Summer sandals for children

I remember the conversation about having your feet measured in the shop.... but having to buy a pair of shoes of the same size.......why couldn't we have odd sizes to fit properly? I think it made us feel better that we mostly had market shoes, cheap and cheerful.

I had these and sensible lace up shoes for winter. They had to be bought in shops that took Provident cheques.

I loved my sandals! Used to get them at Easter to go with my new 'costume'! I have a vague recollection of a pair of red sandals but perhaps they were Startrite or Norvic. Hated getting the crepe soles dirty as they changed from off white to murky grey by the end of the summer

Do you remember how white the soles were when they were new? First task was always to mucky them up a bit!

Have hilarious snap of DH wearing them. He was about 11 and in a class in Texas with some very well-developed American girls!

I really don't remember an x-ray machine in Clarks! Maybe a wee bit before my time (sorry ?)
I had to wear clarks, and generally they were the only new things I got each year as I had an older sister.
I occasionally buy from clarks for dgd as she has very wide plates of meat but now alot of supermarkets and m&s do wide fit at cheaper prices!

So here we go on a semantics tangent :D

Why are the items of footwear in flippy's photograph "sandals" and not "shoes"?

I would have called them shoes (and yes, I do remember them - I don't think I had a pair though).

So when are they shoes, and when are they sandals?

I remember having Clarks "Golden Dollies" shoes and getting a poster of Led Zeppelin in the box. I hadn't a clue who or what Led Zeppelin was - that's now rectified :D

I stopped shopping for children's shoes in Clarks after they sent my son out of the shop wearing a pair of shoes that were two and a half sizes too small for him. I never trusted them after that, and always went to independent shoe shops afterwards

Loved these sandals! Most of my clothes we're home made/hand-me-downs from my sister, but I always had my own new shoes. Wish it was as simple as that now, for children.....

I always wore Clarkes shoes as a child. My dad used to have to cut a bit off the top of the heel as it came up too high and hurt my foot. I also remember the Xray machine. Janet Street Porter mentioned this on Loose Women recently and the younger women thought she was joking!

Toes cut here, too

Oh my ! Yes I wore those ! It was a part of our Summer Holidays - a visit to Street in Somerset where Clarke's had a factory shop. And yes it meant a turn on the X-Ray machine. Happy days !

It was the high spot of getting new shoes. The joy of seeing the xray of my foot. I loved watching my toes wiggle.

Yes!

Do you remember the xray machine in Clarke's shoe shops to see if your new shoes fitted?

My friend had a pair of Clarke's sandals like the ones in the picture - brand new. She was late going home for her tea from the field we were playing in - our friend's big brother came to the rescue with his bike and told her to hop on the cross bar and he would give her a ride. All going swimmingly - till she caught the heel of a sandal in the front wheel of the bike and the spokes took it off! When she got home her dad was out looking for her and she had to explain the damage.

The colours and styles of the shoes and sandals in the shops now are wonderful. The DGC have some that light up - a constant source of amusement to them.

Yes I wore these! However summers seemed longer then! Be hard pushed to get more than 2 weeks worth of consistently dry weather over the entire summer months in Scotland!
Last year DGS was 2 and would not wear sandals. He wore his stompos and doodles both from Clarks. DD worked in Clarks when she was at school and uni so feels duty bound to buy shoes there.
Does anyone remember Tuf lacing school shoes? I was made to wear these to school and hated them!

Yep !!

I have an pair of white adult sandals which I bought last summer. They are almost identical to the Clark's ones ones I wore as a child. It must have been a case of nostalgia which made me buy them.

Am overcome with a wave of nostalgia, my sandals, pretty much always brown, nevertheless a break from the winter lace ups, think they were black, or maybe brown However, I did get a white pair of sandals, in a slightly more attractive style if I remember rightly for my First Holy Communion

Such a thrill to get your feet measured, loved that bit, going up a size or even half a size.

Just bought some for DGD but in blue. (Startrite) (She is six). First shoes with buckles. She had no choice as very tiny feet and very, very narrow. These were the only ones in the shop to fit her. Luckily she loves them!

Yup..I had those too and I think DDs did. Also recall the fronts cut off to see the summer out! Almost impossible to find a lightweight pair of sandals for primary kids to wear to school (closed toes!)

Startrite were for my children, made locally in Norwich I think.

Mine were Kilties but very similar in style to the picture. Toes cut out of mine too and worn for playing out when they got a bit small!

I wore these as did DC. I can not imagine GC wearing them though, eldest is eleven and wears size 6 which limits the styles she can wear.
When did children start getting such big feet ? I used to tease her and say she was such a good swimmer because she had flippers not feet.

whitewave Toes cut off mine too!