Clarks First Shoes Fitting

Shoes shoes shoes, I went a little overboard when pregnant in buying tiny little shoes for Isabelle. I couldn’t help myself, they were cute, pretty and I couldn’t wait to see her in them. With 56 pairs before she was born I could see how people would think that it was a little unnecessary. I wasn’t counting as I bought them, it was only when my partner said that I might have a problem with buying cutesy little baby shoes did I realise that he could be right.

His suspicions were confirmed when we ran out of space in her room to keep them and realistically when would she need to wear shoes? When she started cruising and walking? Well oops it appeared that all but one pair of shoes that I had purchased were pram shoes, with little or no support.

When Isabelle arrived obviously her feet were tiny, so small that none of her shoes fit when I went to try them. It took months before I could even try a pair of little shoes on her then I still didn’t have chance to try them all, I think there were only 6 pairs that she wore plus slippers. Of course I told my partner “oh yes she’s worn lots of them” I think I learnt my lesson. She didn’t need that amount of shoes and the majority of them still have tags on.

I needed shoes when she started standing and cruising so I was excited that I could finally buy a couple of pairs that she would be able to wear and were practical. Cruisers were our choice as they provided lots of support. She wasn’t a big fan of wearing shoes at all and since my shoe buying spree I was now cautious of buying shoes that she wouldn’t be in for long as she was growing and developing at a rapid rate. We would soon need walkers, shoes that would support her and be hardy for use outside.
It was time to have her feet measured to ensure the right fit so I was delighted when we were offered the chance to visit Clarks for a fitting and also to look at the new line for spring and summer 2012.

Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt taking my little girl for her first pair of real shoes. On arriving at the store we made our way to the children’s department and I must say I was taken aback by exactly how large it was, with the walls covered in shoes galore.

The staff greeted us before we even made it to the ticketing system (this is a system where you pull a ticket off the reel with a number so that everyone gets seen to in order)

We were asked if it was Isabelle’s first shoe fitting and what we were looking at today. Since we were here to see the new Spring/Summer collection the lovely girl was more than happy to help us. She brought over the catalogue and showed us the shoes on display that were new and also the popular shoes that were available. She made sure that we knew we could look at any shoes and she would be happy to fit and try them on Isabelle which was great as there were so many that we couldn’t wait to try.
With the Queens diamond jubilee this year and the London Olympics being British is very much in fashion and Clarks Kids have certainly hit the mark with this trend creating a classic new spring look collection.

The collection includes boys and girls sandals, trendy canvas shoes and cupsoles in neutral tones and distressed materials. To Epitomise the great British summer Clarks have provided a modern take combining red, white and blue with English country garden florals to create stunning and comfortable shoes for your little ones.

Firstly Isabelle sat down with the lovely assistant to have her feet measured; she was a lovely lady who was very helpful and patient with Isabelle who wanted to be off running around. Her approach was great and soon Isabelle was happy to sit on the floor whilst her feet were measured for her new shoes.

Typically Isabelle had one foot that was slightly bigger and broader than the other (I hear it’s very common) and the assistant decided that it was best to get a size that would accommodate both and allow a little growing room whilst allowing Isabelle to be comfortable in her shoes.

Next came the actual choosing of the shoes, unfortunately not all shoes were available in Isabelle’s size but that’s only to be expected with such a large range that are specifically measured to each size. Still there were around 10 pairs that were available in her size.

With so many pretty shoes to choose from I had finally narrowed it down to 4 pairs with no help from my partner (he’s useless when shopping) Luckily Isabelle loves shoes so trying them on was great fun for her (and me). Since we already have the Ella Glitz Patent Shoes (The ones that light ups as she runs around) which were purchased for her first Birthday we had to cross these off the list.

The shoes that I really wanted were the shoes from the new range, the Home Gem in either Floral or Navy but they did not have Isabelle’s size in stock. I was told that they can be ordered in or I could even reserve a pair from another store which is great but being inpatient I wanted a pair of shoes that day.

This is when we I decided it had to be the lovely Elodie Love shoes which Isabelle could try on in White or Denim. I loved the girly white shoe with the pink detailing and I was very close to deciding on these until I realised that Isabelle likes to get things dirty and she scuffs her shoes a lot.

See they are adorable but I made the executive decision to give the Denim a go, instantly Isabelle decided herself that these were the shoes for her. She was proudly rung around as the assistant was checking that they were the correct fit and that they would not come off. I was very impressed how she was very in-depth about getting the perfect fit for Isabelle (and how she managed to keep up with her)

The whole process was painless and Isabelle actually enjoyed herself, I can’t say the same for my partner though as he saw the twinkle in Isabelle’s eyes around shoes, it could become an expensive habit.

Since we have been home with the shoes Isabelle doesn’t like to take them off and has to be forced out of them at bath and bed times. She loves them so much that she will put them on herself although right now it’s impossible for her to fasten them. She even request her shoes if not in sight by asking for “sue’s” and sometimes even the cat has the privilege of wearing them whether he likes it or not, he is instructed “No Daspur Sues”

The shoes are really cute and are a perfect match for her clothing attire what’s even better is that they are worn daily but have very few scuff marks. Most importantly I know they are comfortable for her, well they must be as she refuses to take them off the soft leather allows her feet to move as she walks and she is not restricted as well as providing all the support that she needs. We all know what it’s like to buy a pair of shoes only to realise that you have to break them in first, well not with these, it goes to show that the quality of the shoes is great and it’s really worth the extra effort to have the shoes fitted correctly. I was very impressed with the service and the assistant took her time to make sure that we were all happy and offered us some great advice. She allowed us to choose and there was no pressure in our purchase. I would sincerely recommend the service.

Also available are the Clarks Doodles, these shoes are perfect for school and nursery, cheaper on the pocket as they are designed to be bashed around. I know that when Isabelle starts nursery I will have no problems in finding shoes for her, my only issue would be choosing a pair from the fab designs that are updated all the time.

Clarks even offer the lovely Clarks first shoe fitting service which comes complete with a little pack including a photograph of the shoe fitting, a height chart and other great bits to mark the occasion. I’ve popped these bits in Isabelle’s keepsake box and pinned up her chart. All this at no extra cost as they understand the benefit of properly fitted shoes and the impact that they have on the child’s physical development.

With Easter coming up we have asked the Easter Bunny to bring Isabelle the lovely Home Gem shoes in Floral, they would be perfect for spring and summer. It’s also coming up to Isabelle’s next shoe fitting as they recommend that they are done every 6-8 weeks to ensure the child is wearing the correct size shoes , I can’t wait for our next visit.