I had an epiphany in Clarkes Shoe Shop today......

[Blandmum]

......I am never going to bloody shop in them ever again.

Kids need sandels/ doodles so I took them into town and braved the dreaded Clarkes

1. the Kids stuff is at the back to the shop, so we had to flog our way through womant fingering beige sandels.
2. We took out ticket and waited and waited and waited.
3. We were finaly served by a very nice child of about 12....or so it seemed to me.

'I want sandels' said I' Nice supportive ones , with good grip on the soles, and support round the foot. For playing in, not ones covered in sequins, boys will do for dd if we must'

4. She brought us trainers 5 she took the trainers away
5. She brought us two pains of sequin be-decked, strappy things suited for a bridesmaids outfit.

I sighed.

Measure ds for doodles.

They had none in his size!

HELLS BELLS AND BUCKETS OF BLOOD!

It is the summer and they have no summer stock!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

AND she tutted at me when I regected the trainers!

I'm a start rite mum from now on.

Agghhh! My DS last pair of Doodles spent all the time falling off even though they were the right size and he was fitted with them in the shop. Went back to get a new pair and all they had in his size were exactly the same pair of Doodles in a different colour - felt like screaming. Shop assisstant said the old pair were falling off because they were "worn out". He'd had them about 4 weeks and they fell off from about 3 days into wearing them.

Went up the raod to the budget "Shoe Zone" and got a pair of Bob the Builder sandels in there for £10. No fittings or measurements just "Size 8". We bought them - he loves them - they haven't fallen off once.

Last time we went to Clarks they sold us shoes that he had outgrown in a WEEK and made us wait over an hour for service (with Sam in tow!!!!!)- unfortunately not a lot of alternative options in Cwmbran. Mum lives near to Clarks Village so will pop in there over the summer, but they can be variable in range. May bite the bullet and go over to John Lewis at cribbs then- oh dear, more cash

Big vote for independent shops from Kif.

I always use the same one, in a village near my Mum.

Funny really, being a londoner I'm used to being smug about the shopping!

Similar to Catsmother, I took dd to Clarks for her first pair of proper shoes only to be told her feet were 'far too small' in tones that implied it was somehow my fault. Assistant informed me pompously that I would only ever get her into specially made boots and I couldn't expect a mainstream store to stock her size.

took myeslf off to Start rite factory shop and had a choice of about 4 styles at half price. Fab.