Shoe store craze | Imamother

amother

Black

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 5:30 am

salt wrote:

Oh my. I'm totally confused here by who is being sarcastic and who is not.
I live no where near Brooklyn, but is there something special about how they fit shoes. Doesn't one just try it on, feel where the toe is, walking around the shop then either buy it or choose another one and do the same?
If the fitting procedure takes a long time in a particular shop, because they have some special method, and people are waiting hours to be served, the shop is just lacking staff. Why shouldn't a customer get full attention? The shop needs to address the needs of it's customers.
Problem is that it seems like people will continue shopping in these shops, despite the bad service, so the shop management doesn't feel the need to up the staff, and so it will continue.

Even if a shoe store hires temp staff for the busy season, imagine 65 families waiting on line, all with a few kids. Some stores let you take a number, and the pizza stores nearby enjoy their good fortune as tens of families sit there knowing that their turn will come in about 2 hours. In the shoe store, the employee helping you fits the kid, asks what type of shoe you want, and brings out a few boxes from the storage room in back. You don't like any of them, or they don't look good on your child's feet, you wait 7 minutes till he comes out again with some more. Perhaps round 3 happens. Then you go onto the next kid, and then onto the next... They're usually expensive Italian school shoes, which you plan on using until Pesach at least. So yes, you are particular about the shoes.

And the problem is that almost everyone in Brooklyn is buying shoes at the same time, in shoe stores which usually see 8 families at a time at most.

And that is why, after having experienced the thrills of Brooklyn school shoe shopping as a child, I don't intend on repeating the experience. To the malls we head.

ETA: I have vivid memories of going to the shoe store at 3, and leaving at 8:30. Utter madness.

watergirl

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 5:34 am

salt wrote:

I was being sarcastic. Its unfortunate that people think that this is what one must deal with to buy shoes. Its like the myth of the European shoe that also happens in Brooklyn.

Maybe part of the allure IS the fact that there are long lines and few staff members - makes you think that they possess a rare skill, so its worth the wait. And when someone sees a line out the door, fomo compells people to also get in line.

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 7:45 am

amother wrote:

I disagree with the posters saying u don't need someone to fit the children- it's not a sham! The people working by Schwartz's shoes or Tescher's rlly do know what they are doing, and can look at a foot and get a shoe that is the right shape and sturdiness for that particular shape. I wish I was back in boro park when it comes time to take my 2 year old for new shoes.

LOL. They know how to make a big show of pressing the shoe in different places and deciding that it "fits." You can do the exact same thing. Those salespeople are not specially trained in anything. Like I said, my mother works in one, and people come just to see her and her fitting skills, which is something you can do just as well.

watergirl

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 8:29 am

amother wrote:

Wow, to whoever is doing this hugging. Yael is trying to stop the hugging where it is clearly meant in a mean "you're an idiot" way. And you just cant stop yourself, so you find a forum where it hasn't been removed, and you hug at someone who you disagree with.
Sure, my post was sarcastic and anti the whole "Brooklyn knows best" attitude. But at least is was as myself, so anyone would know how I feel.
So why did this post get your hug?

sourstix

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 8:57 am

To the poster that said her mother thinks it's a sham the whole thing. Your mother knows nothing about fitting shoes that's why she says that. When you have all these people saying they have sensory kids or high instep or very narrow feet and first shoes. She thinks that's a sham too? Then she needs to stop working in a shoe store. She clearly doesn't know it at all. And no I don't like going to those store either. Have no choice. With that said I have gotten bad fit shoes for my kids in the past but I went back to Schwartz and they helped me. They even took back a shoe once. The quality of their shoes is sometimes not great. That's what China produces. We need to voice ourselves so they will take us seriously and stop bringing in those shoes. The shoes the girls were wearing the last 10 years are terrible. No arch no support and expensive too. But people were just buying them. So bad for the feet

amother

Pewter

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 9:23 am

amother wrote:

Yes, it gets me so nervous. There was a family in front of me that got me so mad. They brought along the grandmother. So the mother and grandmother were deciding for 1/2 hour between 2 shoes. The child had to keep changing between the 2 shoes and then they would bring out another one and then they would try on the first one again................................ This family had at least 3 children getting shabbos and weekday shoes. I wanted to yell and scream!!!!! It's only shoes as long as the shoe fits just take it and move along. You would think buying a child shoes was a major life decision.

Grandma pays the bill
Grandma gives her opinion....

flowerpower

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 10:06 am

salt wrote:

1- The store had at least 5 fitters. They were all soooo patient and nice. It was the customers that needed a lesson in customer service.

2- I do the fitting quickly as I feel
Bad to make the worker crazy and because I don't want to hold up the line.

flowerpower

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 10:09 am

amother wrote:

If your mother is not trained and thinks it's a joke then she should find a new profession. It's a shame that she comes with that attitude to work daily while people trust her. I have been to stores that have experienced fitters and they know which shoes would fit your kids feet well.

flowerpower

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 10:11 am

watergirl wrote:

Chill. We all get hugs. Please don't let it get to you. It's not worth it.

Coffee Addict

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 10:16 am

flowerpower wrote:

Yeah, I'm very disturbed by her mother's attitude. This is so unfair. It's kind of genaves das.

dina22

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 2:27 pm

salt wrote:

Typically, it's not people being inconsiderate, though some are. It's that a huge number of people go to these stores at the same time. And no, the kids don't just pick a shoe that's the right size. They will help u get a shoe that will help ur child who walks inward slightly, or doesn't really have an arch etc. the same man who measured my feet as a child by Schwartz's, measured my dd feet- he really is an expert and I trust him.

Coffee Addict

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 2:27 pm

amother wrote:

You were under the impression that the salespeople at shoe stores were professionally trained to fit shoes for kids? That's ridiculous.

[quote]

First I know some ARE PROFESSIONAL trained. Second, it doesn't matter if she's trained or not. If she comes to work with this attitude THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

At least she should say she tries her best. If she's really ignorant regarding shoe fitting she should look for another job.

groovy1224

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 2:45 pm

amother wrote:

You were under the impression that the salespeople at shoe stores were professionally trained to fit shoes for kids? That's ridiculous.

I dont think anyone thinks the salespeople have a doctorate in the field, but yes, most people (including myself) believe that when they get a fitting, there's more to it than the saleslady/man poking your kid's feet just for show.

mommyla

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 2:49 pm

amother wrote:

You were under the impression that the salespeople at shoe stores were professionally trained to fit shoes for kids? That's ridiculous.

My kids are hard to fit, and I have one fitter in one shoe store who can actually look at their feet and tell you what size they are (and then check anyway Very Happy

), plus which shoes suit their feet. My DS is old enough that I don't have to get his shoes fitted professionally anymore, but I still take DD and plan to for a while.

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Aug 16 2016, 3:29 pm

flowerpower wrote:

If your mother has the same attitude as you, then she should really not work in retail. Many stores have trusted fitters that do know how to fit shoes properly.

I ask again, how do they know how to fit the shoe properly? Were they trained in any professional capacity, or are they using the same skills you use on your own kids? Stop and think for a second.

The correct answer, of course, is the latter. There is no such thing as professional shoe fitting or training for it. Have you ever seen such course advertised anywhere?

FTR, people come from all over specifically to have my mother fit their shoes. She does it for them well, but the mother of the child could have done it just as well herself. There are no extra special skills involved.