Clarks shoes
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Discussion

rolex

Original Poster:

3,120 posts

288 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
quotequote all
Is it worth paying the extra for a pair of Clarks shoes? Will they last longer than say buying a pair from Deichmanns? I've heard Clarks shoes are now made in Vietnam.

alorotom

12,787 posts

217 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
quotequote all
I don’t think so, they are just cheap footwear now albeit with marginally softer insoles for perceived comfort but without longevity imho

Gareth1974

3,478 posts

169 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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I don't think they are as good as they once were, but Debenhams always seem to have a few styles on offer for £35, so I tend to buy those for work.

Fastchas

2,841 posts

151 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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Nope, they last no longer than any other high street brand.
Also, they sell a lot of 'moulded' soles, these can't be repaired (especially in kids shoes).

Integroo

11,631 posts

115 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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alorotom said:
I don’t think so, they are just cheap footwear now albeit with marginally softer insoles for perceived comfort but without longevity imho
Clarks isn't cheap!

Davey S2

13,394 posts

284 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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With a username like Rolex I'd have thought you'd have a nice pair of handmade brogues.

dojo

741 posts

165 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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Clarks are crap, fall apart get an actual decent pair of shoes and it will give you a better value for money

Shakermaker

11,317 posts

130 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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I've not had any problems with Clarks other than the laces being prone to breaking.

Most places on the high street don't sell smart size 13 shoes, but Clarks do, in two styles that I've found. One fits very nicely on my feet, and I've just replaced them after 4 years with a new pair the same as the old ones. £50, can't complain at that

Podie

46,649 posts

305 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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Integroo said:
alorotom said:
I don’t think so, they are just cheap footwear now albeit with marginally softer insoles for perceived comfort but without longevity imho
Clarks isn't cheap!
Agreed!

Walked by a shop the other day and was staggered to see them at £95 for a pair!

Christmassss

650 posts

119 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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I have used Clarks for schools shoes for a few years, they last the entire year and are only replaced when grown out of rather than them wearing out.

I don't think £40-50 for a pair of shoes for school is that much tbh

Fastchas

2,841 posts

151 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
quotequote all
Christmassss said:
I have used Clarks for schools shoes for a few years, they last the entire year and are only replaced when grown out of rather than them wearing out.

I don't think £40-50 for a pair of shoes for school is that much tbh
My two boys go through 2 pairs a year and not forced by growing out of the size. So many have rubber soles that just develop holes.

Christmassss

650 posts

119 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
quotequote all
Fastchas said:
My two boys go through 2 pairs a year and not forced by growing out of the size. So many have rubber soles that just develop holes.
That is insane! How old are they?

Dr Doofenshmirtz

16,952 posts

230 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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I bought a pair of shoes from Blue Inc earlier in the year and they're the best shoes I've ever owned. Super comfortable and hard wearing etc. They only cost £15 in a sale. For work I wear Capps Antistatic/steel toecap shoes which are also excellent and last years. They look like regular smart work shoes too.

Edited by Dr Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 3rd October 16:18

EarlOfHazard

3,630 posts

188 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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About a year ago, I bought a pair of Clarks' Unibizley brogues in the sale for £40. Have held up well, so much so that I'm looking to buy another pair; however I can't find them for less than £65. However, happy to pay this price for a year's worth of work shoe.

I also have some casual Clarks' boots for dossing around in, they have a nice thin sole and are good for driving in..

NWTony

3,002 posts

258 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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I find that Clarks and M&S shoes wear badly and don't last - I'm a convert to Hush Puppies, often on sale via Amazon.

Pinkie15

1,248 posts

110 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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Rockport's all the way for me; longest lasting, most comfortable shoes I've worn.

Okay, they're (what I regard as) pretty pricey at around a ton/pair (used to only find them in Austin Reid), but now often available in TK's for around £30 - £50.

One pair of black lace ups are at least 6 years old. Only really started to look their age in the past month or 2. They probably get worn every other day, at longest every 3rd day, so they've covered a fair bit of mileage in that time.


Don't think I've bought a pair of Clark's since leaving school 30 odd years ago. However, the Mrs, who suffers with injured Achilles, has discovered in the past couple of years that Clark's are the best for her as heel design impinges the least on her Achilles.

droopsnoot

14,685 posts

272 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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Shakermaker said:
I've not had any problems with Clarks other than the laces being prone to breaking.
I get broken laces on all the shoes I buy, long before I have to replace the shoes.

I normally buy cheapo Shoe Zone shoes for £20 a pair, because I walk quite a distance to the pub, quite often, so there's no point buying a super-expensive pair of shoes. I made an exception when Brantano shut down, because I could get a pair of Clarks plain black shoes for about £32, about half the original Brantano "before" price (for what that's worth), and I've no idea what the proper Clarks shop price would have been. I started wearing them on March 10th, and I do about 25 miles per week in them, making a total of 30 weeks, so around 750 miles on this pair. They're not leaking water in yet, though there's a bit of a break in the centre of one of the soles. Usually this spreads very rapidly to the point where the split goes right across the sole, at which point the shoe is unusable, however it probably hasn't spread much in 3-4 weeks. I've probably got a few more weeks on this pair yet.

The one problem I have with them - which has been echoed by a mate who also bought some Clarks earlier in the year - is that on any kind of slippery surface, they're lethal. On one of my pub routes there's a path made of smooth bricks, and these shoes are a little slippery on it in the dry, and terrible in the wet, to the extent I'll avoid the path if it's been raining. I doubt that I'll still be wearing them by the time it's frosty.

So, on distance of service, I can give them a thumbs-up. When it comes to buying another pair of shoes, I'll certainly see what I can get another pair of Clarks for, though that won't be until next year as I have a pair of Hush Puppies "in stock" from the same closing-down sale. By contrast, I think the Shoe Zone £20 pair normally give me about three months of use, so more like 300 miles.

I did have a bit of a laugh, though, when I first started wearing them. When I bought them, neither I nor the staff in the shop (who in fairness probably had their minds elsewhere) noticed that they're not actually a pair, they are two different styles. At least they're both the same size, though, as it was months after they'd shut completely before I opened the box.


Edited by droopsnoot on Wednesday 3rd October 19:28

FredericRobinson

5,092 posts

262 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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Isn't walking a long way a reason to buy good shoes not crap ones?

Lemming Train

5,567 posts

102 months

Wednesday 3rd October 2018
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FredericRobinson said:
Isn't walking a long way a reason to buy good shoes not crap ones?
I was struggling with that one as well. wobble