School shoes... Are Clarks crap?

[MayDayChild]

I'm waiting a few more months to buy PFB her first boring black school shoes.
BUT
I have read a few reviews that Clarks are crap.
Can anyone clarify? Are they crap as in they are the same quality as say Next or even George shoes but thrice as expensive ? Or not worth their money?

What are good shoes? Startrite, lelli Kelly or the other Euro brands like Ecco or Geox.
If I'm gonna spend £32 in Clarks then might I be better spending £40 on something else?
She has flat skinny feet so I've only ever really bought Clarks before.

My children never managed to make Clarkes last half a term ... shortest time was 3 days for my dainty daughter
How on earth do shoes last a child a whole year? Don't feet grow?

Clarks and Startrite are both very good (but beware the sizing - for some reason they are 1/2 a size different and I can never remember which is which). DS1 has v.narrow feet so I usually get his feet measured properly at Clarks. They are v.expensive but I've never had any of their shoes fall apart, unlike the cheap trainers I have bought elsewhere.

I have found both Clarks and Startrite to be fine for dd1. I recently discovered that patent ones do stay looking better for longer. I thought they'd scratch terribly but they haven't and they don't need polishing so often! DD2 needs school shoes for Sept but she's only a size 6 - do they start that small?

We buy Clarks (as my mother did for all of us). I buy school shoes in the UK and then cross my fingers that they last the whole year. DS has had Clarks every year for four years, this is the first year we've had a whole size of growth although weirdly his school shoes are still just OK, trainers had to be replaced. DD has made her pair last all year and they don't look too bad at all.

Thankfully, we've only got 18 more school days until the end of the year!

I'm really old and my mum would only buy me Kiltie Shoes although she did once buy me a pair of Clarkes which I managed to promptly destroy

www.historyworld.co.uk/advert.php?id=1102&offset=0&sort=0&l1=Fashion+%26+Clothing&l2=Footwear

I'm not as old as the advert

they are still made under the manufacturers name Norvic I wonder if they still boast the same standards

www.charlesclinkard.co.uk/girls-c23/shoes-c24/norvic-m101

we used startrite for DS1 and were very pleased. They wore well, and looked nice when he grew out of them (after 2 terms - grrr. Must stop feeding that child).

I'm not keen on the quality of Clarks, and the fitting advice is very variable. DH once took ds3 for new shoes because the old ones had got lost at nursery - so arrived at the shop wearing no shoes. They measured him as a whole size smaller than they had measured him for the lost pair 6 months previously . I think they trade on the goodwill our parents had for Clarks some 30 years ago when they really were the only "quality" brand.

Ecco are fantastic and we've just bought our first Ricosta (not school shoes though) for ds1 and ds2 - very impressed with the quality and comfort so far.

I think Clarks quality is pretty good. But the fitting advice is variable as pawsnclaws says. The machine, in particular, is rubbish - dd always comes up as an F despite having been a G since the age of one. I ask them to do a manual measure as well for that reason.

Where possible I go for the older woman who has been there for donkeys years. When I get one of the others, I ask her to double-check the fit! They don't like it but tough. I have twice not done that - once the shoes were too big, and once they were totally unsuitable for the shape of DD's feet.

Am annoyed that Clarks does so many lights/toys in shoes now. We got Startrite last year - which have been good. But I am happy with either. Clarks are cheaper than Startrites, which mattered to me a lot when DCs were small and I wasn't working.

Never bother with clarkes, twice as expensive with no redeeming features. I always buy DD shoes from Stead and Simpson. £15.00 for Walkright shoes which are great (and quite often reduced in sales). I bought her last pair ready for Sep and only replaced them at Easter because her feet grew.

In fact at Easter I bought 3 pairs, size 12, 13 and 1 because they were reduced to £9.99. I think Walkright shoes last really well, they are leather and I only clean them on Sunday!

The only pair of Clarks that DD ever had I got from the outlet village (so half price) and she had destroyed them within a couple of months!

Recommend Sainsburys school shoes. Boys' ones come in 2 styles (I seem to remember the girls ones had at least 3 styles), both are black leather. Ours lasted from Sept to May this year and from Sept to July last year. And only £14! Once children get to about six, they are quite capable of telling you when shoes are comfy, and it is easy to feel if their toes are squashed or not in the shoes. I feel I am way more competent at shoe fitting than the average Clarks salesperson...

Clarkes shoefitters also measured mine as getting smaller each time they were measured

Not impressed. Then they sold us shoes that gave DD blisters and when I complained they said it was her fault for having unusual feet

Where do you get Ricosta shoes from?

I agree that Ricosta school shoes are very good...you will find them in most independent shoe shops that stock continental makes. We have never had much luck with Clarks. Any time we have tried, they measure DD but the shoes they bring out never seem to fit/feel comfy.

I would go for Ricosta or Petasil as Petasil are good for a narrow foot. Some Ricosta school shoes are a little more heavy than petasil. Petasil are perhaps more girly looking but they last really well.

We had a pair of ECCO school shoes once and they were great but they were more expensive I think that some other makes.

I buy 90% of school shoes for 3 DDs (eldest is 12) and I have never had a problem with quality. They last until they are outgrown, and always polish up well. You need to make sure the fitter knows what she is doing, and agree that the toy in the heel can weaken the shoe.

Another Ricosta/Petasil fan. I won't buy any other school shoe. Ds wears Ricosta, dd wears Petasil. I don't do Clarks, too many poor sales assistants, who would sell you their grandmother if they thought you would bugger off. Start Rite are OK - they just don't wear very well. IMO Ricosta are definitely worth paying extra for.

Geox is good for flat feet. They are orthopedic and breathable. With flat feet the sole should not be completely flat.

I've not read all the thread so it may have been said already, but Clarks only dye the top of the leather so when they scuff they look terrible.

I like Buckle my Shoe and Start Rite

They are not crap by any means but they don't fit every child, the fitting is very variable and don't go near the ones with a toy in!

We get ours from an independent shop and I used to try to go for Startrite but the current pair of Clarks school shoes has lasted DS since September no problems, polish up fine. I would like to be a shoe snob but have to confess they are OK for us.

Clarks are definitely worse quality now than, say, 5 years ago. They used to last and last - now they fall apart after a month. Got two pairs of shoes for DD1 and one for DH from them and will not buy from them again if I can help it. Probably trying to cut costs or something.

DS had some Rhino school shoes that were virtually indestructable. Not sure if they do girls' shoes though.

Another Ricosta/Petasil/Superfit fan. All 3 DDs have skinny feet, and nothing else fits as well.

Clarks in our experience will sell you anything, even though it clearly doesn't fit. We tried a couple of times after the shock of three pairs of Petasil shoes are one time "that'll be £142 please", but really it just wasn't worth it.

We've had good fitting experiences in John Lewis, but it might depend on the assistant.

The cost is pretty horrific isn't it? I'm sure DH thinks I fritter away our money, but honestly the look on his face at Easter when asked to part with £180 for four pairs of shoes (2 x school shoes, 2 x normal shoes for ds1 and ds2). He just stood looking shocked with his debit card in his hand.

I knew the normal shoes are Ricosta, but just checked the school shoes and they are Hush Puppies - ds1 said they're really comfortable. I do think that IF you can afford to pay a little extra (and I understand that not everyone can) then the better brands last longer - or maybe the fitting advice is better at an independent shop, I don't know.

I'M JUST GOING TO SHOUT THIS COS NO-ONE IS LISTENING TO ME:

You can get Ricosta/Petasil shoes much cheaper from Shoes For Kids.

Eye thang yew.

M&S DS1 has always had M&S school shoes and they have always lasted really well. His feet have grown long before the shoes are worn out. 20 percent off and free delivery at the mo. I have just ordered the next few sizes up so that we always have the next pair ready and waiting.

Clarkes shoes are generally okay, but rather on the expensive side. Our local branch, if there is a a problem, have started asking if the boys have played football in them. of course kids play football in the school playground, but have trainers for more "serious" sport activities. This tells me they are having quite a lot of complaints. I did tell them that the shoes they sell should be fit for the purpose they are sold for and they did not like that. That said, they are better than most.

One of my friends from school gets her DS's feet measured there and then asks them to bring the sale ones in from the back of the shop - depends how hard faced you are!

I have found Clarks shoes to be really poor quality. They look rubbish really quick. I think that the school shoes in Tesco are better quality than Clarks.