See how Mumsnetters got on with the Brantano children’s shoe fitting experience! NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This thread is for the 95 Mumsnetters who are testing Brantano’s child shoe fitting service.

The Mumsnetters were given £50 vouchers to use on a pair of children’s shoes and asked to try the children’s fitting service.

So, now we are interested to hear how you got on! Please share below your responses to the following questions, and feel free to add any additional comments you have.

• Which store did you visit?
• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
• What brand was the pair of shoes?
• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
• What did you think of the customer service in general?
• What did your children think of the experience?
• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Thanks!
MNHQ

Interesting that miaow123 hadvsuchba different experience to me in the same shop.

Which store did you visit?
Cardiff Bay

Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
My two sons, 4 and 2

What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
Well, I intended to just get a pair of trainers for each but ended up with a pair of wellies each, a pair of beach shoes each (the kind they wear into the water, over rocks and sand), and a pair of trainers for the younger son. I had intended on paying for all the shoes except the trainers but the store applied the full amount of the certificate to my order and I only paid £10.

What brand was the pair of shoes?
There is no name on either the wellies or the beach shoes so I assume an in-house brand. The trainers are Clarks.

What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
Very basic. Though the store appears to have the Clarks ipad measuring system the associate I dealt with just used a paper measuring tool. He didn't check fit after we selected some shoes not did he make any suggestion or even ask what we were looking for.

What did you think of the customer service in general?
Basic - they were pleasant enough to deal with but didn't go out of their way to be interested or hepful.

What did your children think of the experience?
They love the store because their is so much merchandise on display and they spent the whole time asking for Toy Story dolls!

Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
Probably not - I would go there because of the large selection if I already knew the sizes.

Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
Not for the fitting service but I would recommend the selection.

• Which store did you visit?

We visited the Newton Abbot branch.

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

I went to get new shoes for DD1 (4), but I ended up getting DD2 (nearly 2) measured up and buying a pair of new shoes for her too.

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

I got smart shoes for both DDs and sandals for DD2

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

All the shoes we bought were Clarks.

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

The young woman who measured my girls feet and fitted their shoes seemed very competent. She put the DDs at ease and they actually enjoyed the process (a very different experience to our recent trip to mothercare, where we came away without buying anything)

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

I thought it was very good. The staff we encountered were friendly and professional.

• What did your children think of the experience?

They enjoyed it!

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Yes. I was impressed with the shoe fitting. I might not buy shoes there again though - there were lots of lovely styles which weren't available in the sizes we needed. Also, I didn't like that the children's fitting area is just inside the front door - I had to constantly watch DD1 to make sure she didn't run out into the car park.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes, although that's partially because there doesn't seem to be any decent alternative for buying children's shoes around here.

Which store did you visit?
Inverness

Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
Eight year old ds3

What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?
We had hoped to get some really nice trainers but his feet were a 1G and the choice was very limited so we ended up with school shoes and a cheap pair of trainers.

What brand was the pair of shoes?
Clarks shoes and Brantanos own make of trainers

What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?
It was a very basic foot measuring gauge but had size and width. There was a poor choice of shoes in his size but the assistant brought a few more pairs from the stockroom. She was really good at fitting the shoes and clearly knew what she was doing. She was able to advise as to which trainers were likely to fit him best.

What did you think of the customer service in general?
Excellent, all the staff were friendly and helpful and the assistant that served us was great with ds, who hates trying things on.

What did your children think of the experience?
Ds doesn't like new things or trying things on but he is actually really delighted with his new trainers.

Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?
Yes, Brantano is really handy for us and has plenty free parking. I was very happy with the fitting service as I don't have the confidence to do it myself.

Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
Yes I would. My main problem was the lack of trainers to fit ds however their was a good choice for most.

• Which store did you visit?

Romford

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

Age 5 Girl

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

School shoes, school plimsolls and sandals

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Clarks, unbranded and Skittles

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

Excellent. The shop assistant (Vikki) was exceptionally helpful, and gave us her undivided attention from start to finish (without any knowledge we were trying out the service). She was very child centred, didn't rush us, and came up with useful suggestions such as using insoles for extra comfort/fit which I wouldn't have thought of.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

Really excellent. Much better than recent experiences in Clarks Sale shop where you are lucky to even manage to get any help.

• What did your children think of the experience?

She is thrilled with her new shoes, the sticker she was given and how she was treated by Vikki. Big thanks to her.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

It is a bit far from where we live (more central London) so I'm not sure we would drive out there again but certainly if there was one closer to us I would use it.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes

-Which store did you visit?
Middlesbrough

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

DD aged 7

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

School shoes, sandals and a pair of crocs for the beach

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

School shoes – Hush puppies, Sandals – Clarks, Crocs – Own brand

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

On arrival I was a bit confused about how it was supposed to work. There was some information about how to measure your child yourself but there was also a Clark’s iPad on the wall. I asked one of the assistants for help and she was happy to come over and measure my daughter.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

Very friendly and helpful. The lady that served us also had good product knowledge and was able to explain how the Hush Puppies are designed with interchangeable inner soles for different widths.

• What did your children think of the experience?

She had a lovely time although she was disappointed that a particular pair that she liked weren’t available in her size. Overall though the store had a really good range of brands.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Yes for my older child but I would hesitate with the younger two - it’s just so big and it would be easy to lose them behind all the stacks of shoes. At Clarks I find it easier to keep an eye on them.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes. It’s a good shop with a wide range of shoes and staff who are knowledgeable and helpful.

• Which store did you visit?

We went to the Brantano Leicester branch.

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

DD 18 months and DS 6 years old

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

We brought some school shoes for DS and sandals for DD.

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

DD - Clarks shoes and non branded for DS

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

I liked the service as the lovely assistant made my DC comfortable while getting their feet measured.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

The lady who looked after us was really nice and helped with my DD shoes as she has wide feet, but i think there was a lack of designs in-store in the sizes we needed. We were told of the online option but eventually we did find what we wanted in the shop.

• What did your children think of the experience?

My children loved it but my DS was a bit upset a pair of trainers was not available in his size. Layout of the store with shoes by size was helpful.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

I thought the staff were really friendly and calm but the negative was lack of choice in sizes of different shoes.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

I will recommend it for the customer service!

Thank you from me and my DC for the lovely new shoes x :)

Which store did you visit?

Brantano Brighton

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

Sons (2.10 and 4.9)

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

One pair leather Clarkes shoes and one pair Clarkes school shoes

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Clarkes

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

Really good, measured with a Clarke's gague. My sons both have wide feet (7g and 11h). This did rather restrict the choice of shoes available, but we still managed tiger some the boys both liked.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

Really impressed. The store was quiet and the staff took time to explain what they were doing, where the right shoes could be found and checked the shoes fitting properly. Particularly impressed by staff member concerned that one pair didn't for right and looked too narrow. They knew their products well, were friendly and attentive and we didn't feel rushed to make a decision. I liked the fact they gave me a card for each with sizes and a date to return for next fitting too.

• What did your children think of the experience?

They really enjoyed it, particularly the stickers they got. They did campaign pretty hard to have some toys (the measuring but was next to a Minion and Avenger's display), but in the end they were happy because they could wear their shiny new shoes to the car.

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

I would definitely use again, service friendly and knowledgeable and parking was plentiful, which really helps. Only very slight drawback was that the range of shoes available in an H width was rather restrictive, but then I'd guess it's not a common size.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Would definitely recommend, even though there is a Clarke's nearer. I couldn't fault the staff or the store.

Thank you for my voucher. DS is very pleased with his new shoes!

Which store did you visit? Crewe.

Which of your DCs took part?

DS 15 months. I also took DD who is 3 but she wasn't measured as she just needed shoes for the beach / sea.

What type of shoes did you buy?

A pair of Clarks walkers for DS and a pair of beach jellies for each child.

What brand were the shoes?

The fitted shoes for DS are Clarks. The jellies are Peppa Pig / Thomas the Tank Engine.

What did you think of the fitting service?

It was good. The man who served us was kind to DS and spent time helping us find shoes in his size. He explained when I should get his feet measured again and wrote this down in a booklet which included a discount voucher for adult shoes.

I was also assisted by a lady who helped me to choose jellies which seemed to have very inconsistent sizing. She helped me find a pair for DD who really struggles with beach shoes as she has narrow feet.

• what did your children think of the experience?

They were happy enough in the store and were very pleased with their new shoes. The lady was very helpful in backing me up when I explained to DD the Peppa Pig jellies are for paddling in the sea and not rental wear!!

• Would you use the store and service again?

I don't think I would buy fitted shoes from Brantano again. The range wasn't great compared to Clarks and even though there was nothing wrong with the service I prefer the Clarks experience.

I thought the range of wellies, jellies and party shoes was fantastic though. I struggle getting these items in the supermarket as the DCs have narrow feet. I think the stores strengths lay in competing with supermarkets rather than Clarks to be honest.

Would you recommend it to family / friends?

I would recommend the store for wellies and jellies but I still think I would recommend Clarks for fitted shoes.

We visited the bishop Auckland branch (tindale)
We took our daughter who is four.
We bought a pair of start rite school shoes, a pair of peppa pig croc type shoes and some jelly sandals as there was a sale in store.
The school shoes were start rite brand, the others were peppa pig brand.
The fitting service was excellent, although the store was busy we were greeted and someone was with us within a minute of browsing. Shoe size was explained well by a very friendly lady who was chatty and engaged well with DD, my daughter really enjoyed herself and loved choosing shoes. The fitting lady went the extra mile by removing security tags to ensure a good fit and explained that we could return in September before school starts to measure her feet again and see if the school shoes still fit.
We were given a booklet and DD got a sticker.
I would use the store and service again I thought the range was much better than my local Clarks. The jelly, crocs, wellies, and canvas range was excellent. The children's fitting area was great too.
I was also informed of offers and discounts.
I would recommend the staff are very friendly and clearly well trained.

• Which store did you visit? Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)? Both of my sons, age 7 and 3.

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)? We bought both boys a pair of sandals and DS1 a couple of pairs of daps for school. I was going to get school shoes too, but they didn't have anything suitable in his size.

• What brand was the pair of shoes? Mountainpeak

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service? I thought the customer service was brilliant - I didn't show them the voucher or give any indication I was product testing until the point of purchase so I received standard service(!) and the ladies who served us were amazing. We arrived quite close to closing time, but were never rushed and they were brilliant with our children.

for a service that termed itself 'expert' it was very misleading, particularly as this is now being advertised as a selling point for Brantano. The children were measured on a basic cardboard measuring board which measured foot length only (no width) and as such I don't feel we got an accurate sizing. Unfortunately this showed as within 4 days DS2 had quite a deep rub on the side of the sole of his foot from one of the sandals.

• What did you think of the customer service in general? See above - I was really pleased. Lovely ladies.

• What did your children think of the experience? They really enjoyed it. Much less pressurised than Clarks. They did find it frustrating however, that whilst there was a huge range of shoes on the shelves, there were only a tiny handful of shoes for their sizes... (And so few for boys compared to girls, particularly 'funky' ones - they complained that the boys 'cool' ones were cars and football whilst the girls got bright colours, Frozen, lights etc)

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again? For actual shoes - I would consider it, if I knew sizes already. But not for the fitting service, which is a real shame.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family? Again, for shoe range.

-Which store did you visit?
Westwood Cross, Thanet.

-Which of your DC's took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?
5 year old daughter.

-What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/sandals etc)?
Sandals.

-What brand was the pair of shoes?
Clarks.

-What did you think of the children's show fitting service?
I thought it was very basic to be honest. The member of staff spent about 30 seconds measuring DD's feet with the device that DD stood on and she wrapped the tape over to measure the width of her feet too. As soon as she had told us the size she then just disappeared! No help to find us shoes in the right size.

-What did you think of the customer service in general?
I was not impressed to be honest. We were ignored when we first entered the store, nobody approached us even after wandering around looking confused. Eventually I approached a member of staff and asked her if she would please measure DD's feet. She didn't look very happy about me interrupting her shelf tidying. She measured DD's feet but then just walked away and didn't help to actually fit any shoes at all. Not surprisingly, her customer service skills improved dramatically when I produced the voucher at the till

-What did your children think of the experience?
DD enjoyed the experience, (but she absolutely loves shoe shopping!).

-Would you use this store and the shoe fitting service again?
I would use this store as a last resort but would not use the shoe fitting service again.

-Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
No I wouldn't, sorry.

Which store did you visit? Consett.

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

DD2, age 10.

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)? Sandals.

• What brand was the pair of shoes? Clark's.

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service? The deputy manager measured dd's feet. She was friendly and helpful and gave advice on dd's high instep. She directed us to the shoes in her size and said to let her know if we found anything and she would check the fit. She also spoke to dd and involved her, which was nice.

• What did you think of the customer service in general? Very good. All of the staff were friendly and polite and smiled at us. As the original fitter was busy when we found the sandals, another member of staff approached and offered to check them. She was also well informed and gave us advice on dd's feet. I found that everyone we dealt with was helpful.

• What did your children think of the experience? DD says it was 'good fun' and she liked the people who helped her. She says the people there were really nice and she is thrilled to have a comfortable pair of sandals at last. She is parading around in them as I type!

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again? Yes, I personally found them better than Clark's -they had more time for us.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family? Yes, I would.

Thanks very much

• Which store did you visit?

Sutton in Ashfield

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

DD aged 3

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

Trainers and beach shoes

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Nike and Osaga

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

Good. Assistant had a good manner with DD and size measured was a good fit

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

Good, staff friendly. There was a bit of 'would you like any of this extra crap/to sign up for our newsletter' but I think that's fairly common in shoe shops

• What did your children think of the experience?

Loved it

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Yes, store wasn't too busy, staff were pleasant and not pushy. Only reason why I might not is that I didn't think there was a huge amount of choice.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes

• Which store did you visit?

We visited the Leyland store

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

We took DD (4 and a girl) and to really test them took a friend (3 and a girl) as when they're together they get giddy! Hope this was okay :)

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

Trainers

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Startrite and Adidas

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

Good - it was the old fashioned way at this store, but the woman who measured seemed confident in her measuring - and it was the sizing we expected.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

We mentioned loudly upon our arrival that we wanted the girls feet measuring. The woman who was waiting by another customer made no attempt to get a colleague to help, so I went over to ask another member of staff (Keira). She couldn't have been more helpful. Measured their feet, showed us where the shoes were in the store. She helped us when trying on various pairs, offering advice, measuring, getting another size from the stockroom and dealing with 20 questions from my DD.

• What did your children think of the experience?

Loved it - new shoes are always exciting. The amount of glittery shoes and trainers on show was very well received! The staff dealt with two children wanting to take everything off the shelves to try on very well

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Yes. I think they had a broad range of different types of shoes that you might not find elsewhere - so beach shoes, trainers, wellies, formal shoes etc. I probably wouldn't go for school shoes as didn't feel they had a wide range. The Startrite shoes on display seemed to be more for younger toddlers.

I got the feeling that I could go in one week and find lots I liked in her size, then the week later find nothing. As it's a local store it's not out of my way to pop in.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family

Yes - I thought the shoes were reasonably priced and the service we received was great.

Thanks Mumsnet for this product test :)

Which Store did you visit?
Prescot Cables Retail Park, Prescot, Merseyside

Which of your DCs took part?
DS aged 11

What type of shoes did you buy?
School shoes

What brand was the pair of shoes?
Clarks Bootleg

What did you think about the children's shoe fitting service?
The shoe fitting was excellent. We were acknowledged and asked if we needed any help immediately on entering the store. The measuring was very quick and efficient. I was told both size and width and given some advice on choosing the correct fit to get some length of wear out of the shoes before they were outgrown.

I went off to look for a style which appealed to DS and was approached again by another member of staff asking if I needed any help. I asked if she could advise on the fit of the style we had chosen and the assistant was very happy to help. When DS had the shoes on, she felt around the toe area and told me what she was looking for to ensure a good fit. She told me that the shoe I had chosen seemed to be too wide and asked what DS had been measured as. It turned out I had picked the wrong width off the shelf and the assistant came with me to find the correct width. DS then tried these shoes on and the fit was checked. The final test was for him to do a little walk in the shoes while she watched.

I felt that the assistant (Ellie) had done a very thorough job and was left feeling very confident that these shoes were the correct size and width for DS.

What did you think of the customer service in general?

The customer service was excellent. I could not fault it at all. I was approached on my entry to the store and while I was browsing in a very friendly, helpful manner. I was given great advice on looking after the shoes, getting the right fit etc and I was offered a new service with a machine which would put a protective coating on the shoes. The service was fast, friendly and efficient.

What did your children think of the experience?

DS enjoyed it. He liked the speed of the service and that there was no hanging around waiting to be seen.

Would you use this store and the children's fitting service again?
Definitely. I was impressed by the quality of the fitting service and did not feel under any pressure to buy. I don't like the way Clarks bring out trainers and pumps with their shoes and try to upsell. There was none of that here. The whole experience was very relaxed and friendly.

Would you recommend it to your friends/family?
Yes. the Clarks store I normally buy shoes for DS in is further away to travel and the customer service is not as good as that which I experienced today. I had been previously unaware that Brantano offered a fitting service and have been very impressed with it.

It's interesting that we had such different experiences at the same store Ellie when did you visit?

I wonder if it just depends on which staff happen to be in.

We were there on Saturday the 6th.

We went today at about 5pm

Just saw you went to Warrington and St Helens mandatorymongoose we went to Prescot, so a different store I think.

Which store did you visit?
Hollingbury, Brighton

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

My DS age 2yrs 4 months

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

trainers & canvas shoes - we wanted somes sandals but they had very limited stock in a size 6 and he basically had to have what they had, there was not much choice.

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Nike & Clarks

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

We had recently had a fitting and although they gave the same size, a six, we were told a larger width at the store. They only actually had one pair in stock in that size and when we tried them on they looked too wide so we actually brought the size we were measured for in Clarks. After the initial fitting he had to be prompted to check each pair as they were tried on.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

We had a youngish lad who was extremely patient with our son who had just woken up. It was quick and easy to find someone to fit especially for a Saturday afternoon.

• What did your children think of the experience?

Not a lot unfortunately as he had just woken and did not want to try shoes on at all!

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

I probably would as its free to park and we didnt have to wait long. Its just a shame they have such limited stock.

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes i would, although i found the shoes cheaper on line there is a large selection for all age groups in the store, and the fitting was ok just not as structured as Clarks.

Thank you for choosing us!:)

• Which store did you visit?

Brantano Bournemouth

• Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

Daughter aged 10

• What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

School shoes and trainers

• What brand was the pair of shoes?

Clarks (school shoes) and Adidas (trainers)

• What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

The first girl to serve me must have been quite new as she wasn't as confident and had to check the size and width a couple of times as I queried the sizing. I then wandered around having a look - she helped at first then had to go serve on the till - and then another girl (Abi) asked if I needed help whilst I was trying on DD's shoe selection. I asked her to re-measure as I'd forgotten which foot was the slightly bigger one and asked for a pair of insoles to pad out the shoe of the smaller foot and she then stayed and helped with all our shoe selecting and was so helpful as DD has very narrow feet so needed particular ones (DD wanted ballet pump type ones and she encouraged her to choose some strappy ones as they fitted better and DD agreed with her in the end as she could see they really did). She checked the fit of each shoe whilst on her foot and made her walk around and try then out without hurrying us at all.

• What did you think of the customer service in general?

I had to ask someone to measure DD as no one pounced on me whilst browsing to see if I needed any help (wasn't expecting this by the way) and I was very well looked after. I lost my receipt (so I thought) when I checked in the carpark and popped back in the store and another checkout lady looked through the boxes as it had been put in there unbeknownst to me and was lovely about it - I felt a bit silly. I didn't feel rushed and the measuring girl seemed very knowledgeable - had been there 5 years. The first girl must have been new as she didn't know where all the shoes were but with the other girl probably training her she'll do great in time I'm sure.

• What did your children think of the experience?

DD loved it as she also purloined a £1 coin from me to buy a pet in a tin type thing (comes in a plastic ball) out of a vending machine. It also had a kids area which she thought was cool and was very patient having countless pairs of shoes fitted on her. She was a bit disappointed that the T bar shoes she loved weren't available in her size as they'd run out

• Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Most definitely. I was given a card with an October date written on it which stated that that was when I'd need to come and get DD's feet measured again. Also I was assured that if the shoes I bought got too small before September use I could come and exchange (as long as they were obviously unworn).

• Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes I would. In fact I went to visit family afterwards and showed our purchases and my sister was going to go and get her three kitted out there ready for September. I was so impressed with the service I bought myself a pair of trainers as there was some reduced so it was like I paid £15 for 3 pairs of shoes. The voucher was amazing and bought two pairs of shoes for DD plus insoles (for both shoes) and some white shoe polish for the trainers - very impressed!!

Thank you so much Brantano and mumsnet for selecting me. I really appreciate it

- Which store did you visit? Cardiff Bay
- Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)? Ds1 aged 9
- What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)? trainers and wellies for ds1. DS2 also got some lace up canvas daps to use up the rest of the voucher!
- What brand was the pair of shoes?. Adidas trainers, the others were unbranded
- What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service? I was extremely disappointed. There was a high-tech clarks system in the corner and big advertisements about the 3 stage fitting process (measuring, careful selection of shoes by the trained fitters and checks including walking in the shoes to ensure the correct fit). In reality, they stood ds on an old fashioned measuring device and pronounced him to be a size 2. I had to ask about the width and they told me that he was a G without any further measurements being made. This seemed to be from some different coloured strips on the measuring tool. I was earwiging and the 4 subsequent children that came into the store were also a G . After the measuring was done we were completely left to our own devices so they only actually provided stage 1 of their 3 stages.
- What did you think of the customer service in general?. Poor. We were initially the only people in the shop and had to approach the staff for ds to be measured even though he's sat straight down and started to take off his shoes. The 2 staff members seemed more interested in getting their sale posters up! One thing that I thought I liked about this shop was that the shoes were all out on display, now they seem to have changed that and we had to ask for the 2nd trainer in each box to be brought out of the store room. That seemed to take a while.
- What did your children think of the experience?. Ds1 was disappointed by the choice. We had hoped to get school shoes but there was very little in his size and none that looked like they would last very long (I tend to get the ones with extra rubber around the toe area). The main disappointment for him was the lack of continuity of styles in different sizes. He spotted a style that he liked but it was a size 1 in the wrong section. The same style wasn't available in his size.

- Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?. They had plenty of slippers, croc style shoes and wellies so I'd pop in for that type of footwear but I wouldn't go for school shoes or trainers. There are plenty of shops around which would have a bigger choice right through the sizes and better customer service.
- Would you recommend it to your friends/family? only for the things mentioned above - not for their fitting service or choice of school shoes and trainers.

Thanks Mumsnet and Brantano for giving us the chance to try this out.

Which store did you visit?

Kingston Park, Newcastle

Which of your DC’s took part in the product test with you (age and gender)?

Age 6 boy

What type of shoes did you buy (trainers/school shoes/ sandals etc)?

One pair of trainers, bright blue with flashing lights and a pair of dinosaur sandals.

What brand was the pair of shoes?

Clarks trainers and unbranded (?) sandals

What did you think about the children’s shoe fitting service?

There was a member of staff measuring another customers feet when we got there, but couldn't find anyone else despite walking around the store for a bit. She managed to measure DS3s feet while the other customer was looking at more shoes. It was done quickly and we were given a little leaflet with his shoe size written on and a sticker for him. We then went to look at shoes after being pointed where his size was as the other customer had returned.

Once we had chosen some shoes I wanted to get them rechecked as I thought they looked tight so looked for another member of staff, who was happy to help, as the original person who measured was still busy with the first customer.

This staff member got DS3 To walk in the shoes and felt his feet both before and after he walked in them and declared them fine. I was happy with this.

What did you think of the customer service in general?

Good customer service, although hard to find a member of staff.

What did your children think of the experience?

He enjoyed it, he was more interested in the toys that were right next to the shoes.

Would you use this store and the children’s fitting service again?

Probably yes. It's local to me and saves traveling into town.

Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Yes