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Original poster

Why is it so difficult to buy shoes for children in this country!??!

20 replies

ekra · 16/04/2007 11:01

It is the beginning of April. It is a month earlier than I would normally buy sandals for children since I would like to know they will fit all summer long. I have a 4 year old so I know with past experience that it is difficult to find sandals in the shops beyond the middle of June

I do not like Clarkes shoes. I am looking online at shops I usually order shoes from and finding that sandals are sold out! Not available again until the end of May or the beginning of July!!

What is going on? Am I supposed to buy summer shoes for my children in the middle of winter???

Why is shoes shopping so difficult in this country. I want to be able to take my children along to a big shop, have their feet measured and then be presented with a large selection of season-appropriate shoes, available in their sizes, for less than £30 a pair. But such a shop does not exist. And now the online shoe-resources are letting me down too! Bah!

OP posts:
MerlinsBeard · 16/04/2007 11:04

probably sold out because of the unexpected hot weather. its not usual to be wearing shorts in mid april. bear in mind as well that some shops have a stock just for the website and it may not reflect what they actually have in stock in the shop

Original poster
ekra · 16/04/2007 11:08

But there is always going to be a first weekend of the year of hot weather which causes a rush.

OP posts:
FioFio · 16/04/2007 11:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

speedymama · 16/04/2007 11:17

I bought sandals for my DTS (3yo) from Woolworths and they are so sturdy as well as flexible. Excellent quality for £7 each. We also bought them trainers. DT1 cost £3 and DT2 £2 so two pair of trainers for £5.
That is one of the best sale bargains that I have had.

speedymama · 16/04/2007 11:19

Bought the sandals at the weekend btw.

FooFooTrue · 16/04/2007 12:27

My dd is 19 months and so far I have only bought her Clarke shoes, we only get a choice of about two pairs because her feet are the widest. Do other shops do different widths as well??

rebelmum1 · 16/04/2007 12:30

i go to small independent shoe shops, there's one in my local town, they said that clarkes had mismeasured my dd's feet so I don't bother with them.

rebelmum1 · 16/04/2007 12:30

just to add they specialise in kids shoes

lizziemun · 16/04/2007 12:35

I got a nice pair of sandles for my dd from asda for £6. I have given up with clarks as dd are a "E" fittung and they never have any shoes in that width fitting.

I asked the manager why they never had shoes, and was told they only had one apir of shoe in each size and fitting.

OrmIrian · 16/04/2007 12:38

Eh? Try Asda, Woolworths, any number of shoes shops in the high street. I must admit to being surprised that you can't find any. But if you mean you want unusual, nice, totally leather shoes I can see your problem.....

rebelmum1 · 16/04/2007 12:39

ah that's a good price - i might get my dd measured up and then buy at asda!

Original poster
ekra · 16/04/2007 12:45

Yes, I'm a bit fussy when it comes to children's shoes, plus DD is a half size this summer. She's prone to tripping up so I am nervous about her having a half size bigger. I am happy to buy cheaper shoes as a second pair but these will be her main shoes for the summer.

OP posts:
LIZS · 16/04/2007 12:54

Jones the Bootmakers had a nice range in today, their own brand, Superfit, Timberland and Startrite.

TinyGang · 16/04/2007 12:59

I don't like Clarks' attitude at all, but I always end up back there again.

Spent £72 in there at Easter - the usual lack of choice.

They had 4 shelves of what they call 'school shoes'. Not nice sandals - but plain black and all very similar heavy winter looking shoes.

Very few sandals. Some of the styles not in stock (usual story) I asked if they could check to see if they were in stock at another Clarks in our nearby town. Nope, couldn't do that. That'd be being helpful. We don't do 'helpful' at Clarks.

MrsWho · 16/04/2007 20:25

We go to Brantano , usually have a big range (hush puppy, clarks) but I hate the fact that 'cos dd1 is a 13 I have to root for shoes with no heel smaller than 1 inch

Bucketsofdynomite · 16/04/2007 21:10

I have difficulty finding H-width shoes for my DS under £30 and DD is E fitting too so Asda etc are generally too wide.

Plus there is a lot of contradictory urban legends about Clarks - eg I've heard 'Doodles have to be half a size bigger than you need because they shrink when washed' and 'a width fitting narrower because they're too wide'.

KnayedFrot · 16/04/2007 21:16

I haven;t bought sandals for DS yet

But seriously, i don;t take DS shoe shopping at Easter usually, or september, if there's going to be a time of year when stocks are low, it's just after the school holidays.

I would try again in a couple of weeks, and try a smaller independent shop.

Original poster
ekra · 17/04/2007 08:08

Good point about the Easter holidays. I suppose it is reasonable to assume parents would have taken holiday and had time to go online and spark mad sandal buying panic

OP posts:
yesireallycan · 17/04/2007 08:26

Bought sandals for my eldest DD yesterday at a Clarks shop - got home and she noticed that one was a half size smaller than the other - we had been given the wrong shoe! So now I have got to go trolling back to the shop to change it, what a pain. And they didn't have ANY to fit DD2 in the whole shop. I did check out the cheaper shoe shops like Barrats but theirs were all nasty metallic designs or PVC - Clarks at least are nice soft leather but the price is

LIZS · 17/04/2007 09:58

oh and ime it isn't only a UK flaw. Try buying sandals when snow is still on the ground or snow boots when it is 20o plus !

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