Believe it or not but the kids will be back to school before we know it, so we’ve been getting ahead of the game and buying school shoes from Clarks Shoes at Junction 32, well in time for the new term.
I have vivid memories as a child, sitting in Clarks shoes getting my feet measured before selecting my shoes. And this fondness of Clarks continued into my adult years as I have wide feet, I am very active and I like comfortable yet stylish shoes, so I have remained a regular customer.
I now have my own children to buy for as well and their feet seem to be rapidly changing, so I jumped at the chance to try out Clarks and get the kids fitted for some new school shoes (this fitting service is free of charge for all children).
Luckily for us, we live near a Clarks outlet store at Junction 32, opposite Xscape in Castleford.
If you’ve not been to Junction 32 outlet shopping village, I recommend a visit as there are lots of shops and things to buy at discounted prices (up to 60% off RRP).
I used to enjoy shoe shopping… until I had kids
Whilst I have frequented Junction 32 many times on my own or with a friend, it was with trepidation that I took along an irritable 4-year-old and an impatient 7-year-old.
But when we arrived my daughters spotted an interactive space station to play with which is available during the summer holidays (there’s lots of space-themed events too, I have listed them at the bottom of this blog). This is handily placed next to Clarks Outlet store (and to my delight, next to Starbucks too).
Anyhow, back to the task in hand… finding school shoes for my daughters. It’s never a particularly pleasurable experience taking my rabble shopping but luckily the staff at Clarks seem very used to lively children.
Clarks offers a free fitting service by their fully trained Kids fitters, to measure length, width and depth of your children’s feet
First off, we went to the back of the store to have my daughters Jasmine and Arianna’s feet fitted.
The expert fitter was really patient and the manager presented us were some spare socks to borrow (yes, parent fail moment when you realise you’ve brought your children shoe shopping in sandals and with no socks on!).
Jasmine and Arianna both have wide feet so it was good that they got their sizes right so that they weren’t just cramming their feet into shoes that were too slim fitting.
Once we had their sizes written on a card, they could then go explore the school shoes, which prices start from £26.
After much deliberation and patience from the staff, Jasmine and Arianna tried on a range of pairs (and the shoe fitter checked the fit of each shoe when they were wearing the pairs).
Eventually, they settled on the same style of shoe. I couldn’t believe we’d managed all this within half an hour and they had ended up with well fitting and smart school shoes ready for the new term!
My mum who had driven us to Junction 32 in the car from Wakefield (there is also an X32 bus you can get there), also had time to buy some new sandals and a bag from Clarks. I also had my favourite Starbucks Frappuccino!
A quieter experienceÂ
We had a great experience in store and it didn’t feel threatening or intimidating like a lot of shops can when you bring kids inside.
I love the fact too, that they have an autism-friendly environment. My little brother has Autism and shopping can often be over stimulating and too noisy for him, but Clarks have a space at the back of the store.
Families are welcome to use this space, have a quiet area and a 1 to 1 fitting experience away from the hustle and bustle.
This service is available now and to secure your space, you can call or email the centre management team using the details below:
Call: 01977 520153
Email: [email protected]
What’s on for families at Junction 32 Shopping Outlet?
Here are the family-friendly Space-themed activities on this summer:
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Saturday 10th August – Space Craft
Rockets, rovers, satellites and stations this week! It’s Space Cadets with Space Craft. There will be space slime and space junk model making, not to mention the fabulous photo opp for proud Space Cadets to show off their ‘Out of this World’ space makes. Their faces can then go in the Space Hall of Fame alongside other famous master makers of Space Craft.
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Saturday 17th August – Space Race
The Space Race is on and you’ve got to be in it to win it. We will look back at races already won… to space, to the moon, and to Mars. Celeste Craft and Astro Bob will be on the lookout for space cadets who’ve got the speed and skill to break new records. Don’t miss this super-fast, speed of light space sensation of a session. There will be walking in space races, rocket races, around the sun and back races. On your marks…
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Saturday 24th August – Alien Invasion
Visitors from outer space are on their way to Earth. Are the space cadets under attack? Are these alien invaders friends or foe? Meet some Martians and work out the motivation for their Earth mission, and get ready for defending or befriending.
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Saturday 31st August – Zero Gravity Disco
Time to party like there’s nothing holding you down. Oh, hold on! There is NOTHING holding you down! Who turned off the gravity? Find out what dance moves look like in space when everything goes slow-mo in zero G. It’s the interstellar dance championships and you’re all invited to throw some shapes to celebrate graduating from space cadet training.
For more information, go to: https://junction32.com
DISCLAIMER: We received two pairs of shoes for the purpose of this review. All views are our own.Â
