How much do YOU spend on shoes for your child?

[TheSweetLittleBunny]

We have only ever bought his shoes from Clarks and spent between £20.00 and £30.00. He's now 4.6. We are having a debate in the house about a pair of Skechers which cost £35.00. I think that's too much for shoes that will only be worn for about six months - what do you think?

I buy Clarks for school shoes but also have bought M&S when Clarks didn't have the sizes and we needed shoes urgently! M&S lasted longer than Clarks for DS.

Price is relative to your budget I suppose - for some people £35 is a fortune and others wouldn't flinch at £35.

I didn't even know M&S did children's shoes - I will have a look at theirs. I get so bored with Clarks shoes - they all look the same year in year out. I don't mind spending the money if I felt the shoes would be worn for a long time. But little kids feet grow very quickly. I find myself getting rid of shoes that have hardly been worn.

agree it is all relative..clarks are expensive to us but I still fork out for them. Skechers if they will last longer then it might be worth it. Also ds is 4.6yrs and his shoe size hasnt changed in a year!

We go to Brantano. Far more choice. They have all the makes like Clarkes/Skethchers etc. They are also cheaper!!!
Only problem is there are too many nice adult shoes too so it is easy to spend too much and get very distracted

My one weakness is children's shoes. We always buy StartRite shoes for DD (3) and DS (20 mths), and they are £30-40. I'm a total sucker for old fashioned looking T-Bar sandals, and I loathe pink spangly shoes. StartRite seems to be the only brand that fits the bill. Also DS has very wide feet (G-H fitting) and DD has quite narrow feet (E), so I prefer to get shoes with width fittings.

They are otherwise kitted out in very cheap / 2nd hand clothes. (As am I )

I spend a f*cking fortune on children's shoes - bought some sandals for ds yesterday - Naturinos for £48 . Considering he's one of 3 and they all need sandals, school shoes and non-school shoes....

both my parents have/had very messed-up feet, requiring several surgeries, as a result of poor footwear when they were children so I am extremely careful and this is an area I don't skimp on at all.

Usually buy Clarkes for school shoes or Startrite if can't get right sizes at Clarkes (but Ds1's Startrite shoes are starting to fall apart already - Clarkes are usually outgrown before they wear out...)

If I can't afford it, they have to make do with just fitted school shoes and maybe a cheap pair of trainers/canvas shoes. If I can afford it I would get the trainers from Clarkes too.

DD is a bit older and I bought her school shoes from Next for the first time this year - a bit cheaper than Clarkes and did it mainly because I didn't like the styles at Clarkes plus she is a standard width. She also has some cheap party shoes & trainers.

I'm with geekgirl-bite the bullet & pay for feet to be measured & proper sizes fitted.THey only have one pair of feet & it really does make a difference how those soft bones are supported in early life.

We all have G/H width feet so sadly off the peg jobs are not for us, although I do buy the odd pair of party shoes or flip-flops from ASDA! I have had sone of the Footglove wider shoes from M&S too now I've stopped growing....well my feet anyway

Anyone near the A1 at Grantham Lincs/Notts/Leics way might have luck at Downtown a huge retail outlet. They have a big shoe department & do Start-rite AND Clarks under one roof which gives big feet like us a wider range to choose from!

Yes I agree. The issue is about poor footwear, and like you I am very careful about what DS wears. £48.00 geekgirl - phew! DS's last shoes from Clarks cost £35.00 and I thought that was a lot - but I have to say they are the best shoes he has had and are waterproof, mudproof, play Doh proof, scuff proof and still fit and look great 6 months on. So I guess there is something to be said for paying more.

Plus his feet are very narrow - an E fitting. We don't let him wear trainers unless he is going to football or out to play in the park/garden.

Have just discovered Hush Puppies which are really lovely for DD. There's a great shop in Dover called Neet Feet. I even got over the spelling to go there. She also offers discounts to larger families and multiples.

We buy Startite school shoes costing £30-40 trainers for school ds are Skechers cost £12 is in sale, dd's Olympus, less than £10) and w'end shoes which atm are Geox for ds - £22.50 in sale- and for dd Bopy boots - £12 TK maxx - and Reebok trainers - about £15. She also has some canvas boots from Next less than £5 in sale last year which should last until sandals weather! These now usually last between 6 months and a year (ds is 10, dd6). Before ds started at a school with uniform he just had a pair of Geox.

I went through a phase of spending £40 a month on Startrites for DD. I cannot bear spangly pink shoes & wanted something in navy.

I do think Clarks is a rip off sometimes though. Yesterday I bought a pair of Nikes for DS which cost only £17.00. Only because I could not find trainers he liked in Clarkes - which normally cost £28.00. He has a pair of Doodles from Clarkes which cost £14.00, and when we went to Brantano we saw lots more funky canvas shoes and these were all under a tenner.

My rule of thumb is now that if he has to wear shoes for most of the day, say for nursery or school - they should be measured and fitted shoes. But trainers, canvas shoes, sandals, could come from anywhere really - as long as they are good quality.

DS's feet dont grow very fast so he gets a good while, at least 6 months usually, from his shoes. We get Clarks for school and trainers wither from Clarks if he's in a half size or branded if not. I dont think £35 is a bad price for a good pair of trainers.

Prefer Clars doodles for summer though as not as big and bulky as trainers.

Indeed - how long DO you keep measuring kid's feet. When I was a kid - we never had our feet measured - and I never suffered with ill fitting shoes. We always had leather shoes, carefully chosen by my mum. I'm in my 40's now and my feet are perfect - not a bunion in sight - despite wearing high heels.

I know I was still having feet measured in senior school - maybe I was a fraek though.

DD has to have startrite for school, they are the only ones that fit properly. Luckily her foot growth has slowed a lot and she is only needing one pair of school shoes a year atm.

For summer it is normally a pair of doodles and some crocs (shock, horror).

DS is in clarks atm - he most likely needs his feet measuring again, will spend up to £30 probably. Plus the crocs

I normally buy Clarks as they are cheaper than Startrite - but I normally buy 2 pairs at a time in different colours!

Canvas patterned shoes from Next - cheaper than Clarks Doodles

Get trainers from TKMAxx or Clarks outlet shops/ in sales, not more than £15

Wellies from car boot sales 50p

DS has had clarks shoes/sandles and even wellies, since he started wearing shoes. Felt it was important that his feet were measured and have spent accordingly (whereas most of his clothes are hand-me-downs or very cheap). Therefore, more than a bit peeded off to find a massive blister on his big toe from the latest £35 pair of shoes bought from them. Will be rethinking my shoe buying policy now!