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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Trouble getting Clarks shoes?

17 replies

HAPPYFACE · 23/07/2006 07:55

My dd is starting reception in September and a few people have said that I should get her shoes now or Clarks may be sold out!!
Is this true? What if she has a growth spurt and when it's time to start they don't fit her anyway!!
Also maybe I'm worrying more because she has very wide feet, last year when she wanted some long boots they had to order them in!!
Please let me know your experiences so I can make a decision!!
TIA

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Original poster

HAPPYFACE · 23/07/2006 08:21

Anyone??

OP posts:

misdee · 23/07/2006 08:24

does she have narrow/wide feet? if not then try and get off the peg ones from another store closer to the time. or try startrite.

Original poster

HAPPYFACE · 23/07/2006 08:32

Yes she does have wide feet, my dh said that a big company like Clarks would obviously know their demand and supply to meet it!!
Also I thought that surely people are buying school shoes all year round so altough stock mights be low but if I take her 2 weeks before she starts then they could order them in if it was needed.
I hate to think of her first day without the proper shoes!!

OP posts:

misdee · 23/07/2006 08:34

does she tend to have big growth spurts with her feet? i'd try 3 weeks before tbh, so you arent too worried in the last 2 weeks.

Original poster

HAPPYFACE · 23/07/2006 08:45

Thanks Misdee, I think what it is that she hasn't really changed shoe size for nearly a year. She is size 11 f or g, so she may be getting ready for a spurt soon!!

OP posts:

misdee · 23/07/2006 08:49

G fitting shoes are a nightmare to get at clarks at the best of times, they always try and palm my dd2 off with an F, untill i point out her foot is spilling out of the sides. start-rite are better for her, and thy tend to have more choice as well.

Original poster

HAPPYFACE · 23/07/2006 08:55

Where do you get start-rite from? I didn't realise they did width too.

OP posts:

misdee · 23/07/2006 08:56

john lewis stock them. not sure where the other stores are.

Sparkler1 · 23/07/2006 08:58

I will never go to Clarks again. They have no idea what they are doing in that place. We bought dds some new shoes a few months ago from there. Thought it was time to get there feet checked a couple of weeks back and went to Start Rite instead. They measured dds feet and found that Clarks had given them shoes that were too big. DDs feet had grown but the shoes that they had from Clarks will still too big for them.

Lemmingswife · 23/07/2006 09:00

Some Adams stores sell start-rite shoes too.

HenniPenni · 23/07/2006 12:59

Try getting a D fitting

mysonsmummy · 23/07/2006 14:05

sparkler - could you not tell she was wearing shoes that were too big for her? i have ds feet measured but would always check as to the fitting by eye

Toots · 29/07/2006 20:47

IMO Clarks school shoes for girls are really bleurgh this year anyway.

Have got Startrite 'Frenzi' for DD. Hilarious name as they are quite literally goody two shoes.

LIZS · 29/07/2006 20:55

Clarks have yet to have school shoes in dd's size, last year she was just a 7, and she has narrow feet too. Our newish local independent shop, who do Startrite with small and narrow fittings in proper school shoes, has a booking system for school shoe fittings the 3rd week of August. You arrange an appointment, 30 mins per child, she measures and fits the shoes from the range she carries and will order in the size/style required . No waiting around and shoes in time for the new term - I'm sold !

hovely · 10/08/2006 16:32

I recently discovered our local Clarks shop is a franchise - is this true of all of them? could explain why some are so hit and miss with fittings and stock.

yossa · 10/08/2006 20:51

a friend of mine recently saw a foot doctor (sorry -not sure ot technical term forit!) who told her startrite shoes are way better than clarks. i took my ds for his first school shoes yesterday to a shop that does both and the startrite were much more solid to look and and feel. Only concern with that shop was that he had to stand on the electronic machine - he is only 4 surely they should still be measurung by hand. Have often taken him to clarks in town where they measure him one size then gone to out of town shop for wider choice and he is measured totally differently - find it so frustrating. sometimes wonder why i dont just guess myself what fits!!

Jasnem · 10/08/2006 21:04

I used to go to Clarkes for my dds who both had very wide feet (dd1 had to have g or h in a half size bigger) They always had to have the only pair in the shop that fitted. At almost 7 she got a choice of 2 for the first time last year.
By mid August the shops are packed, with little wide stock, and by the end of August they are having a sale and have hardly anything left.

I'm looking for Startrite this year.

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