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Shopping

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

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Original poster

clarks should be obliterated from the face of the earth

115 replies

morocco · 20/06/2005 15:42

utterly pissed off about the whole crappy buying shoes palarva. How hard can it be to train a few people to measure kids feet? I could do it after about 2 minutes training. So why is it every shop I went into today had a queue that took 20 minutes to get to the head of, (while all the adult specialist shoe box carriers stood idly by with nothing to do) then they never have the right size anyway, as if the difference between f and g could be that drastic. I notice French people don't have totally deformed feet but manage to get by without width measurements as well.
oh, piddly poo - will have to go back again next week.
It's all a massive marketing con imo to convince us the £30 we cough up with (outrageously infated surely???) is a quality buy that can only be sold by their specialist staff. Do they think we are stupid?

OP posts:

meysey · 13/08/2005 13:58

I agree with the others that the best thing is to go to an independent shop that stocks several different brands. My local one (Jimmy's in Essex Road, London N1) is great and staff are so experienced they say things like "Oh that'll be a X size in a Clarks and a Y size in Start Rite".

Hulababy · 13/08/2005 22:04

I have been shoe shopping for my 3o DD this week. Yesterday I went to a Clarks outlet, as I was passing it. They measured her feet (rather quickly as busy) and they measured her at 8E. They then had no shoes to fit her. Fair enough.

However I went to get her some shoes from John Lewis today - and they meaured her at a 9F (suing similar measuring device)

Sure enough her new shoes (albeit Startrite) are indeed a 9F, a whole size and width fitting larger! She did try some Clarks shoes on there, same size as Startrite, rejected as the soles were so thin and unsubstantial compared to the Startrite. Mind the latter were much dearer

How can, in the space of ONE day, DD's foot be measured so differently!

wysiwyg · 13/08/2005 22:13

Try to ask around to see if your friends can recommend a good Clarks shop - I've had mixed experience in Surrey, but there is the Worcester park high st shop which has the Children's department on the ground floor (Wow!!!!!!!) and they do seem to specialise in children's fitting so now I go there. I would definitely ask around.

nutcracker · 13/08/2005 22:21

Hulababy that recently happened to me with Dd2.

I went one day and they measured her as a 10F but when I got home it was obvious the shoes didn't fit.
I took her back 2 days later and they measured her as a 11F.

Hulababy · 13/08/2005 22:22

Have to say that I didn't see one pair of Clarks girls shoes, in her size range, that I actually liked. Have used Clarks before but this season's range is pretty poor IMO.

nutcracker · 13/08/2005 22:56

I agree, and their boys range is even worse. I got Ds some on Friday and when the woman asked me to choose I did actually say to her that there wasn't really any that I liked alot.

hercules · 14/08/2005 11:33

snap, hulababy. Not one nice pair. I got dd's startrite in sale for 22 pounds.

Hulababy · 14/08/2005 11:34

Sadly no sale for us. Startrite were £37 BUT they are nice, prwactical and look and feel way more substational and better quality.

hercules · 14/08/2005 11:35

DD's startrite are much better than any clarkes I've had for ds before. I've been converted!

Hulababy · 14/08/2005 11:38

We have Startrite's version of Doodles too this year, plus a pair of Doodles. Again the startrites are muchmore substantial.

Just a shame the startrites are so much more expensive. But think we will stik to them at moment at least.

mumtosomeone · 14/08/2005 21:47

startright measure a size bigger! Dont know hwy!

galaxy · 14/08/2005 21:51

dd was measured in Farnham Clarkes yesterday for trainers as right foot 7f and left 6f. They didn't have her size in so went to Clarks in Camberley who measured both feet same size at 6f but when they tried them on, were too small so opted for 7f. Methinks I should have just saved a tenner and got her the Reebok trainers from JJB Sports!

starlover · 14/08/2005 21:53

this thread was started in june and is still going on?????

LIZS · 20/08/2005 17:41

My school shoes fears have been realised. dd was measured at Clarks in Mothercare as a 7f but the only "school" shoes in the range for that size they had were black with a pink sparky heart ! Can't fault the fitter particularly, he had got some straightforward plain black ones for ds.

So we went off to an independent store where dd measured a 6 1/2d on a Startite measure and actually had a choice of at least 2 appropriate plainish styles even when the fitter decided that a d was too tight so moved on to an e fitting.

I know there are variations in sizings between the 2 brands but perhaps Clarks need to offer a style or 2 among the preschool shoes for those who don't want just garish fashion shoes for their kids. dd's ended up costing more than her elder brothers though.

MummyJules · 20/08/2005 18:03

Went to Clarks three weeks ago as DD had chucked one of her shoes out of the car window! - The girl didn't even attempt to measure her until I prompted her to. Finally managed to get DD some shoes in size 7.. two weeks later we were having an awful time trying to get her to wear her shoes so I went back and spoke to the manager. It turns out the the shoes we should of got were size 8 - a whole size bigger. No wonder DD didn't want to wear her shoes!!

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