Clarks shoes are ruining ds feet!

[puddingz]

Please help me! I find a multitude of small blisters on ds feet. I finally worked out that the problem were his Clark's trainers. I usually get his feet measured every 6/8 weeks. Because of the blisters I took ds to get his feet measured. According to the lady who measured his feet his feet had grown two sizes (from a 8 1/2 to a 9 1/2!!) since the last fitting. As far as I was concerned that was very likely and it was more likely that the last fitting/measurement was incorrect. I complained to Clarks but because I didn't have the offending trainers(after seeing the blisters I was so upset that I threw them straight into the bin) or the receipt there was notghing I cvould do. I thought that that was a one off but this week I noticed the his latest trainers (brought last month) were giving ds hard skin and the rubbing off his skin. I took the trainers and receipt (yes I kept them this time) back to Clarks for an explanation. Ds feet were measeured by a sales assistant and the manager (who seem to remember me ranting in the store the last time) who assured me that the trainers were not too tight. In the end I brought another pair of trainers (different style) dor ds.
My question is - sorry it's taken this long - has anyone else had problems with Clarks shoes?
And can I buy G fitting shoes for sprogs from somewhere different then clarks?
Thank You.

I don't think that the problems mentioned here are due to the shoes but to the fitters - when ds was about 3, I went to the local large shopping centre where there was two Clarkes shops and a John Lewis, the first shop, he was measured and shoes but on his feet, they were so loose that they would have just dropped off - I said, "well they look a bit big" - I was expecting the fitter (aged about 16 and looking as though she was recovering from a hangover!!) to agree but her answer was "well that is what he measures" - needless to say I walked out - this was a so-called trained fitter!!! I have found a small shoe shop that do Clarkes, Start-rite, Elefanten shoes and the ladies there are so thorough - my kids have never had a blister or any hard skin. I agree that some of the cheaper versions are just as good and I think that after taking your kids to have shoes fitted a few times, you soon learn what the 'professionals' look for in a proper fit!!

One of my biggest pet hates is Clarks, dd(5yrs) has hemiplegia and untill a year ago had to wear special boots which were provided by our hospital, she now has to wear a hard plastic splint on her leg ,therfore needs to wear "normal trainers", her feet are measured every 6/8 wks at a orthopedic clinic so i know exactly what her size is, i have brought her to clarks 5 times to buy her trainers and each time it ends in a near barmy because the so called fully trained shoe fitters are always wrong , and wont have it that they dont have a clue what their doing, they have allways measured ds 1 to 2 sizes to big, apparantly to allow for growth, but untill he did grow into them had to endure months of shoes that were far too big and that rubbed, he did eventully grow into them by which time the shoes were so worn he needed a new pair, needless to say i have not returned there.

We are lucky in that we have a local independent shoe shop which is fab, they stock a whole range of styles in different makes and their fitters are superb. The last time I took dd in she got winter boots and then the assistant said 'I'll just show you what to feel for cos no doubt you'll be needing wellies too (too right, I was off to woolies for wellies next) so she showed me how to feel round the shoe to see what fitted shoes felt like - I was SO impressed.
(Now I just need to find a reputable shoe shop that does size 10 wide fitting ladies shoes that don't look like boats - for me!!)

I am a trained fitter for Clarks and I am honestly shocked by some of the stories I have read here.

In defence of the company, if you do want your children?s shoes fitted then make sure you go to a Clarks shop and not a franchise, a John Lewis or a factory outlet store. The so called ?fitters? there, from all customer accounts, are not properly trained. In my town we have Brantanos who claim to have trained fitters and unfortunately for decent Clark stores such as my own, sell (last seasons) Clarks shoes.

I had one woman come in the other day who had her child?s feet measured in Brantanos and they only measured one foot! Shocking still, they got her a pair of shoes and the girl only put one shoe on, the child didn?t make her walk or do a four point fit check (let alone a nine point fit check which Clarks teach and insist on) fit check and still declared they were ok.

The lesson here is always go to a proper Clarks shop I guess.

I am seriously annoyed and shocked by the treatment some of you have been getting in certain Clarks shops around the country. All trained fitters, in my store at least must do a three month training scheme called ?Shine: Kids Plus? in addition to the standard initial training scheme for new comers. They must also go on a day long fitting course, have a certain amount of hours shadowing an experienced fitter before they begin their 50 supervised fits, of which they must complete a certain amount of fits in various stated sizes. Only then can they apply for their trained fitter certificate.

this thread started nearly 3 yrs ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kate - your obvously putting in key words - look at the date too - as the people you are giving advice too have children who are probably now earning a wage

I had no idea mothers could be so bitchy (!) I was simply explaining how the Trained Fitter scheme works in case anyone was interested and wanted an opinion from someone who actually works there.

Slate away.........

1kate1 i don't think that loulabelle or custardo were being bitchy.

they simply pointed out that this thread is 3 years old! bit odd that you're obviously searching for clarks threads!

fwiw i agree with all you said... i also work for clarks and i am a trained fitter... have mentioned most of this on countless other clarks threads!

don't take it to heart... it's just a bit odd to see resurections of ancient threads1

mmmmmm

i didn't mean to be a bitch - was aiming to be helpful actually - but i do come across as a bitch sometimes - dont mean it though

Hello

My daughter has really wide feet, G fitting. I am finding it really difficult to find her a pair of shoes that fit and are in the "fashion". Clarks have that width fitting, but only one style that will fit my daughter. Does anybody have any suggestions?

thanx

have you tried startrite?

i am gettign annoyed with clarks, dd2 is a G fitting as well, and i checked her boots which i bought a month ago (after having her feet measures) and they have sold me an F fitting again. i am so peed off, dd2 feet are wide and her foot spills over the soles of f fitting sandles, so i imagine the boots will be the same. i feel conned and annoyed. i cant find the receipt and tbh i dont think they will change them after over a month of wear. its not the first time it has happened either.

I am a shoe designer, & have worked with many high street & designer names (adults shoes tho'). The most important aspects of children's shoes are fit and flexibility especially when very small ie: under 5s. The bones in the feet do not fully harden until c. 18 years of age and ill fitting shoes in childhood can unknowingly set your child up for all kinds of future problems, like bunions, hammer toes, poor gait etc. - some which dont manifest for a long time and then the damage is done. I agree that Clarks and Startrite are very expensive when you consider how often they grow out of them but they are generally of a much higher quality than say those from Asda or M&S. However it's better to buy frequent pairs of cheap shoes with 1cm growing room at the toes than make them wear expensive shoes until they grow out of them - ie toes felt at the end of the shoes. a word of advice- replace the shoes before they complain about them being too small, and make sure that they are adequately wide.

Hope this helps - but I buy all my Start-Rite and Clarks shoes from www.shoesforkids.co.uk . They sell loads of others types also and go out of their way to find narrow or wide fitting shoes.

We get our two childrens shoes from clarkes also. I have not found a problem with the shoes as such. Its the rubbish fitting. Half the time the young staff there dont seem to know what they are doing. When they dont feel the shoes on their feet first it really winds me up. I have been fitted before for dd and she has bearly left the shop and the damn things have started to rub. This particular time we went back and saw someone different who changed them right away and said they were unsuitable for her feet. Both my children have wide feet and one has a foot problem so I have always gone to Clarkes. Saturday we discovered ds had outgrown his shoes and they could not supply the ones we wanted. I phoned aprox 4 Clarkes shoe shops and none of them could help supply the ones I wanted in time for school. I am going to a quieter Clarkes store this weekend and they have older/better staff and have ordered the correct size in for us, going by the other stores measurements last weekend. Lets hope they are right eh. I have strong doubts. I hate it that they never have stock aswell it just winds me up. Arhhhhhhhhh