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Original poster

if you don't buy kids shoes from clarks

93 replies

festiveface · 02/08/2006 21:14

where do you get them from?

i don't like clarks because they always seem to look far too big and ds1 is a size 6 now (big 6) as it is!

but they both have wide feet and i am never sure they fit properly otherwise.

OP posts:
notasheep · 19/08/2006 23:06

Startrite are THE BEST

LIZS · 20/08/2006 17:21

Thomcat, we have the same problem with dd who is around a Startrite 8d (we're due to go to local shop for fitting appointment this week!). They do "proper" school shoe styles in smaller sizes. Clarks have yet to produce anything that fits her but there we get a choice.

80sMum · 20/08/2006 17:24

Doesn't matter where you get them from or how cheap/expensive they are as long as they fit properly. Forget all the guff surrounding Clarks shoes being 'professionally fitted.' You can easily see and feel for yourself whether shoes are too narrow or too loose. It's just a matter of common sense. You don't have to spend a fortune to get shoes that fit.

ProfYaffle · 20/08/2006 17:24

Startrite, dd has v narrow feet but I'm lucky that I live near a Startrite factory shop and buy them at 50% discount.

2plus2plus1 · 21/08/2006 11:05

Where is this Startrite factory shop. Anywhere near the midlands?

divamummy · 22/08/2006 00:40

8 High Street, King's Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1BX (01553 760786). There are two other factory shops at Freeport Castleford Factory Village in Glasshoughton, Yorkshire, and at Festival Shopping Village in Ebbw Vale.

vickiyumyum · 22/08/2006 04:07

russell and bromley do good kids shoes. they also stock the usual suspects such as clarks, startrite, geox etc

eidsvold · 22/08/2006 04:53

TC you wait until Dd1 is walking - dd2's feet grew 4 sizes in about 9 months once she started walking. Mid last year size 5 - around March or so this year - size 9

ProfYaffle · 22/08/2006 06:58

My Startrite factory shop is on the Broadland Business Park, north, Norwich.

LIZS · 22/08/2006 16:15

Yikes , just spent £87 in local Startrite stockist on 2 prs of school shoes for dd (who is an 8E now and got the Felicity Wishes ones) and ds, and a pr of Skechers trainers reduced for ds. They did give us some plimsolls for dd as a bonus though !!

cgw60 · 13/01/2007 23:27

I wondered if anyone knows of any websites I can try to get good quality childrens shoes - something like Clarks or Start-Rite - but not at £30 a time?
Being a single parent, I have to make every penny count - but I do want my children to have good shoes.

Thanks

TooTicky · 13/01/2007 23:34

If you're near Bath, go to One Small Step - lovely, lovely people and very good at what they do. Also Splosh in Melksham.
If your children are old enough not to be growing too often Green Shoes are fantastic. Expensive but so good and handmade by women in Devon. Made to measure.

skimadmum · 28/08/2007 17:34

I go to the start rite factory shop in Norwich twice a year for my daughters shoes. It is well worth a visit, saving at least 50%, staff are pretty good and there are usually a good range of shoes.

smeeinit · 28/08/2007 17:38

charles clinkard do loads of makes of shoes.
lovey big one in milton keynes if thats anywhere near you!

smeeinit · 28/08/2007 17:39

dont think they have full range online

Peachy · 28/08/2007 17:41

Shoe Express, they get through a lot of pairs (ds1 picks the leather off) and frankly, Clarks would bankrupt us!

toomanyballs · 28/08/2007 17:43

Have to go to clarks as cannot get most other shoes on my kids feet. I do think that I could fit them better than some of the trained staff though, do not just accept shoes out of embarassment. I go to the outlet store in Swindon or street and get them much cheaper.

MaryAnnSingleton · 28/08/2007 17:43

either buy them from Jones the bootmaker (Start rite) or else our local independent children's shoe shop

TerraMater · 28/08/2007 17:43

We go either to John Lewis or an independent children's show shop. Both have really good fitters (unlike our local Clarks ) and have a range of makes. Dd goes well in Pepino (by Ricosta I think) and ds usually in either Clarks or Startrite.

TerraMater · 28/08/2007 17:44

shoe shop

Peachy · 28/08/2007 17:45

Oh and if you are on a budget, far better to replace cheap shoes often than buy expensive ones and panic about buying more a few weeks later.

Clarks factory shop in Street is OK, but don't live so close as we used to now.

berolina · 28/08/2007 17:50

I have horribly wide and small feet. Both a problem over here - I even struggle with Birkenstocks. Out of habit I buy myself a couple of pairs of black Clarks school-type shoes whenever we go to the UK, but think next time I might look at Startrite. I once had a fabulous pair of Ecco shoes, and my favourite pair currently (no, my favourite pair I have ever, ever had) are from Think

berolina · 28/08/2007 17:51

(these are not children's shoes but the link might be useful to people with similar problems to me, or who have big-footed children )

twinsetandpearls · 28/08/2007 17:54

Dd is really rough on her school shoes so I buy them in marks and spencer.

twinsetandpearls · 28/08/2007 17:58

although have just looked on website and there are some lovely startrite shoes, may get them to wear for church etc but she would wreck them at school