I gave up on Clarks when DS was about 2 and was an 'e' fitting, they didn't have an 'e' in my choice of shoe so the lovely 16 year old assistant offered to get an 'f' for him instead. (about £20/30 shoe).

Goodbye!

Was as I had the same advice from mum and had spent a fortune on DD's shoes who was two years older than DS!!

Rip off.

I'd take them back if he hasn't worn them.

Think Clarks is codswallop.

Monty100 · 31/03/2009 00:24

Sorry, forgot Y.A.N.B.U.

xx

scrooged · 31/03/2009 00:27

Just as bad as startright IMO, ds has had 4 pairs that have fallen to pieces. He used to have to have brown ones for his old school, startright were the only company to make them, £36+ and the stitching came loose after 4 months

Numberfour · 31/03/2009 05:42

i am also really pissed off with the attitude that it Clarks or Bust!

any other suggestions as to other "good" shoes?

YANBU, btw, imo, hth.....

mychildrenarebarmy · 31/03/2009 06:02

YANBU. It used to be the case that Clarks was about the only place that you could get shoes fitted properly. Now that isn't the case. Unfortunatly IMHO the staff are often not very well trained or it is a part time or short term job. In our local Clarks my DC's have only ever been measured/fitted by the same person twice. I always watch very carefully and have turned down shoes that staff have said were fine in the past when they blatantly were not.

stripeyshirt · 31/03/2009 07:14

i ended up at mothercare, first lace up boots for ds, BABY K by myleene klass. not that i'm into myleene klass..good fit, wide, easy to get on...lasted him end november to last week. 18pounds.

my experience with clarks sim to monty27. don't trust a numpty shoefitter.

hophophippidtyhop · 31/03/2009 07:28

I bought some chipmunk shoes recently, they're good for e or f fittings, and a lot cheaper than clarks!either from here for about £12 , or there are lots of them brand new on ebay for around £8! I got my dd's feet measured then bought them from ebay.

fleurlechaunte · 31/03/2009 07:48

Start rite are better imho. They take ages to measure the foot and if the person doing it doesn't feel 100% happy she call the manager/foot measurer expert over for a second opinion. It's a bit of a performance tbh but at least they seem to know what they are doing. Loads more choice as well.

JollyPirate · 31/03/2009 08:03

I struggle a bit with all this but agree that in most cases Clarkes are not worth the hassle and money. I trend to use them only because DS has really wide feet (the widest fitting) and other shoes "off the shelf" just do not fit him properly - leaving me with no option but Clarkes. Grrr! Even the daps for school have to be bought in Clarkes because the £1 pair that every other parent buys are too tight across the top for DS so I end up with the Clarkes £10 pair with a wider fitting.

PuppyMonkey · 31/03/2009 08:10

I only go to Clarkes because my niece works there (she is very good shoe fitter, not a numpty ) and she gets me 33% off. Get in!

Buda · 31/03/2009 08:15

Clarkes is mainly a UK thing. (I do admit I have been sucked into it too!) Califrau (who lives in California hence the name for thosw of you who don't know her) pointed out that Clarkes doesn't exist in the States and they all manage grow up with fairly normal feet! When you think about it like that it makes sense!

carrielou2007 · 31/03/2009 08:25

We've always had clarks growing up as we live 30 miles from the UK head office/whatever it's called. We went on saturday and bought 2 pairs of shoes. I thought they were a little loose, but hey, I don't know what to look for.

I went back to our local clarks the next day who measured her a smaller size and really took time, showing me what I should be looking for. Being a tiny branch I had to swap her shoes for the only 2 pairs in her size but at least now they fit!

MsSparkle · 31/03/2009 08:44

I had my dds feet measured once in Clarks by a Saturday girl (never trust Saturday staff to measure properly) and she took my dds shoe off that she wearing and said to herself "what size is she now? A size 6" Then she measured dds foot and oh guess what, she's a 6 and a half!

I left and went to another store the next day and she was measured as still being a 6! I think the girl in the last shop only said she was a 6 and a half to make a sale

MsSparkle · 31/03/2009 08:47

Can anyone recommend places to buy good shoes other than Clarks?

dizietsma · 31/03/2009 08:58

Clarks is bollocks, but I also got sucked in.

DD and I visited one store who didn't have anything in her size, so I tried another.

Next store measured her two sizes bigger. Both measurements were taken on the same day!

I think that the best option, if available, is to visit kids shoe shop that's owned independently. They have their reputation on the line, and so will work harder to get the fit right at the right price.

Gorionine · 31/03/2009 08:59

Yanbu!

If you have a little boy, Asda has nice , reasonably quality shoes but i do not think they measure feet. I think M&S might. If you have a girl older than 8yo there is NOWHERE with appropriate shes IMO! (looks either like 4yo shoes or like teenage shoes) Drives me mad.

One thing for Clarks though, when they have sales it is really worth it! £5 a pair if you can find the right sized one!

TsarChasm · 31/03/2009 09:02

Get your dc measured then buy the shoes from here

mistlethrush · 31/03/2009 09:06

Independant shop every time - get a much wider range of shoes to choose from and proper fitting.

Gorionine · 31/03/2009 09:12

TsarChasm, this link is fab! I love the "junior" girl shoes as well, a first really!

MrsMattie · 31/03/2009 09:16

I'm so over the Clarks myth.

I get my 4 yr old DS's feet measured there, then buy elsewhere. As he gets older, I find it easier, as a) through experience I am better able to tell once a shoe is on if it is a good fit myself and b) he sits still/tries shoes on quite happily. Much harder when they are toddlers!

I'm not paying £30 + for one of a limited selection of not particularly nice or hard wearing shoes ever again!

mumto2andnomore · 31/03/2009 09:17

i always buy clarks they are the only ones who have shoes wide enough for my dd, we went to startrite once and the shoes made her feet bleed ! No chance getting any to fit off the shelf.

TsarChasm · 31/03/2009 09:21

Gorionine - It is good isn't it?

I have bought shoes from there for dd - Startrite shoes at the most fantastic price. I always link to that site now on shoe threads.

You can return the shoes if they are not right after all. I know this could be a bit of a risk/faff, but the benefits far outweighs any problems imo.

dizietsma · 31/03/2009 09:22

If it's width that's a problem, my Chirpodist said that the very BEST shoes for your feet are cheap trainers because they'll mould to the shape of your foot, not the other way around. Buy your DD some cheapo trainers and her feet will be just as healthy!