Charles Clinkard Reviews 

Excellent after service. I had a couple of queries with something I bought - returns were easily managed and nicely done. Have already repeat ordered. Lovely and easy to deal with.

I purchased a pair of Barker ‘Valiant’ Formal Brogues in brown (size 9) from Debenhams in April. Although I bought them in the sale for just over £250, these shoes normally retail at around £395, so I expected the premium quality and customer service associated with a well-respected British brand.

The shoes were worn only once, to a 60th birthday party in April, and it quickly became apparent that the quality was not what one would expect from footwear costing nearly £400. The faults and premature deterioration were extremely disappointing for a supposedly high-end product.

What made matters worse was the handling of my return. Neither Charles Clinkard nor Debenhams provided an acceptable level of customer service. Despite returning the shoes because of legitimate quality concerns, I received no meaningful explanation and no proper communication before the shoes were simply sent back. There was no attempt to discuss the issue or explain why the fault had apparently been dismissed.

For a product at this price point, I expected far better. The lack of accountability, poor communication and unwillingness to stand behind the quality of the product have left me feeling thoroughly disappointed.

Needless to say, after spending more than £250 on shoes that were worn only once and experiencing such poor after-sales support, I am one very unhappy customer. Based on this experience, I will not be purchasing from either Debenhams or Charles Clinkard again and would caution others considering spending significant sums with either company.

Visited the Stratford upon Avon store whilst on a visit. Tried on various shoes and styles and finally picked the Gabor shoe but they did not have in store in the colour I wanted. The very helpful member of staff put in an order for me and said they would not take too long to arrive at my home address. Shoes duly arrived. Very pleased with them and they have not had to be “worn in”.

A good shop to get the shoes you like.

Yvonne of your Buckingham is an exceptional and empathetic sales professional. Her long standing employment with you, together with her genuine care to help customer of all ages, really makes a huge difference. I never want to shop for shoes or handbags anywhere else, she really is the best!

Very good service all round satisfaction.

Made an online purchase via the shop in Shrewsbury and the assistant was very helpful, shoes arrived on time and I was very pleased with them.

Paid for next day delivery - my wife wanted them for an interview next day.
They didn't arrive until 48 hours after the order.
My wife had to rush out on her birthday before the interview and try and find something similar. She did find something, but they weren't as comfortable so she spent her birthday and the interview in pain. And to cap it all didn't get the job either!!!

I recently placed an order for a pair of black Luton Oxfords (Order No. 93720516) totaling £177.92. What arrived at my doorstep was nothing short of a disgrace.

Not only was the shoebox completely battered and destroyed, but the shoes themselves were blatantly and heavily used. The soles were already badly scratched and worn down, and one of the shoes even featured prominent scuff marks on the upper leather. It was a truly terrible, shocking surprise. To say I am deeply disheartened by this abysmal experience would be a massive understatement.

To make matters worse, customer service has completely ignored my email, in which I attached clear photographic evidence of this disaster. I have been left feeling absolutely cheated and scammed by this company. Unacceptable.

This company is very customer oriented. The staff are always friendly, polite and extremely helpful and knowledgeable. My experience on line was no different to the excellent experiences I have had in their stores. The delivery service was second to none and an extremely smart and friendly young man brought my parcel. I have been a Clinkard customer for over 40 years and will continue to be so.

Previously good experiences with ordering shoes from Charles Clinkard. This time it was a thoroughly disappointing experience (and ongoing):
1. Both pairs of boots were damaged, and laces undone etc. questioning how they passed any quality control before dispatch;
2. Both boxes were damaged through poor packing and dispatch;
3. You have to pay to return damaged items;
4. Awaiting an update from customer services…

Had trouble with delivery DPD, but you’re helpful person out for me and reroute it to Royal

Went to your Stratford upon Avon store to get school shoes for my son. Really helpful and lovely assistant who took a lot of care to make sure that he had the right fit and ordered the shoes in the correct size to be delivered to our home as they didn’t have them in stock in the right size.

Easy website
Quick delivery
Easy to return to store

The shoes I bought are very nice, but the DPD delivery was terrible. I ordered the shoes delivered to a pickup shop near my home, but for no clear reason DPD delivered to a different pickup shop, miles away. It wasn't possible to redirect the parcel. So I am happy with the comfortable shoes (I drove to collect them) but disappointed with the poor delivery service.

The order was shipped promptly and I was very happy with the shoes. Disappointed in Royal Mail as I have a new postman who leaves everything on the doorstep without ringing the bell to alert me to the fact the parcel is there. Fortunately, it was dry but that's an ongoing problem and not one you can solve! Very happy with your service and will order again from you.

Absolutely first class service from Bill and his team at wilmslow as usual . You never feel any pressure or rush to purchase . They went out of their way to get me a pair of trainers I wanted . The online order went in on a Friday and my gorgeous trainers arrived on the Sunday !!

Unbelievable service from Gemma at the York branch. She was so helpful, nothing was too much trouble for her. Have always has very good service at Charles Clinkard but Gemma has taken customer service to another level. Also a brilliant sense of humour. Well done Gemma. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Excellent product and efficient service

Their customer service is good, however, I would question the quality of boots they sell. Perhaps they need to look at better brands.

The customer service was good, which I appreciated throughout my interactions. However, I do have concerns about the quality of the boots sold and whether better brands should be considered.

I purchased Grisport Glide ladies leather waterproof walking boots in December 2020. By August 2023, I had to request a replacement due to a fault developing at the front, which led to water ingress. Unfortunately, the replacement pair developed the same issue, which I reported in March 2026.

The response I received suggested that footwear will naturally experience wear and tear over time, and that the replacement pair had provided a reasonable lifespan. While I understand normal wear and tear, I remain concerned about the durability in this case, especially as the boots were only worn occasionally, typically at weekends and not every weekend. The sole shows that the boots have hardly been worn.

Having previously owned a pair of Brasher leather walking boots that lasted over 10 years, my expectations for durability were understandably higher. In comparison, the repeated failure of a core functional feature—waterproofing—is disappointing and raises questions about the long-term reliability of this product.