Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Shopping

From everyday essentials to big purchases, swap tips and recommendations. For the best deals without the hassle, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Thinking of buying my kids shoes from Next...would you recommend it.

37 replies

pepsi · 03/03/2006 12:12

Have always bought my childrens shoes from Clarks and Startrite, they are 6 and 4, my 4 year old dd has wide feet. My ds needs new school shoes and dd has been wearing little boots all winter so now needs some shoes. I looked in Next today and the shoes look fine but wondered what people think of the fit and quality. I like to get a good fit but to be honest the price of taking two children to Clarks and then possibly ending up buying school shoes/trainers, etc is quite frightening.

OP posts:

schneebly · 03/03/2006 12:13

I have bought my 2yo DS shoes from next and they are fine IMO but just watch because some of them are a bit narrow.

LIZS · 03/03/2006 12:15

Have had them for occasional wear in the past and would buy trainers etc but probably not confident about school shoes which get a lot of use. they seemd ot fit dd , narrow feet, betetr than ds , wide.

KBear · 03/03/2006 12:19

Having been to Clarks to get feet measured and shoes fitted and having to take them back after for poor fit, I now trust my own judgment when it comes to fitting my children's shoes. I always buy leather shoes for school with a sturdy sole or they wear through. Next sometimes fits that criteria, as do BHS and M&S. At the moment DD has shoes from Barratts and they are fine.

BethAndHerBrood · 03/03/2006 13:25

You should be alright if you are confident about fitting them yourself. You will know when your child puts them on whether they fit right, or i do, anyway! You are right about the cost, my eldest had clarkes all the time, then my DD did too, but as soon as they were in school and need more than one pair of shoes, that was it, clarkes no more!!!

The best shoes for my DS are leather school ones from asda, cost about £12. A really good fit, and wear well too.

fimbo · 03/03/2006 13:30

Pepsi are you anywhere near Norwich?

Original poster

pepsi · 03/03/2006 13:48

No, no where near at all.

OP posts:

fimbo · 03/03/2006 13:52

That's a pity. We have the Start-Rite factory outlet here, children's shoes are only £14-£18.

mouseman · 03/03/2006 13:58

Whereabouts in Norwich is the startrite place?

Original poster

pepsi · 03/03/2006 14:01

That would be great, what a shame. I could get the children in to town after school I guess but Im feeling very lazy, now ds is full time and dd is 5 mornings I dont have time to get into town and back by school pick up. Just trying to avoid shopping with children on a Saturday too as Id rather be doing nicer things. I think I'll take them up to Next as we have one minutes away from us and try the shoes on to see how they fit, its the only way I'll ever know really isnt it.

OP posts:

Original poster

pepsi · 03/03/2006 14:01

OP posts:

fimbo · 03/03/2006 14:07

The Start-Rite Factory Outlet is on the Broadland Business Park off the A47 (near Brewsters). You would probably drive past and not realise it is there. It is next-door to Makro - you can get a map from their \link{http://www.makro.co.uk/ie/sub/store_29.cfm\site}

mogwai · 03/03/2006 20:16

Could I just be a total pain in the arse and throw a spanner in the works?

It always amazes me that places like Next sell off the peg shoes with no proper fitting. I notice that Vertbaudet (or is it Boden?) have a size guide in the back of their catalogue where you are supposed to gauge your children's shoe size by standing them on a piece of paper!

My first ever job was in a shoe shop (Ks and Clarks) where I spent two years fitting children's shoes and attended all their courses about children's feet.

Real damage can be done by wearing shoes that do not have proper width fitting, as children's bones are not yet fully formed and need the right support in the right places.

I'm sure you all know that, and I'm sure you check your children's shoes very carefully, but just had to throw in my tuppenceworth for the record as it worries me!

starlover · 03/03/2006 20:23

ditto everything that mogwai said

as a clarks fitter we have to check 9 different points of the foot for the correct fit.
it's all very well making sure they have room at the front and they don't come off the heel... but that's only the start of a good fitting shoe

misdee · 03/03/2006 20:30

my dad always gasps at how much i spend on the kids shoes in clarks/john lewis. but i have one dd with narrow-average feet (sometimes she has an E fit, sometimes F depending on the style) and one who is wide footed. i cant risk getting the fit wrong, would never forgive myself. it is expensive, but a good pair of school shoes should last till they outgrow them. dd1 has never worn her shoes out, just outgrown them. i am dreading when dd3 needs fitted shoes.

7up · 03/03/2006 20:33

my mum couldnt afford 'proper' shoes for us 3 when we were younger and my feet are fine now, im 37!

i think a lot of depends on finances, i cannot afford to pay out £30+ for properly fitted shoes that will need to be binned after 6-8wks and another £30 forked out. i have my ds 16months in a pair of clarkes shoes now as my mum bought them for him and im hoping someone will buy him a pair for easter but after that it will be cheapies im afraid

p.s i do really rate clarkes/golden boot but they are bloody expensive

lunavix · 03/03/2006 20:37

I get ds shoes in next. I know I know clarks is meant to be better but next ones are so much more stylish and tbh they fit him better.

The only thing I'd be wary of is winter shoes, sometimes next ones (particularly trainers) aren't really thick enough.

WigWamBam · 03/03/2006 20:38

Like KBear, I have had to take so many pairs of Clarks shoes back because of poor fit that I now trust my own judgement and am very confident about fitting them myself. I'm sure that there are many good Clarks fitters out there, mogwai and starlover, but unfortunately for my dd's feet I've never met one - the only blisters and sores she has ever had from shoes have been ones that she was properly fitted for in Clarks.

mogwai · 03/03/2006 20:41

Yes, I know, they are really expensive. Hope nobody feels "got at", as I realise not everyone can afford to buy them.

My mum was a single parent in the 1970's. She had to choose between food and shoes, so I ate ketchup sandwiches for years, but had Clark's shoes!

Ho hum, undernourised...but great feet!!

starlover · 03/03/2006 20:41

7up there is no reason why your son should grow out of clarks shoes in 6-8 weeks.

we recommend children come back for a check in 6-8 weeks just in case... but it's very, very rare that they've actually grown out of them in that short a space of time.

lunavix · 03/03/2006 20:43

I have to admit maybe a lack of good clarks nearby might help... also I don't think clarks shoes for boys are nice at all. (Gruesome three tone leather monstrosities)

I went to the clarks outlet in swindon, the woman just lobbed a pair of shoes on ds and said 'they look about right'

starlover · 03/03/2006 20:43

i do agree that clarks shoes aren't always suitable for a child's feet. I see children who we just can't find a good fit on...
and i myself used to wear start-rite as clarks gave me blisters...

the british legion or my nana paid for my shoes... parents couldn't afford them

lunavix · 03/03/2006 20:47

My feet did out-width clarks when I was little.. and ds seems to have inherited odd feet.

If I had a child they fitted well, I would buy them for them. Particularly if they were a girl.

7up · 03/03/2006 20:50

starlover, this is what i was told in clarkes,to get his feet checked after 4 weeks and then they should be ok for another 4 weeks.

oooo im excited now, coz if theyre gona last 3-4months i can afford to keep buying em

starlover · 03/03/2006 20:54

on average they go up a half size every 3 months.

Mirage · 03/03/2006 20:59

NEXT use my dd's as fitting models for clothes & shoes & dd2 was there today having shoes tested & fitted on her.I was very surprised how exacting the technicians were regarding the shoes.OK,that won't guarantee that they will fit other children exactly,but the designers are very hot on making sure that there was nothing that could cause discomfort or damage.They checked stuff that I would never have thought of.

I have bought off the peg shoes for the dd's (not NEXT)though.My mum insisted on me wearing Clarks shoes when I was little,but I managed to ruin my feet by wearing ill fitting stilletoes in the 1980's!

Flip

1 2