Talk to Clarks about getting your DC's first school shoes and other milestones in their lives - you could win school shoes for your DCs for a year! NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We've been asked by Clarks to find out about what Mumsnetters remember about getting their DCs first pair of school shoes.

Here's what Clarks say,

"From tearful to triumphant, there are many words that parents use to capture the excitement and emotion they feel about their child starting school for the very first time. Clarks understand how important the First Day of School is for both parents and children, and how sentimental parents feel about sending their child off into the big wide world.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Clarks have partnered with Ladybird to create a bespoke memory book, free with your child’s first pair of Clarks School Shoes. The memory book lets children and parents complete and capture all their first moments from their first year at school, from favourite lessons to favourite friends, and of course a space for a photo of your child in their perfectly crease free uniform and shiny shoes on their first day at school.

To complete your First Clarks School Shoes experience, you can also book a fitting appointment at a time to suit you. The occasion is made all the more exciting by being measured on a new Clarks iPad Foot Gauge! Book online at //www.clarks.co.uk/storeappointments, phone 0844 248 8408, or in store. Clarks also have over 7,000 trained fitters in stores over the back to school season and Clarks stores open for longer for the summer holidays to make sure your shopping experience is completely hassle free"

So, what do you remember about getting your DCs first school shoes? Maybe it's having their feet measured? Or perhaps it's the number of shoes they tried on before finding the right pair? Was this a big milestone in their lives? What other milestones are important to you?

If your DCs aren't old enough for school just yet, is getting their first pair of school shoes a milestone that you're looking forward to? Was being fitted for their first pair of shoes a milestone? Are there any other milestones which you think are important? If so, what are they?

Everyone who comments on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will receive school shoes for their DCs (worth up to £150) for a year.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

[ChutesTooNarrow]

I am just back from buying pfb's first pair of school shoes at Clarks. I was completely shocked at the difference between girls and boys shoes. Rugged, foot covering, waterproof shoes for boys. Dainty little flimsy things for girls. There was even some guff on the wall about the boys shoes being sturdy for active boys and the girls being stylish.

We were not offered the clarks first school shoe experience but that was fine, I would have declined anyway because it's ridiculous to make such a fuss over shoes.

Luckily the only pair of shoes in my DS size were the most expensive so I was too preoccupied being hysterical at spending forty quid on a pair of shoes to think much about the weird gender roles Clarks have assigned for small children.

[wonkylegs]

We went to John Lewis & despite helpful & efficient staff - the place was chaos. Children refusing shoes, tears & tantrums, bored & frustrated parents - it looked like the third circle of hell.

I then thanked god when I got my DSs first school shoes that a)he was a boy (choice of several almost identical shoes & DS didn't care which) and b) thanks to his size & width we only had one choice (had to have Clarks as they were the only ones in that width available) . We waltzed in got measured & waltzed out with a new pair of school shoes, leaving the chaos behind.

So far we've repeated this once a year, every year & despite the eye watering prices of school shoes it's been a relatively pleasant experience, completely contrasting with the arguments with my nieces as to why they can't have purple bejewelled high heels for school aged 7 which seem to rage on for weeks.

[WowOoo]

I can remember it clearly. Getting the whole uniform including shoes was a milestone and a big thing.
I took a photo at home. Those lovely, smart shoes on my small boy.

We've just bought Clarks' boys shoes again.

I'm dismayed to find that they have been discontinued so i may not be able to buy Stomp again.

Please, keep making them Clarks!
They are the ones with a lot of rubber at the top of toes. They don't go all scruffy looking and scuffed like most other styles. They were the best school shoes I've ever found - very comfortable according to Dc and very hard wearing. Bring em back please!

[MrsJayGatsby]

We went to get my daughters first pair of school shoes on Saturday. My Nan bought them for her, as she bought my son his first pair of Clark's school shoes 2 years ago.

After the (very friendly and lovely) assistant had measured her feet I chose 2 pairs of shoes and told my daughter she could choose which she wanted. Once the assistant had brought the shoes out, I realised I preferred one pair much more than the other. My daughter, of course, liked the pair I didn't. So she tried on the pair she didn't like first, nice lady said they felt fine and fit really well. My daughter, with her eye on the other pair, told us that they weren't comfortable and they didn't feel good. Ok, let's try the next pair. Again, the assistant says they feel fine, my child nods and smiles and agrees.

That is until my son finds the button on the first pair that makes the shoes flash. We didn't know the shoes flashed. All of a sudden the shoes she loved are uncomfortable and don't feel good at all. She thinks she should try the other pair on again. Magically, they were very comfortable this time, and she just loved the flowers so so much.

We got the flashing shoes.

It was still a lovely experience, with 4 generations of women from the family together; the oldest buying the youngest's first pair of school shoes.

[Lindy2]

My daughter was VERY excited and insisted on skipping up and down the shop when testing the new shoes rather than walking. We did keep trying to get her to walk but in the end had to settle for a slow skip instead!

[missorinoco]

I made a trip of it for DC1 and 2. Went to the shops to have their feet measured, buy shoes, and they got to choose a treat afterwards. It was a bit of one on one time before starting school.

I mainly remember being irked at how stereotyped the shoes were. DD could have pretty shoes, or pretty sparkly shoes. Ideal for a little girl who likes playing football.

[Itsfab]

We didn't get them from a Clarks shop but an independent one.

My one experience of buying shoes for my DD from a Clarks shop ended with me having to return the next day with shoes which clearly didn't fit and being told tough. First and last time I went there.

We have been using the same independent shop for 12 years and the visit to Clarks was purely as it was nearer one day and I couldn't face the trip in to town.

Two of my children have problems with their feet and the £1000's I have spent in our shoe shop has been more than worth it.

Buying all their first shoes felt like a big deal. Any firsts with my children do.

[Aethelfleda]

My DD1 had to try five pairs to get her first pair of shoes to fit...and then we found shiny patent ones and she was so happy...

[ItsNotEasyBeingGreen]

We bought DS's first ever school shoes 2 weeks ago. We made an appointment 1 week previous but got told we still needed to take a ticket thing and wait. DS has always been fine having his feet measured in the past but the fitter suddenly produced an iPad asking my DS to pick the picture of the boy and all hell broke loose. He didn't like the iPad. Didn't want to touch it. The fitter clicked in the boy picture and slid it in to the footy measurer thing and then told DS to climb on, he wouldn't, he said he didn't like the iPad. I asked the fitter to measure him the old fashioned way but she wouldn't, she said his feet were too big to be measured 'conventionally' he's a size 11.5F. She then told me if he didn't want his feet measured she needed to serve someone else and we were to persuade him and take another ticket and get in line again.

We eventually got him measured with that stupid iPad thing and then the shoes we wanted weren't available in his size.

It was a disaster so no Clarks, I'm not going to be shoving the new shoes picture in any memory box. It's an experience I would rather forget! I also guess I'm not going to win any competition with that answer! :)

[stealthsquiggle]

Sure enough, one visit to independent shoe shop later, all shoes have been declared to be fine for another half a term at least. Can't see that happening in Clarks TBH.

[rednellie]

Not sure if anyone's linked already but Hollie McNish sums up my feelings on girls school shoes perfectly: holliepoetry.com/2014/08/29/finding-school-shoes/

[supergreenuk]

My DD starts on the 17th of this month and I bought her first school shoes last week. She loves them and wants to wear them all the time. I remember when I was a kid I was so excited about going back to school so I could wear my new shoes

[BikeRunSki]

Clark's might be interested in this. They don't fare well at all!

[Stealthpolarbear]

Just spotted this thread, I'd like to ask Clarks why girls' school shoes don't have tongues. Do girls' socks not get wet?

[Jims]

Ds1 just had his first school shoes fitted. The lady was v nice even though ds1 was a bit clingy. Next time i'll try to remember to book an appointment though - i unthinkingly went on the last saturday morning before term starts!

[MaryWestmacott]

My DS starts school next week, and we went to a little independent shop near us and did end up with Clarks (best of those that fitted him, he's got small, wide feet, basically squares)

However, there was a girl being measured for first school shoes at the same time, and the difference was astounding, it seems that boys shoes are expected to be smart and practical, that boys are supposed to be able to run around, with good grips and keep their feet dry, even though they are being smart. Girls are clearly expected to stand still with wet feet.

Hopefully you'll have started making some girls shoes that are practical by the time DD starts school. (or else I'm going to have to be the mean mother than insists on buying her shoes from the boys range)

[Lovewhereilive]

Bought them from clarks for all 3 and have done for the past 7 years. Don't really remember much about buying them apart from the queue and the desire to get it over and done with asap!

Remember their first day at school, cried after I had left each of my boys.
Soon got over it!

[BlueEyeshadow]

Got DS2's first school shoes from the Startrite factory shop this morning. One pair in his size. He seemed to like them, job done. Nothing for DS1 though so had to pay full price in Clarks . I like to get them properly fitted, but my goodness it's expensive. The assistant was nice and he quite liked the iPad thing. Again only one style that fitted, so got that. Fortunately no traumas.

[ReginaPhalangee]

I can guarantee that my son, almost 7, will beg for a pair from the girls range because he hates the fact that girls seem to have all the lovely styles whilst the boys are so plain. It's not just Clarks, it's the same everywhere!

[Rigbyroo]

I worked for clarks and r and b as a teenager and whilst at uni so getting dds first pair of shoes properly fitted was a huge deal! Mil was desperate to buy them but I just felt like I didn't want her to as this was a special moment for me! She was an early walker but had teeny tiny feet so choice was quite limited. She behaved so well and looked chuffed to bits with them. Was a lovely experience.

[saintlyjimjams]

First schoool shoes with ds1 was hideous - he's severely autistic & used to be very very difficult to get school shoes for. I ended up giving up with Clarks (too much waiting) & going to a quieter independent shoe shop. I do remember the time we had managed to get him on the machine in Clarks (a complete miracle - and saved people measuring his feet being kicked) when some utter BRAT of a kid turned the switch off at the wall just as the measurement was being taken. Of course we had no chance of getting him back on the machine so had to go back to trying to wrestle with the foot measure and helping the poor shop assistant duck.

A friend's sister was a shop manager for a shoe shop (might have been Clarks) & she visited us at home for a while - that was much more successful.

Ds2 & ds3 are far easier, so easy I remember nothing about buying them shoes other than it's a relief if's not ds1 needing them.

[PolyesterBride]

I have just bought my second daughter's first school shoes in Clarks. She was and still is insanely excited about them and is sleeping with them next to her bed. She has to be stopped from wearing them all this week so that they're still new and shiny when she starts on Monday.

[Itsfab]

About three years ago DD had some closed in shoes that could have been boys but were actually for girls. They were fabulous. Some idiot decided to stop doing them. I think you can see from this thread it was a really stupid and bad idea.

[chickensandbees]

I think you have to pick a good time to go so it is not too busy. They love the machines you stand on to measure the feet. There is a good choice. We got trainers for PE and there were plenty to choose from that met the schools uniform criteria but that she liked to.

Live near a Clark's outlet shop so !most DDs shoes come from there. Will be back next year for DD2s first school shoes too.