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Parenting

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Original poster

I can no longer afford Clarks or Start-rite but my daughter is a G width.

92 replies

mummyloveslucy · 08/02/2010 21:02

Hi, I have always bought my daughter Start-rite shoes. She is a G width, so wider than the averadge F fitting.
She needs new shoes again and we are really short of money. The car has had a lot of work done which we wern't expecting and we are left with practically nothing.
I wondered if there was anywhere I could buy discounted start-rite or clarks? I've looked on e-bay and they are pretty much the same price as the shops.
Either that, or do any other cheeper makes come up wide?
She's had to also have new trainers for school, I managed to get them in the sale. She had them on for 2 hours before wetting herself and soaking them. She does have a problem with this at the moment.
Part of me thinks are the expensive makes worth it? I suppose she has to have a wider fitting though.
If you have any advice, I'd be greatful.

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MudandRoses · 08/02/2010 22:36

It's worth keeping on with ebay I think - you do get bargains. I buy almost all DS's shoes on it (sadly I've never been able to afford new Clarks for him, and like Padboz I feel indignant at being asked to pay so much for shoes they will grow out of in 6mos!)

Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 08/02/2010 22:36

Thanks everyone, she is a 12 G. Pretty huge for a 5 year old. But she is tall.

OP posts:

TheBossofMe · 08/02/2010 22:38

OK, might be being really dumb here, but I don't see why I need to buy from Clarks, Start Rite etc. Shoes are shoes, no? Unless I'm planning to stick DD in heels aged 2, I just get her feet measured and then buy shoes from anywhere. Providing they fit, surely that's all that matters.

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coldtits · 08/02/2010 22:39

no point getting her feet measured unless you are buying the shoes from the shop you had her measured at.

GrumpyBlumkin · 08/02/2010 22:43

I rave every time I have to buy shoes for my DS1 who seems to destroy shoes, I really don't know how he does it, I'm buying shoes in the same size ffs as he's worn them out. At 40 quid a pair it's no joke. I've got the measuring tool from Startrite which makes it easier to measure then buy shoes online - meaning I don't have to brave the shoe shops at busy times.

I might even fork out for Dr Martins next time as apparently they are indestructable and I can pass them down hopefully.

Keep looking on ebay is my advice or go to the Next sales, I've got a few bargains there.

Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 08/02/2010 22:43

Well, I suppose if they fit, they fit. But my daughter does have wide feet and normal shoes are one standard width fitting, which are too narrow.

Also, shoe fitting is a very complex thing. Or so I am lead to believe.

OP posts:

Washersaurus · 08/02/2010 22:45

I don't think she has huge feet - DS1 is 4.7yo and has 11G shoes. From what I could see at a recent (bouncy castle) birthday party, most of his class are also size 11/12

TheBossofMe · 08/02/2010 22:48

coldtits - is that true? I was told by Clarks fitters that kids shoe lengths (not widths) were standardised, unlike, for example, adult clothes sizes. So a 6 from Clarks is the same length as a 6 from Start Rite.

Washersaurus · 08/02/2010 22:49

Please try M&S if you are worried about width as they do come up slightly wider (I can only speak for the boys styles). We have school shoes and trainers which fit really well - even our local startrite/clarks fitters were impressed.

Sazisi · 08/02/2010 22:49

here it is, about half way down the page

Washersaurus · 08/02/2010 22:50

Clarks and startrite sizing are not the same - the shoe shop people told me so.

Washersaurus · 08/02/2010 22:52

Actually, even the sizing within the brands vary. We had to have a different size of Startrite canvas 'doodle' type shoes.

Sazisi · 08/02/2010 22:52

I can second M&S: we got DD2's school shoes there because they do a wide option (she's a G width too) and they were the only non-Clarks shoes that weren't too tight.

bilblio · 08/02/2010 22:54

TheBossofMe - I got my daughter measured at clarks, went and bought shoes from tescos (had looked round other cheap shoe shops but none her size) she got huge great blisters.
When she's big enough to tell me if they're comfy we'll shop around, but till then I'll grit my teeth and stick with clarks shoes (which hoepfully I'll find on ebay )

TheBossofMe · 08/02/2010 22:54

Bugger.

So do I have to buy Clarks or Start Rite from now on because they are the only people who do fittings round here? How does anyone buy M&S if sizing varies?

Totally confused - been a long long long day and only just leaving work now...sob.

selby · 08/02/2010 22:56

It's definitely worth haunting your local branch of Clarks in late Jan (obviously a tip for next year now) when they reduce their kids' shoes clearance right down to £5 - £10. I picked up a pair of trainers, and 2 pairs of shoes for DD last weekend at my local branch for a grand total of £20. I also buy the next size/half size up. They also do this for their summer sale but I have no idea when that would be. Obviously, it's a bit hit or miss whether you like the styles on offer but Clarks don't seem to vary their styles much from season to season imo.

cba · 08/02/2010 23:01

hi mummyloveslucy. It is an outrage how much they charge for childrens shoes. I know how it is to be in your situation we have been there before.

Please email me on [email protected]

Sazisi · 08/02/2010 23:04

TheBossofMe, I try them on my children in the shop, get them to walk up and down in the shoes, feel for the ends of their toes, and make sure I can squeeze a finger easily between the strap and the foot. They are also pretty quick to tell me if they aren't comfy.

I'm reasonably confident I can do at least as good a job of fitting my kids' shoes as the teenagers who work in our local Clarks.

stealthsquiggle · 09/02/2010 08:11

MLL - this was the message from AlexiaMumsnet

YohoAhoy · 09/02/2010 08:25

MML, I don't know if this will help at all, but have you tried Hush Puppy? They've recently opened an outlet shop near us, and they do proper fitting, and seem to do a range of sizes. Might be worth checking.

TheBossofMe · 09/02/2010 08:55

Sazisi - thanks! DD always refuses to walk if her shoes aren't comfortable, and I too think I can tell if they fit. I just really object to the price of Clarks/StartRite - £30 for a pair of fugly shoes that don't even fit since the teenagers in our local store measuring her feet always seem to be too hungover to care!

Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 09/02/2010 09:24

stealthsquiggle- Thank you for the link, I did get that message. Someone else from mumsnet HQ contacted me.

OP posts:

nickschick · 09/02/2010 11:00

did u win something MLL??

ihearttc · 09/02/2010 11:25

Have you tried Geox shoes? My DS is 5 and he is in a size 1 shoe and is beyond an H fitting so its a complete nightmare to get shoes for him. I have found that most of the European makes come up much wider he has had Geox,Petasil,Ricosta and his school shoes at the moment are Noel ones which were £20 instead of £50! They are all European sizes so think a 12 would be a 31. Those ones I got come from an on line shop called Sugarplums which had loads of school shoes really reduced.

If you google all those makes there are literally hundreds of on-line shoe shops that sell them at much cheaper than you would get them in the shops...and its honestly not too difficult to tell if they fit or not. I have given up with Clarks etc after they told me my son was an F fitting when 3 weeks earlier he was off the scale so beyond an H and they tried to squeeze his feet into a shoe much too small for him!

Original poster

mummyloveslucy · 09/02/2010 13:32

Yes nickschick. I won a holiday to Florida!!!

I couldn't believe it. Just as everything seems to be going badly, we get news like that. We are over the moon as you can imagine.

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