WWYD? Ds NEW clarks shoes rubbing

[nappyexpress]

I had ds age 3 fitted for new shoes during the easter hols. He wore them to nursery for the first time on tues and when i picked him up at lunch time his teacher said hed been fine untill 10.30 and then had sat down and refused to move anywhere!! As soon as DS saw me he burst into tears and said his feet were realy realy sore. The poor lad had been to affraid to tell his teacher incase she though he was just being silly (bless him)It was his first day and he wanted to 'be grown up'!
His shoes have been rubbing him just bellow the 'bobbily bit' on the insides of his ankle which are red raw Ive found the reciept but it only says they refund or exchange 'unworn shoes' surely u wouldnt know if shoes rub untill u wear them.... right?

What i wanted to know was am i within 'my rights' to demand they refit a another pair to replace these?? as surely if they rubbing then they dont fit?!!!
I realy dont want to pay out another £30+ on shoes for him when he had a brand new pair that ob cant be worn again!!

Im soooooo confused as what to do someone please help!!!

go back to shop. i have always had replacement shoes or money back when this happens.

i have taken back shoes to Clarks which have rubbed DS;s feet after a day

they have been swapped for another pair

they clearly don't fit him if they are rubbing

Aren't Clark shoes guaranteed for 6 weeks? Am sure one of the sales assistants told me this.

I've always had really great helpful staff when I've had to take DC's shoes back.

Just take them back and explain that they are hurting his feet, and show them. It may be worth him getting his feet measured after they heal.

thanks for the quick replys. I was worried that they would refuse due to them being worn. but i supose when you've paid out all that money to have them 'properly fitted' u expect them to fit 'properly' and if not, for them to sort it out afterall they fitted them not me!! If id just bought from tesco or shoe zone ect then that would be my own fault and so wouldnt expect refund/exchange.
Its put my mind a rest a little now as realy cant afford another £30 and his nursery have to have 'black school shoes only' so he cant wear his doodles or sandals.

There's no such thing as a 6 wk guarantee at Clarks. I would definately take him back to the shop, explain the problem and have him checked (make sure you take the shoes with you). They will advise and probably offer an alternative pair free of charge as a matter of goodwill. My local Clarks man always advises to wear new shoes with socks in the house for a few days before venturing out to school/nursery in them. But it sounds as if your sons shoes may be too high at the ankle and are knocking the skin?

the wearing in teh house thing doesn't work. do any children wear shoes in the house?

Shoes can rub for a variety of reasons but the most common reasons are when the shoes are too big (you get extra movement when walking and the friction causes the rub) or when there is a manufacturing defect such as a crease in the internal lining.

A common policy of Clarks is to fit shoes by going up a half or full size and dropping down the width fitting instead of actually fitting a shoe with the correct length and width measurement. So say your son has a size 6G and they have nothing in that size they may sell you a 6.5F or a 7E instead. The extra space could then cause a problem in some cases.

There isn't usually a problem during the actual fitting but when the shoes are worn for any length of time it becomes apparant.

You need to go back to the shop and ask for the shoes to be checked by a supervisor or manager. Ask them to measure again and fit from scratch. Never be afraid of asking them what size they have come up with and if they fit a different size ask them why they believe it is appropriate.

Occasionally children have one foot slightly bigger than the other and the smaller foot may require an insole placing for a short period of time as shoes should be fitted to the larger foot to allow for growth. If this is the problem they should have given you an insole to start with.

They have a duty to either correct the problem if it is an insole that is required or replace the shoes if they have a more appropriate pair or refund you if they don't have anything in stock to fit.

Sadly a lot of Clark's staff are not as well trained as they could be and as some of their shops pay staff on commission and impose sales targets. This means they sell shoes for the sake of the sale rather than for the good of the customer.

Hope you get some satisfaction.

They exchanged them today no problems. He measured a 9F and shoes hed been given were 9H They were too big around the ankle. He wouldnt even let the lady try him in the F fitting he was convinced they were going to hurt(bless him). He has a totaly different style which TBH are much nicer tha the others and feel softer and more supple. Hes had them on in the house (usual a big no no)!! and so far so good even better was the fact they were cheaper than the others so had 'pocket money' left to buy an ice cream for not making too much fuss

Sorry to hear your son had such a bad time with shoes from Clarks. I had a similar experience with my daughter, age 5 - she came home in agony after first day at school bless her. Chatting with a friend about it she told me about a website that offers advise over the phone/email with no obligation to buy from them. Apparently they're ex-buyers from Marks and Spencer. I tried it out and they were fab, it's revolutionised my life - no more shoe shops for me and my 3 girls (7yrs, 5yrs & 1yr)!! Anyway, it might be worth a go next time. It's www.shoeson.co.uk. Good luck

clarks really are crap ime. they sell you what they have in stock as has been said rather than what fit your child needs. independents much better. You're poor ds..the same happened to mine last year they gave us g fitting sandals when he was an e! rubbed in exactly same place as they were huge on him.

I am horrified to read of anyone abandoning proper shoe shops on the back of having bad experiences with Clarks.

I really hope that the lady who says no more shoe shops for me and my girls changes her mind.

I have looked at the website link and cannot believe the advice regarding "measuring" and "fitting".
There is far more to foot measuring than the length of the foot from ankle to toe and much more to fitting than whether the shoe slips or not.
I note that the site is not a member of either the Society of Shoe Fitters or The Children's Foot Health Register. I would be very careful.

The shape of the foot, the height of the instep, the shape of the ankle can all have dramatic effects on fit. Getting it wrong once or occasionally buying cheap and cheerful party shoes isn't going to damage your child for life but never going to a shoe shop for a measure and to be fitted is quite frankly playing Russian Roulette with your child's feet.

It's like saying they don't need to go and see a dentist again because you know how to use a toothbrush!

Ill fitting shoes can cause so many problems that go way beyond bunions and hammer toes. Migraines and back problems have been connected to poorly fitting footwear.

I do hope the mum finds a shoe shop near her she can trust. Clarks are not as good as they used to be and they don't train their staff well, however most independents do have well trained staff and they are more reliable because it is their own reputation at stake.

I no longer buy Clarks shoes as a matter of principle, as my daughter was given ill-fitting shoes on three occasions. We kept being given bigger size shoes from the size she measured because she has a high instep, but she is an E width fitting - this caused red marks every time. I would advise never accepting "going up a size" as a solution. If the shoes don't fit, try a different style (e.g. Clarks never told us, but I have since learned that t-bar shoes are best for girls with high insteps).

I have had great experiences with Girls and Boys Start-rite shoes from Russell and Bromley, Charles Clinkard and John Lewis, and find the styles and quality are often nicer than Clarks too. These three shops also sell Clarks, so if you get measured there you have got more options if a style doesn't suit.

Always bought clarks, on one occasion the shoes did rub, took them back, no problem, changed to another pair, job done.