How long is reasonable to expect a pair of school shoes to last?

[Cazzr]

I suspect DS is particularly hard on his school shoes but we seem to be averaging a pair a term at the moment (so he's just killed his second pair this year).

He's worn his black ben 10 trainers since Tuesday as they fell apart after getting wet at school on Monday. When I say they fell apart, it seems to be the insole with the metal bar in, under the upper inner sole if you get my meaning..?

This happened with the first pair too. To be honest they were starting to look tatty anyway on the upper part, probably from scrabbling about on the floor outside playing (he's in Year R), so would probably have thought about replacing them over Easter anyway.

Neither pair have been particularly expensive, first were 16 quid from Barratts, 2nd were about the same I think from tesco...
Is it just because we are not spending 30 odd quid on them?
I see no point spending much more this time as he'd probably grow out of them over summer anyway but come August/September should we spend more or is he going to trash them anyway?

I'll add, he's only been full time since January so the tesco ones lasted longer than the barratts ones in my eyes...

[Ragwort]

I think about 6 months if he is anything like my DS - they continually play football in them every break time - I suggest changing into trainers but apparently that isn't the 'cool' thing to do. I don't think it makes any difference if you buy cheap or expensive - that's why I always buy cheap .

There was a brilliant thread on Mumsnet a few years ago about how the UK is one of the very few countries in which parents are 'conned' by marketing techniques into spending ££££S on chidrens' shoes (ie: Clarks/Start Rite etc) I would love to see that discussion again.

[SoupDragon]

Mine generally trash a pair a term - DSs and DD!

[BlooCowWonders]

My dd started school in January. Her clarks shoes had worn through just after half term! She spends a lot of time crawling on the playground pretending to be a cat...
But she's still just 4.5, so I just have to go with it (and try and get shoes in the sale!)

[Cazzr]

Ok, I feel more reassured now, cheap ones it is. :) DS is 5 at the end of May and being a boy I think it's probably easier to get new each term and be done with it. :)

THanks for the speedy replies!

[Cazzr]

Ragwort the tesco ones looked a bit trainer'y and part of me thought it would be good as I know he tears around at playtime so will protect his little (ok not so little at 120cm tall) joints..

[2BoysTooLoud]

We do Tescos cos my ds trashes shoes and become tatty quickly.

[ZombieComforts]

Mine's still on his first pair this year. Tbh I expect them to last until the summer unless he outgrows them.

[leothelioness]

1 pair per term here too. I have trouble getting them too as DS is a H fitting (very wide)

[TheVisitor]

2 pairs per year, and I do buy Startrite for my kids as they seem to survive my boys well.

[Cazzr]

Zombie both times it seems to have happened after getting quite wet at school but they have looked tatty by the end of term too.

He hasn't outgrown them size wise at all but with the sun now here he'll probably sprout up like a sunflower (but not my sunflowers thanks to slugs!!).

[Cazzr]

Thevisitor how old are your DS's?
I'm wondering if he might be kinder to them as he grows a bit older, less trashing them in a soggy sandpit (the kids add water so it's like slop) or water pipe play area!!

[Bramshott]

This might sound obvious, but do you polish them? I never used to polish DDs shoes, and they wore through fairly quickly. Since I've started polishing them once a week (with good, old-fashioned wax polish) they usually last a whole school year.

[ExitPursuedByALamb]

I used to buy my DD 'expensive' shoes but her feet are so large now that we stopped bothering. I have started by her crappy £10 shoes from Tesco and they last her about 4 weeks! Trouble is, when they start to show signs of wear they quickly become unwearable, but the more expensive ones would give you a week or so to replace them. Consequently I pop into Tescos to pick up another pair whilst she is at school. Have promised to take her proper shoe shopping at the weekend when hopefully we will find a pair to last her to the end of the school year (in the vain hope that her feet have stopped growing).

[simpson]

when DS was in reception (last yr) his school shoes lasted the whole yr (clarks)

I have just bought him his 2nd pair of shoes for this acedemic yr (today is first day of wearing them) and it was because he out grew them rather than they fell apart iyswim.

Shoes he seems to not scuff much etc but trousers, now thats a whole different story!!

[Niecie]

DS2 was getting through a pair a term in Yr R. I ended up asking the school's help as he was trashing them in the playground. They can't watch him all the time but if they see shoe-unfriendly behaviour they can remind him to be careful. It worked eventually. That and me ranting probably!!

He is in Yr 2 now and his shoes that were bought at the start of the school year are in a state but they are still in one piece so I shan't be buying niew ones just yet.

I buy Clarks because he has very wide feet and if I try and buy cheap shoes he has to go up 2 sizes to get them wide enough. Poor boy looks like Coco the clown! I think that being decent leather it has helped because I am sure, looking at them, that they would have split had they been made of something other than leather.

DS1 didn't really have much problem with his shoes. He has a pair a year generally. One pair actually lasted 4 terms!!

[ZombieComforts]

Yes, I polish at least once per week, or whenever they've got badly scuffed. I didn't want to mention it, when I said DS was on his first pair this year, in case I was ridiculed for it - know lots of school shoes never see any polish at all. We have startrite shoes too - I know that if the sole falls off they'll replace it, whereas if I get the same from Tesco I'd have to fork out again.

[dikkertjedap]

I think it depends on the brand. I found that Ricosta and Geox will last until they grow out of them as long as you clean and brush them twice a week. Both are quite pricey though and not so easy to get (usually small independent shoe shop).

[Cazzr]

We do polish them (the liquid stuff with sponge on the top of the bottle) but he seems to scrape the leather on the top of the toes when kneeling on the floor and scrabbling around, and this seems to trash the waterproofing part??

The bottom sole is in tact and looking at them they don't look too bad but the inner part is falling to bits under the top layer of inner sole.. I don't like the fact that the metal bit is loose in the shoe, hence ben 10's this week..

Out of interest, those getting clarks/startrite (not sure startrite would go up to size 1 or 2??), how much do you spend on them? I'm happy to spend more if they are going to last but no point if I still end up buying 3 pairs a year....

[blackeyedsusan]

I polish the damn things every night, i think dd also likes crawling round the playground being a cat. she is also 4.8 so still little. We have start right shoes. another pair even survived a paddle in the sea. She has weed in,(and antibac spray) and danced in puddles in them too.

the shoes do look like they have never been polished when they get home, and can already look like they have been left a week by the time we get to school and she has stumbled a couple of times on the way.

[candleshoe]

Just had to fight tooth and nail (threatened legal action in the end!) to get a refund on a pair of shoes which got a hole through the sole after only 8 weeks wear!

[MadameGazelle]

Mine are both on the same pair we got them in September and will stay in them until they outgrow them. They were £35 each from Clarks but not bad if they last a school year.

[PfftTheMagicDragon]

DS's StartRite's have lasted well. They are wearing on the bottom but the sole is so thick it's ok. He's 5. They do get pretty scuffed but think that if he doesn't have a growth spurt they will last the year.

[Pinkcushion]

I believe in buying top quality footwear - they spend all day in them and I want them to be comfortable. I buy Ricosta, they are more expensive than Clarks but are fantastic quality leather, they are rarely polished and still look great and wear incredibly well....I expect them to last a year and they do (as long as feet don't grow too much) - so I don't mind that they cost more.

[Cazzr]

browses startrite website

[Bramshott]

Sorry - I wasn't meaning to sound judgy about polishing! Just that I was surprised when I found it effected the longevity of the shoes, having previously thought it was just cosmetic IYSWIM.