Am I the only one who remembers the days when people working in shoe stores actually knew how to FIT people for shoes? They would measure your foot, go find the right size, help you put it one, make you stand up & then mash on the toe to determine if it’s the right size. Voila! Shoes that fit.
Not. Any. More.
No.
First you have to fall on the floor and act like you are dying so someone will notice you and come over to you. Then you ask to see a shoe. No…we’re out of that size in that shoe. Ok…how about this one. No. Okay….this one? Maybe. Then you wait and they bring the shoe back to you and walk away. I did get her to measure Evan’s foot. His toe was well over the 11 line but she said “It looks like he takes an 11!” I pointed out that his toe was, in fact, over the 11 line & she said “Oh then you should get a 12 so he can grow into it!” Glad you’re here to help, lady.
Runners for little boys have so much plastic on the toes that you can’t really feel what is going on in there. Evan said they felt fine & that he loved them. So I paid (even though they are the ugliest shoes known to man), we left the mall and drove home.
A few days later… he dropped the bomb.
“It’s a good thing those shoes only hurt my toes a bit”
What?!?!?!?!
Yeah….he loved the shoes so much that he lied and said they fit because he thought they only came in one size. *head*desk* So now I get to wrap them back up, try to find the receipt and take them back. Fingers crossed that they actually have a bigger size.
Did I mention that school shoe shopping sucks? Yeah.
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That is just Calgary. The person was likely hired the day before and didn’t know a thing about fitting someone for shoes (obviously). I’m so tired of poor service in this town! Little footprints in aspen is awesome (but busy and expensive). I think they are one of the last dedicated kid shoes in town.
I should have known better. We were at Chinook & I went into Sketchers. Evan was drawn to the flashy light shoes. I said “no” and then gave in because he loved them so much. Now I’ll be paying for it. Boo.
I feel your pain. The worst thing has always been the shoe store with my two boys. I don’t know what it is…maybe the aisles look fun to run in? But all of a sudden I feel like the worst mom ever with zero control. I try to find a brand I like and just shop online at the shoe company lol Also, regarding ‘help’ in stores…I’m from BC where you actually have to know something and be a decent worker to get a job. It’s not easy. Here is VERY different. I find so many people in EVERY job I can think of where they deal with the public don’t know a thing, and don’t much care about doing a good job or showing some effort either.
Shoe stores do seem to bring out the worst in kids. Like you, I also find that people here in customer service jobs a)don’t understand what customer service means and b)know little or nothing about the product or service they are supposed to be selling. Annoying!
I agree.
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Oh gosh, we just went through this on our family trip. The shoe sizer thing is so NOT accurate. They kept saying our oldest was a 3 and he was so NOT a 3. More like 13 or 1! And when I put my feet in the sizer, it said I was a 5 on one foot and 6 on the other. The shoes I bought were 8.5! Yup, shoe shopping sucks! I dislike shoe shopping.
Brandy @insanemamacita recently posted..I Have A Problem
We re-measured today & Evan is a size 13. That’s quite the difference from the size 11 she tried to sell me!
We have actually had some luck at Payless, they measure and have helped a few times…
I guess when my brother was a kid he WOULD NOT try on any shoes in the store…ever! So my mom had to buy them, bring them home, and then he would try them on. And my mom is no pushover, nor was she rich enough to buy a few pairs and just keep what ever fit. This likely resulted in several trips to the store, #painful !
That does sound painful! Your poor mom!
Blah. I still buy most stuff for my kids while they are busy at school or daycare. Honestly, I can’t stand it. If I go out with my kids, I’d rather shop for something a bit easier to shop for, or a few groceries or run errands – or, wait for it – I take them out for coffee dates, lol. I don’t buy toys, gifts, clothing or shoes with them around if I can help it, lol. They both need inside shoes this fall, so I’ll go buy the size I think they need plus one size up for both and keep the receipt. Then they get to try on the shoes, try both sizes and I always make them wear them around the house for a couple of days, try them on a few times, run around the basement, up and down stairs. It’s happened to us too where a week or so in – “so, my new rubber boots just sort of fall off, unless I’m careful.” What??! I find the trial and error helps make sure we have it right before they wear them outside AND having the two sizes right in their hands helps them realize they can have ones that fit well and feel good, with no fibbing to keep an awesome pair. Any style that doesn’t have the two sizes I want to try doesn’t make it into my shopping basket. ; )
Jen @littlemissmocha recently posted..Big brother, little sister
I wish I could do more than that. Since I work, I don’t do a ton of shopping during the day so I end up taking Evan in the evenings. All I can say is UGH.
Oh, I hear you. Any shopping close to your work? Can you pop out at lunch or stop on the way home? Or order online, and return anything that doesn’t work instore one Saturday a month? Something? My way isn’t terribly efficient, but lower frustration.
Jen @littlemissmocha recently posted..Big brother, little sister
I agree with the difficulty on shoe shopping.
I have found good sucess at The Shoe Company – because I work (and can’t go at 9am on a week day when it is quiet and they first open) I plan my visits mid-week in the evenings – I will always ask for help and I am not afraid to start pulling boxes off the shelves myself.
But i do agree – customer service in this city is gone. We have no become used to getting such poor service – we pick the lesser of the evils.
We are hitting the shoe store tonight – wish us luck.
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Good luck! We went back to exchange Evan’s shoes tonight. Thankfully they had a pair in a bigger size.
We’re lucky in that we still have a store in-town that does shoe fitting the old-fashioned way. I miss when it was everywhere!
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Lucky ducky!
Scratch the Back to School part. Shoe shoe shopping sucks! I don’t mind spending good money on shoes but not when I have to “fall on the floor and act like (I’m) dying so someone will notice (me)” (so true!). Sometimes I resort to Payless because I can get in, see my size, try it on and get out!
I wish you better luck with back-to-school supply shopping, Merry!
I totally agree! Not a fan of shoe shopping especially because the more you love the style of the shoe, the less likely it is to be comfortable!
kiddy kobbler. best service ever and they know shoes! you do have to pay for it though. there are no cheap shoes there. maybe this is only an ontario store?
I’ve never heard of them, so maybe. There are one or two nice kids shoe stores in Calgary but they are far & don’t have those super flashy shoes Evan loves.
At least little shoes are cheaper. I spent $180 at DSW for two pairs of men’s running shoes (sizes 9 1/2 and 11 1/2 – hikes!)
Cheaper but definitely not cheap (at least not here in Calgary). I can’t believe the boys have feet that big. I remember them as little boys. Will is 14 now & his feet are bigger than Dewey’s!