Recommendations for School Shoes and Plimsoles

[Deleted User]

Where do you buy your children's school shoes and PE plimsoles from? The supermarkets or from somewhere like Clarks/Brantano/Independant?

I realise this is a two part question, but with the school plimsoles is the quality and wear the same or does it not matter too much as they only wear them twice a week and will outgrow them quickly?

My concern is going to Clarks and they will fit properly be more expensive but be outgrown still in fantastic condition by Christmas, or buy from the supermarkets and keep falling off during a PE lesson but doesn't matter so much with a growth spurt.

Similarly with school shoes is it best to pay the £34 clarks price knowing they will fit (as the beginning of aug as recommended:eek:) or go for supermarket shoes.

I really dont know where to spend the money and would prefer to not regret this cost.
Suggestions please?

Janepig

I don't know whether it's just me, but I find the thing about kids outgrowing shoes really quickly just doesn't happen with my two. I've always bought their school shoes (and DD's summer sandals) from Clarks or Startrite and have always had good wear out of them and have never had to replace them all that quickly. They always last at least a term or more. I wouldn't bother buying expensive plimsols if they're only going to be wearing them for a short time (and my two wear trainers for PE), but I'd definitely make the effort for the shoes.

Jx

building_with_lego

Same here actually.
DD has very long, daintily narrow feet and daps (plimsolls/ pumps ) are a nightmare. I get her the Marks ones with a little flower on as they have a velcro strap- all the others flap around too much. They last a whole year as they only get worn once a week- they have one session per week inside in barefeet.
I tend to get proper school shoes from Clarke's or Russell and Bromley (Startright) and they get worn out rather than outgrown.

Not looking forward to September when we'll have to get two lots of everything :eek::eek: but I have been advised that it's a good idea to look for shoes where the sole comes up over the toes as much as possible, particularly when buying for a boy.

Spendless

Have you asked parents with other kids already at the school about plimsolls? I find it varys school to school whether they wear them or not. The school my twin neice and nephew go to,(same town as me) they have to change into them when they come into school and back into outdoor ones, when they go out to play (so breaks, lunchtime and going home). Consequently my sister frequently has them going missing. My kids, despite it mentioning plimsolls on the school prospectus, had plimsolls for starting reception and never wore them once thru-out their school years- and my eldest is 3 weeks off leaving yr6! Instead they did PE bare-foot and worse trainers for outdoor games.

I am probably not the best person to ask about kids shoes. My eldest is flat footed, something we only discovered a couple of years ago and I am very restricted in what does fit him. We are limited to brantano and clarks (no start-rite here).

mishkanorman

Ive done both, we always used to pick up the next size shoe in advance as and when we found a bargain, the last pair like that cost £3.50 from sainsbury's in the sale :beer:

Last time round we took both our boys to Brantanos and bought them Clarks, came in at £40 for the 2 pairs as they were both discounted.

My experience is that the cheap ones tend to scuff more obviously and fell apart after 4-5 months, the Clarks are still going strong after a couple of months.

We will now compromise and get the better quality Clarks when they are reduced - but only when they are reduced as otherwise they arent worth the money IMHO

[Deleted User]

Spendless I think they do wear plimsoles as we went up to their dance festival last week and a lot of the kids were wearing them of all ages.

With regard to growth, my DS is a slow grower so far, a new pair every 6 months or so, we are lucky, but i'm aware this could all change and quickly (just in time for school) LOL.

Janepig

building_with_lego wrote: »

Same here actually.
DD has very long, daintily narrow feet and daps (plimsolls/ pumps ) are a nightmare.

Daps. Not just me then :D:D.

OP, another word of advice if you want the shoes to last is to polish, polish, polish! Keep the shoes buffed up with a layer of polish and when they scuff them (as they do) then they're scuffing the polish layer and it's easy to just polish over that. Although DS's current shoes from Clarks have a rubber arrangement over the front so they don't scuff anyway.

Jxx

[Deleted User]

Mish, I like your thinking, its just finding that bargain isn't it, our home town is useless for this sort of thing, so travelling means we have to have a reason to go i.e visit someone, a trip to the beach etc, its not just popping into town. Its appalling really as its not a small town just really under catered for clothing esp kids. Last winter I had to travel 15 miles to the nearest asda just to buy some tights aged 3-4yrs as nowhere locally stocked them. Since woolies has gone, its a nightmare. I know i could buy online but sometimes i want to measure and hold them up to see what i'm getting.

[Deleted User]

Janepig good idea, i need to get back into my sunday night shoe polishing routine from about 20 odd years ago.

Janepig

Deleted_User wrote: »

Janepig good idea, i need to get back into my sunday night shoe polishing routine from about 20 odd years ago.

Luckily DH is a whizz with the shoe polish and a rag, so I've never had to do it!

Jxx

mishkanorman

exactly same here, we have a mini sainsbury but no clothes.

We have an Asda about 20 miles away and a Brantano's/Tesco/ big Sainsbury in a town 20 miles in the other direction. We time the trip so there is a sale on at one of them and have a shop around for deals,

Neither boy has a massive growth spurt out of the blue so we usually time it so we start to look for the next pair a couple of months after we bought the last pair, as luck has it its worked so far