is it really worth buying 'good' shoes for school?

[tigermoth]

My 6 year old son is very hard on his school shoes. He scuffs the toes so badly, the shoes get holes in after half a term. The uniform rules state he must wear a pair of black shoes, not trainers or boots.

In the distant past, I used to buy him 'good' shoes by clarkes, but I seem to remember they hardly lasted longer than the cheaper shoes I now buy.

I have no great love of Clarks and their ilk. My oldest son suffered badly with their fitting service. Clarkes rarely had shoes that fitted him comfortably. By the time ds1 was 8 years old he was buying shoes 'of the shelf'. He has perfectly healthy feet. So I have been a lot less precious about getting 'proper shoest Ds2.

However, I will happily spend more money on proper Clarkes shoes if anyone can convince me they last much better than cheap ones from Ladybird or Asda. So what's the verdict please?

so, the jury's out, then?

IMO they don't last any longer than anyone else's shoes - it doesn't matter how much you pay for shoes, children will scuff them, run through puddles in them and generally mess them up. It's not that the shoes aren't any better, it's just the way children are, and the way they treat shoes.

yes, that's what I feel too. But surely shoes costing £30.00 or more should last a lot longer than those costing a tenner? It's been so long since I bought a pair of £30.00 school shoes, I just thought I'd check with those who know.

The last time I relied on Clark's measuring service my dd ended up with blisters on her feet because they didn't measure her properly.

ks, that message was in reply to wwb.

ime expensive shoes do last longer than the cheaper ones, even so for kids. i have found ones from start rite, russell and bromley come up better when cl;eaning than the ones form barratts etc.

however having said that brantano, are very good, they sell hush puppy shoes and measure the childs feet to amke sure that they fit and they are cheaper than clarks etc. another good one is next for school shoes although these are still around the £15 - £20 mark.

agree ks - anything but clarkes

oh and just have to say, i never buy kids shoes from clarks as i have always had problems with both my ds and shoes from there, even boycott them when going to retailers that selll clarks such as john lewis or russell and bromley, i alwys say any shoe except clarks!

I usually get clarks for children but am irked by the cost it comes to by the time I've bought slippers, wellies, school shoes and trainers for two. I'm usually so stretched for time that I find it easier just getting everything there and then but we are considerably skint so am going to have to go elsewhere.

Clarks fitting is not always the best as it depends on the person fitting them and those stand up machines are only estimates. Their styles are limited and they never have the sizes in the styles you like only the disgusting ones that ds falls for. Grrrrr Clarks!!
Will watch this thread with interest

We've had some good shoes from Brantano, bjut have to say the £25.00 pair of school shoe I bought ds last year lasted about 3 months

my 2 have wide feet (like their parents) so I always buy fitted shoes from clarks - I'd worry that a pr of shoes without a width designation might not be wide enough

I went to Cheshire Oaks today and got 2 pairs of boots for the dd's for £24 in the Clark's outlet shop - I remembered to get their feet measured before I went so it was a doddle, they should last them ages -

Do you have an outlet place near you tigermoth? it's always worth going to look!

the clarks outlet shop in Bicester Village is handy for us

I don't know whether they last longer but "good" shoes (be they Clarks, Start-rite or Hush Puppies) come in width fittings while off-the-peg shoes don't. You are fine if your child has "average" width feet but if not then I wouldn't chance it.

My boys are very hard on their shoes, esp DS2 who always breaks the backs down, but they have such horribly wide feet that I couldn't even attempt to buy cheap shoes, so I am biased.

well I buy buckle my shoe for the dds school shoes (we have a factory shop near us). I think they are extortionate full priced but I can honestly say they last until they grow out of them (they do get terribly scuffed but clean up really well).

Ds2 had the cheek to get dreadful blisters within days of me buying him cheap shoes last Easter So we're back to Clarks.

Having said that he is now wearing Clarks 'shoes' which look more like trainers to me and they tend to look smarter for longer. (IME Clarks shoes last very well - they don't fall apart - they just look very scruffy.)

DS1 is also very hard on his shoes. Because he's so big now (size 5!) I bought him some slip-ons, but they looked dreadful within weeks. So he's in Clarks trainers now too. (Our school allow trainers, and I've always said no up until now, but now I've given in.)

Shoes need to fit and leather is better because it breathes.
Clarks fitters are pretty variable in quality so no guarentee there!

Bought my 11 tr old ds a pair from clarks and they were 32 pounds I think and they are a mess already so no if your child is a shoe wrecker like mine it seems to make no difference.I will have to buy another pair and don't know what to do as I really don't want to buy more expensive ones but do worry about his feet

I buy clarks, but not just for school. There would be no point as at ds' school they have to change into plimsolls anyway.

clarks are shite IMO and no better than m and s or adams

the fitting is a rip off too

I buy clarks but tjen i only nuy one pair per school year

I buy Clarks for my younger 2 - 2.10yrs and 10mths as they have such wide feet and off the pegs just don't fit.

My older ones get cheapy shoes though as the boys play footy at breaktimes and trash the hell out of them. dd insists it's trendy not to do the laces up properly so ends up scuffing the heels off hers within no time.

What narks me though is trainers - ds1 is 11 and a size 7 and I hate it that he has to pay adult prices for his trainers.

Shoes really are a rip off.

You could try an independent little shoe shop; they have to be good because they only get more business by personal recommendation.

DS has a pair of Edward Jones sandals that we got in early June, he has worn them most days ever since (yes, including last two 1/2 terms at school). I would def. buy them again; I expect them to last him thru Christmas-January hols in California.... and he'll probably wear them most of the term until then, too.