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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be hopping mad that Clarks have given DS the wrong fitting two times in a row...

45 replies

Eve4Walle · 25/05/2009 11:20

and now he has a huge blister!

He's 15 months, and I had him fitted for a pair of Clarks Doodles last week, was told he was a 4F and despite my querying that because he's been an H with before now, was told that this was his size.

Said Doodles have left a very red line along the soles of both feet. Went back yesterday and had a moan, he was re-fitted at a 4.5H and this time the doodles seemed to fit much better. Fast forward 5 hours, he's in the garden toddling about, and then suddenly starts crying and trying to take his shoes off. I have a look and OMG - there's a hUge blister on his foot that is weepy and very sore looking. My poor boy!

I am gonna bust some ass at the Clarks shop later! I do realise that I probably won't resolve much without writing but I am appalled at this....AIBU?

OP posts:

lottiejenkins · 25/05/2009 11:25

Dont all new shoes give you blisters?

Original poster

Eve4Walle · 25/05/2009 11:27

What, Clarks ones meant for babies? Err, no!

OP posts:

Bucharest · 25/05/2009 11:27

My dd gets blisters from new shoes whatever size/quality/price and so do I....(I put it down to delicate skin lol)
That said, Clark's do swing the leg (as it were) with their fittings...at Christmas the girly told me dd was a 10.5F, I had a pair of 10 boots in my hand and said "Oh, these are no good then" "Let's have a look" fiddle fiddle, "oh they're fine, would you like them?" "but you said she needs a 10.5" "No a 10 is fine" And so, evidently, is a sale......
There's a heck of a difference between an F and a H though I'd have thought.

BillSilverFoxBuchanan · 25/05/2009 11:31

YANBU and this is why I don't use Clarks.

Do you have a shoe shop near you that sells Startrite?

at all shoes giving blisters.

luvoneson · 25/05/2009 11:57

Poor little boyzy. I would be very annoyed with Clarks as well, we are not only paying for quality but for a good service by a trained person. Totally not acceptable. Go bust ass girl!

NormaSknockers · 25/05/2009 12:02

YANBU - I love Doodles & DD lives in them but I gave up a long time geting her actually fitted in there as they were next to useless. It seemed each member of staff gave her a different measurement

I get her measured elsewhere (Startrite are very good) usually get her a decent pair of shoes from there & then just pop back to Clarks to buy the Doodles in the size I have already been advised of. Not had a problem since & her all shoes fit really well, no blisters or anything (which she did have in the past).

qwertpoiuy · 25/05/2009 12:04

Your poor DS, Eve !

Actually, I stopped getting my children fitted for shoes at my local Clark's because they insisted on measuring with un-stockinged feet! Surely socks increase the size of the shoe you require. As a result, they only got about 1-2months out of their shoes.

After this happening twice, I started buying cheap shoes going up a size each time and they've got much longer out of their shoes.

newpup · 25/05/2009 12:59

Charles Klinkard are really good. My DDs now 10 and 7 have always had their shoes fitted here. They take lots of time with each child and really know their stuff. They sell clarks and startrite shoes as well as other brands.

When Dd1 was a toddler I had her fitted at Clarks once and they measured her feet wrong and she ended up with blisters, I returned the shoes and had a refund and went back to Klinkards.

magentadreamer · 25/05/2009 13:11

Clarks did this to my DD when she was 3. I've never been back since!

StealthPolarBear · 25/05/2009 13:14

When Ds had his first ever pair of shoes they were a 4. We get him measured every month or so, and over time he went up to a 4.5 then a 5, as you'd expect. When the 5s seemed a bit tight we went to get him measured again (all at Clarks) to be told he was a ... 4. Apparently all the others got it wrong previously (about 6 or 7 occassions I would think) and he must have had his toes scrunched up.

nicolamumof3 · 25/05/2009 13:15

independent shoe shops the way to go. clarks are useless and will sell you whatever they have in stock imo. go to www.startrite.com you can order on line once they have been fitted. they even have some doodle type styles in the sale and are nice imo.

you're poor ds! blisters from shoes at 15m

StealthPolarBear · 25/05/2009 13:18

I have to say, despite my wingeing, they have never been pushy to make a sale IME. His feet have been 5s (or 4s) since November. Last time they said he was just about a 5 and a half, but we should leave it for another couple of weeks.

lynniep · 25/05/2009 13:18

I was furious when hubby came home with DS (he was about 15 months then) wearing doodles that were obviously too tight. (DS was, not DH!) They'd strapped his feet in completely oblivious to the fact that the t-bar was cutting into his foot and his skin was actually puffing out of the holes.

He has very 'high' feet as well as being a G fitting, and the straps are just not long enough to allow him the room for them, which meant if I undid them enough to give him room, there wasn't enough velcro left available to 'stick'. DH just didnt notice as he said he'd left the girl to it.

I took them back and complained. Another woman re-measured him, and then instead of refunding, tried to sell us the same doodles in a bigger size! I pointed out that the strap still wasnt long enough to give him room even if the shoes were longer.

Baisey · 25/05/2009 13:22

You are all so lucky to get service in Clarks! I was stood in my local one with DS (he loves getting his feet measured) sat there with shoes off and big grin on his face. The sales assistant then went on to serve someone who had just walked in about 5 minutes after me! grr.

MrsBonJovi · 25/05/2009 13:22

Lynniep...did they refund you the wrong sized pair in the end?

lynniep · 25/05/2009 14:13

yes I did - it was really obvious to the woman (different one to the original) that they were too tight. And yet like I said, when she measured herself, she came up with the same width, but an extra half size.

Then tried to tell me those would fit! (she tried them, right on the edge of the velcro, but I knew they'd not stay on longer than 2 minutes because there wasnt enough velcro to stick) I said they were no good at all and I wanted a refund and she didnt argue.

wotulookinat · 25/05/2009 14:21

I would not be happy at all I certainly don't think Doodles should give a child blisters - you go and bust some ass!

StealthPolarBear · 25/05/2009 14:39

Baisey, ours has a ticket system at weekends but unless you know about it you never see them so you sit there getting irate until they call out a ticket number then you realise you need one!

pulapula · 25/05/2009 14:52

YANBU. And I took DS to clarks for his first shoes and never again, as they squeezed his feet into the wrong size shoes, which i could hardly get on a couple of days later. I went back and the shop manager finally admitted they were too small and i chose another pair. I now go to small independent shoe shops or John Lewis.

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 25/05/2009 15:06

Would the weepy blisters not be the original blisters from the first pair?

YANBU to write and complain, but first I'd go into another branch and ask them to measure his feet for you and depending on the size/outcome I'd maybe have a go at the first shop again and then write to HO.

My Ds was measured up wrongly(but he was a lot older than your Ds)and the shoes were miles too big for him. I went to a different branch, asked them to measure him, then asked them to change the shoes. They did, but they weren't happy as he'd worn them.

I now only take Dd to Start Rite. They seem far, far better at their job.

paranoidmother · 25/05/2009 16:10

my DC are both in doodles for most of the time and haven't had blisters. Have had blisters from other shoes. Although I do tend to go to a shop that has had staff for ages and does startrite and clarks. This was after I went to a clarks shop and the assistant refused to put DS's feet into the shoes in case she hurt his feet. In that case they aren't the right shoes if they hurt!

RumourOfAHurricane · 25/05/2009 16:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

muppetgirl · 25/05/2009 16:16

We go to an inependent 'oldy worldy' shoe shop that sells Clarks. On a number of occasions we have been told ds 1's feet haven't grown and his shoes still fit. Shame not all places have one though...

5Foot5 · 25/05/2009 16:40

Maybe we are lucky but I never had any problems at all with our local Clarks and have always used them.

When DD was just starting to walk I took her for her first shows and at first they wouldn't sell me shoes at all until they had actually seen her walk a few steps on her own. Also we had occasions where I took her in to get her feet measured and was told she didn't need new ones.

Baisey: They have a ticket system in our local one - like on the deli counter - so you always get served in order.

On one occasion when DD was little she had pulled a coffee table down on to her foot just before we went out and this bruised her toe. We then went in to Clarks for shoes and when the assistant was checking her foot to se if the shoe fir she squeezed the toe and DD screamed the place down. I felt so sorry for the poor girl serving us who obviously thought it was her fault for hurting DD! They actually gave her a free teddy!

TallulahToo · 25/05/2009 20:13

Tip: Never do Clarkes on a weekend! It's full of school kids for staff who often don't have the same amount of experience maybe of the full time staff you find during the week. I say this after years of buying clarkes shoes for my own DC's and the results are often the same as yours if we buy on a weekend.

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