I put a pre-visit post up on Instagram to ensure that I knew all I had to know before taking my 12 month old daughter Belle to Clark’s for the first time. Majority of the people who got back to me advised me on which shoes to opt for, how quickly children grow out of shoes and how amazing Clark’s staff are. Nobody and I repeat nobody…told me that a child might HATE getting their feet measured and could potentially scream down the whole store. Welcome to my world!
Belle took her first steps a few days ago, so I made the decision to take Belle to get her first pair of shoes. I ADORE shoes. I love shopping for them. I love the way they can transform an outfit and I definitely love all the amazing styles to choose from. This shoe shopping experience was very different to what I am used to.
I booked online at my nearest Clark’s store, and was excited to get my daughter her first pair of shoes that I know I will keep for a lifetime. Belle was in a great mood the day of the fitting, that was until her feet got touched.
I need to just mention that the staff member was fantastic. She was extremely reassuring, explained how she was measuring the length and width of Belle’s feet and even played some Disney sing alongs to try and distract Belle (it didn’t work).
So after a 10 minute struggle of trying to measure Belle’s second foot, we decided to just go with the one measurement of 3 1/2 G. Whilst cradling my big 12 month old baby in my arms, I decided on two pairs of shoes fairly quickly (there was no way I could choose just one).
We walked away with a beautiful yellow patent roamer style shoe and a gorgeously soft pink pair of canvas roamers – perfect for our upcoming holiday. I know that she will probably have outgrown these shoes in 6-8 weeks (recommended time to get child’s feet remeasured at this age) but hey ho.
I just wanted to write this post as a heads up for other fellow mums. Be prepared for a very different shoe shopping experience. You may be considered ‘the lucky one’ and have a child that doesn’t mind their feet being touched, but if you have a child similar to mine – prepare for tears, cuddles and a bit of a hasty decision (and a very expensive pair of shoes compared to what you have been buying for a newborn).
Belle is still getting to grips with her pair of shoes and isn’t so sure on them. However I’m pretty sure in another 10 years time she will be breaking our bank accounts with her demands for branded pairs.
Happy shopping mumbies!
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