School shoes and trousers that actually last?

Spendless

My 9yo son is on his 3rd pair of school shoes for this academic year.:eek: They were all bought from Clarks/Clarks Outlet or Brantano. I am limited in where I can buy due to his wide feet many of the 'off the peg' shoes in supermarkets,bhs etc he just can't squeeze his feet into them. I've just been thru my bank statements and since sept have spent
£40 on first pair (though this might have included a pair of shoes for my dd too)
£38 end of nov cos 1st pair wrecked and
£34 beg of feb cos 2nd pair wrecked.

Even if allowing for 1st bill to have had extra pair of shoes on it still comes to over £100.:eek: and we've still got 8 weeks of term left. His current shoes need new insoles and the velcro has started to go so we might manage till end of term-just!

He has to wear brown or black shoes for school, so trainers not an option. I have said he is only to wear his shoes for school no other time as we are getting thru them so fast.

Trousers are another thing, every week we are another pair down due to holes in the knee. I've bought at various places including bhs, tesco, asda, m&s- and can't say I've ever come across any I've found better than the others.

I don't mind paying for something expensive as long as they last longer than they currently doing.

debtfreein4years

do what my mum did with my brother. he kept putting his knee through his trousers and also somehow ripping the crotch so she stopped buying him new ones and made him wear the old ones to school. he soon learned to take better care of his school stuff. she did sew the crotch but the knees she left holey.

with regards to shoes - does he walk to school? if so what about putting a pair of trainers on to walk to school and then changing into school shoes to save them a bit of wear. you could also ask if its possible to change into trainers at break time to save the shoes.

Mme.Hibou

Yeah, my mum did the same, she also threatened one of my brothers with shorts, he soon stopped skidding round the playground on his knees!

Paparika

Just come back from town.

Trip to clarks for school shoes size 91/2 (big foot)
brand bootleg (kids section they go up to adult size 10) 40.00 they last him ages :T:T:T

tori.k

Thats boys for you...lol
I threatened my 11 yr old that id send him to school in horrid school plimsoles...as he started going thru shoes every 6 weeks, i found some cheap plain black trainers as they last a bit longer, school was fine about it when i explained ( i wasnt going to keep paying out for shoes)
Unless your in a private school, uniform is not compulsive in primary schools in England anyway

Spendless

We do walk to school but we are only a couple of minutes away from the school grounds.

I will ask him if he can change into trainers at lunch time even if it's not possible for breaks.


Though I'll manage the rest of this academic year with his current trousers I was looking for some suggestions of tougher wearing ones for the next school year.

Just off to google brand bootleg from clarks - cheers.

jenhug

I wonder if Dr Marten shoes would be more hard wearing?
I would be tempted to use an old pair of trousers to sew patches on his knees.

At the end of the day a school uniform is a working uniform I believe, it doesn't matter too much if its stained, patched etc. (My daughter has a paint stain on her school dress, it happened at school if they don't like it give them better aprons!)

peachyprice

One of my sons it particulary heavy on his shoes, the only ones that last are Kickers boots, they're £65 but last as long as 3 pairs of shoes.

The other is heavy on trousers, I get them of a guy on Ebay.

HTH

DeeDee74

mines the same.
he goes through loads of school clothes. ive given up buying the expensive one's i dont think thay last any longer.
the one pair of trouser's ds had since start of term are from tesco's cost all of £7 or £8. i recone that's good going.

searching_me

my DD can destroy school shoes quickier then i can buy them wheather they cost £6 or £60 so i stop buying expensive one and bought her a pair of black umbro trainers no flashyness just plain black and they've last longer then anything ive even bought her x

Oldernotwiser

Educate him in looking after his belongings and making things last - it's very moneysaving.