Where do you buy your kids shoes? And how many?

**lazalot** · 07-06-2012, 11:00am

We have a outlet Hush Puppies shop near us and I get school shoes in there if I can find them to fit. If not, Clarks for school shoes, although I was not pleased that the only pair they had to fit my DD last time were patent, with flashing lights which I declined.

They both have trainers (bought in sale) and Crocs (from Sports Direct if I can find them), wellies and DD has 'party shoes' whilst DS has football boots.

I was horrified to find recently that size 5 is now considered an adult size, I remember fitting into size 5 Kickers which were much cheaper than the adult size 6 I normally need. My 9 year old has size 5 feet, hence my horror, because they are so expensive and he hasn't stopped growing so they won't last long.

I must admit I only have had one pair of shoes at a time when I was a kid, unless it was summer and I had sandals as well, an extra pair of shoes was a real luxury!

**Duckie** · 07-06-2012, 02:22pm

Originally Posted by Oana

I think you can get away with one pair when they're so young, make the most of it

WSS, shoes are expensive and they can only wear one pair at a time

. That said, both mine were summer babies and late walkers so learnt to walk in winter - when young they always had one pair of Clarks shoes in winter (plus wellies when they were old enough to be able to walk in them) but in summer they had a pair of sandals and a pair of canvas doodles. They both now have mock crocs for the garden which live by the back door, wellies, a pair of canvas shoes and a pair of sandals, plus Anna with her school shoes and Elliot has a normal pair of Clarks too. Anna also has trainers but he doesn't yet - I don't really think he needs trainers as well, but Anna's were bought when she'd grown out of a pair of canvas shoes.

**lazymummy** · 07-06-2012, 06:39pm

DD (15 months) just has Doodles, mostly she's in bare feet still (been walking a few weeks), and a pair of Converse just because they look cute

**gizamojo** · 07-06-2012, 07:26pm

Mine had one pair of Clarks shoes fitted until recently but have found the quality yo be rubbish on the last two pairs I got and even though they replaced one pair it has put me off as normally they would last all year. Now I just get them measured and get cheaper ones and make sure they fit myself. Mine have school shoes, a cheap pair of trainers in their school pe bag (as it only comes home every 6weeks for washing) trainers, fake crocs and wellies. They mainly live in their trainers and if they need smart shoes they would wear their school ones. At your sons age they would have had one pair of smart shoes, one pair of trainers and summer sandals/doodles xx

**Jenevieve** · 07-06-2012, 09:48pm

My DS had just one pair of blue leather clarks shoes from when he started walking in Dec to the beginning of June. He also had some hand-me-down wellies. He's now got some fitted clarks canvas doodles and some hand-me-down clarks sandals.

I know what you mean with colours matching. These blue clarks shoes were often worn with brown or grey trousers over the winter and it did make me cringe, but at £35 a pop I wasn't going to buy more than one pair!

**Peppermint Creams** · 08-06-2012, 03:11pm

Scatterbrain - does Brantano fit children's shoes then? I have one within driving distance, but their clarks prices are pretty much the same as the clarks shops. But I wouldn't mind going if I could get his school plimsoles, and trainers fitted as they'll be much cheaper.

**Stephi103** · 09-06-2012, 08:58am

I have ordered from here a few times and they are really great! I get them measured in Clarks first

http://www.shoesforkids.co.uk/

**claireh** · 09-06-2012, 10:45am

My three year old has start right shoes for preschool, Welles, crocs and converse Velcro trainers. Oh she also has three pairs of plastic hooker dress up heels that my friend bought for her. Not a fan of these at all but she berloody loves them.

Our 1 year old will get one pair of shoes when he starts walking. Once he is full on toddling I'll buy him some crocs for getting mucky in the garden.

Eta I totally get the matching with outfits thing. I matched her wellies to her winter coat, chose converse that would tone with most of her clothes. I don't see anything wrong with that!

**scrobble** · 10-06-2012, 08:58pm

At the moment, M and Z have 1 pair of shoes from Clarks and 1 pair of wellies from wherever I can get them reasonably cheaply. I don't see the need to buy any more. R is just starting to try walking with things - when he's properly cruising I'll buy him one Clarks pair as well, probably.

It would be too expensive to buy any more than that with three kids to clothe! I don't want to re-use M's old pairs for R, either.

We only have the choice locally of a fairly expensive independent store, Clarks and Brantano. As Brantano cost as much as Clarks for leather shoes and don't take the time over fitting, and we get a 10% Tamba discount at Clarks, it's them all the way. Although, having said that, I'm not very impressed by the choice of girls' shoes at the moment.

I tend to order online so I get the choice of the full range rather than relying on what the store will have in their size.

**ms sweetcheeks** · 10-06-2012, 09:04pm

I always buy kids shoes in Russel & Bromley.
I don't like Clarks selection and John Lewis barely have anything, so we always go to R&B..

This week I got DS1
1 pair of black Sketchers for school
1 pair of smart looking Nike trainers for outside school
1 pair of canvas slip ons just for - erm I don't know, I am obsessed with shoes.. oops.

DS2
1 pair of Crocs for garden
1 pair of cuuuute Timberland sandals

it adds up, I spent a fortune on shoes this week