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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

.. to find school shoes just unbelievably expensive?!

66 replies

joster · 24/08/2009 19:47

Decent shoes are important, sure, but almost 40 pounds a pair for fairly "standard" Start Rite shoes for my son and daughter...?? How is that?! Can someone justify it on behalf of the shoe manufacturers?! Husband groaned as he walked through the door and saw the two boxes on the hall stand and I don't blame him, I got the jitters putting in my PIN number at the shop!

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 25/08/2009 11:46

Just wait until you have teenage boys to buy shoes for! Their feet grow unbelievably fast - DSS2 has gone from a 41 to 41 in 3 months, and needed new Birkenstocks, soft plimsolls and leather sports shoes twice this summer! And he has insoles for flat feet at 260 euros a go

BonsoirAnna · 25/08/2009 11:47

41 to 43

wishingchair · 25/08/2009 11:49

The biggest problem I find with cheaper shoes (Next, M&S etc) is the lack of half sizes. Width fittings ... I agree, other countries manage perfectly well without them. I'm not sure I could trust my DDs to tell me honestly if a shoe felt comfortable as they will engineer the situation around to get the style they want, so it is the fitting I appreciate most.

nymphadora · 25/08/2009 16:37

My dd2 wrecks hers as far as going through sole /toes and knackering the straps before I buy new ones ( usually about6 weeks later)

lljkk · 26/08/2009 08:19

Those aren't places to buy cheap shoes, Wishingchair. Shoezone, Peacocks and our local variety store (think one step down from Woolworths), those are places flogging cheap shoes.

And tbh, I have had very good value out of some of those quite cheap shoes!!

minervaitalica · 26/08/2009 09:17

Ehm, I have really bad feet (medical issues), and I found Clarks shoes to be mediocre at best - in quality and overall fit (and given my problems I am an uberexpert is shoe fitting issues... Yrs of practice).

Of course this may not apply to everyone - and that is my point: "just going to Clarks" does not mean that your children will get good shoes; it really depends on your children's specific needs at that point in time. I find I just have to trawl the shops until I find something that fits my DD right. Sometimes that may be Clarks, sometimes somewhere cheaper, sometimes somewhere more expensive...

I do agree though that good footwear is expensive regardless....

cgw60 · 21/01/2010 16:58

With 3 children - I have now learnt NOT to go shopping with children on the high street.

Apart from the masses of other adults and children; the cramped shops and so inexperienced staff (I swear one of them was so young she was still at junior school) - I now do all my shoe shopping online.

For cheap CLARKS; START RITE and a new brand that I have now bought (MACADAM or MAC - all leather school shoes - at only £18 delivered) - you need to visit www.shoesforkids.co.uk

Alternatively visit Amazon - and check out the Chipmunks leather shoes - £12 per pair and they are good!

So Electra and all my other Mumsnetters - YOU DO HAVE ANOTHER CHOICE - and you can try them all on at home.

Paolosgirl · 21/01/2010 17:04

I started off with Clarks for DS1 and some incredibly expensive inde shoe shop for imported european shoes that fitted DD's incredibly narrow feet and ankles.

Money got tight when DS2 arrived 3 years ago, and I now buy whatever I can afford and whatever fits - and you know what? They all last the around same amount of time, once they've been scuffed and then outgrown!

Am off to look at shoesforkids.co.uk - sounds v good...

iliketurquoise · 21/01/2010 17:22

i buy at sale times, plan ahead, think what dc will wear, then buy. thats what i do.

themildmanneredjanitor · 21/01/2010 17:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ktbeau · 21/01/2010 17:28

Its all very well to say that Clarks shoes fit better

BUT

they may be a perfect fit for only a few weeks as childrens feet are always growing/changing

Some Health Visitors recommend buying cheaper shoes and changing them more frequently.

ie its better to have 6 pairs of cheap shoes in a year than 2 or 3 pairs of expensive shoes.

Another option is Ebay. Get feet fitted and look for same/similar on Ebay (they have new shoes)

Brantano sells end of line clarks/startrite and will fit but its regional

bridewolf · 21/01/2010 17:30

i have never rated clarks , once they tried to sell me a pair of wrong width fitting shoes, because they didnt have the correct ones in.

once i brought some sandels that fell apart, and returned them. and last straw was with my youngest daughters first shoes. we brought some boots, and had that nice photo taken.
we left, and 20 mins in her buggy she was screaming, took the boots off, and there was a huge welt ring around her leg.

clarks also have a lot of sythetic material inside the shoe, which makes the kids feet sweat.

so, over the years have forked out for start rite.
local shop that has the same people that fitted school shoes on my hubby.

once all four kids needed new school shoes, and left feeling incredibly light headed.

my youngest is now wearing the last pair of childrens school shoes at age 11, so am dreading the cost, at least £6o now.

once they have grown out of school shoes, i need to replace the school white trainers, and football boots, and then have some cheap trainers for weekends.
of course my daughter does ballet and tap and drama, all requiring new shoes.

another big problem is my 16 yr old son who is a size 13, i rely on the internet to order his shoes, last pair £55.
he is currently going through a growth spurt....

ruhavingalarf · 21/01/2010 17:46

cgw60 - nice tip

< opens up a new tab >

sports shoes you can get at silly prices at Decathlon - got some tennis sshoes for my DS there a few months ago for under a tenner. Then felt guilty that they had been made in a sweat shop....someone is paying...

I hope Start Rite, Clarks et al justify their high costs with decent working/production conditions....

LedodgyChristmasjumper · 21/01/2010 17:52

I go to Clarks too and find them expensive. I also do not trust the assistants. I make a point of saying I can't remember what size they were last time as I reckon alot of the time they'll say they need bigger when they don't.

sarah293 · 21/01/2010 18:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Paolosgirl · 21/01/2010 19:24

Had a look at shoesforkids.co.uk - looks fab. Will def. use them in future. Thanks for the link cgw.

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