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Secondary education

School shoes for adult men sizes

25 replies

TrivialPursuit · 02/08/2016 11:06

Does anyone know where I can buy black school shoes for (men) size 10 feet?
DS still plays football at break time like he did when he was much younger but his feet are now adult man's size. I know most of the boys in his class have similarly big feet, so there must be a solution out there??

Unfortunately, the school uniform rules are extremely strict so they've got to be black and they can't be boots or trainers. Last year he had Ricosta shoes which were excellent, but they only go up to size 43.

I know I could buy him a pair of polished office shoes, but they won't last until half term with the football.

What does every one else do?

OP posts:
Icouldbeknitting · 02/08/2016 12:14

I go into Clarks and ask them what the most popular school shoe is in a size 10. They do sell them up to that size because that's what DS was wearing last year. I'm not sure how anything copes with football to be honest but as school shoes he got nearly a year out of them.

teacherwith2kids · 02/08/2016 12:20

OK: up to and including Size 10, DS had these -

Startrite Rhino Dylan

DS is very much a football boy, but even so those lasted him pretty much the full year.

He's now size 11, so has these:

Clarks Keeler Walk

These go up to size 14, which i think will see DS's schooldays out. They are not as robust as the Startrite Rhino shoes, but are standing up to playtime football so far....

teacherwith2kids · 02/08/2016 12:23

We did also consider

Men's Kickers

but those are more expensive, so are in reserve in case the Clarks ones turn out to be too fragile.

Fairylea · 02/08/2016 12:25

My dh walks to work and wears Clarks black shoes with a rubber sole which makes them more trainery and durable - there are a few of them if you look through the Clarks website. Seem very hard wearing. Also Dr Martens - although they can be very heavy!

TrivialPursuit · 02/08/2016 12:29

Thanks for all the suggestions. TBH I thought Startrite stopped at infant school but these ones look good. (You learn something every day!)

Apparently, Petasil also go up to size 10. I've never heard of them before but I'm told they are Portuguese.

OP posts:
teacherwith2kids · 02/08/2016 12:57

The Startite shoes are Rhino branded, and it is really hard to tell that they are actually part of the Statrite family, so i can quite understand how you missed them.

Icouldbeknitting · 02/08/2016 13:09

The Keeler Walk look like the ones that DS was wearing last year. They are really light and he thought they were better than the ones that he'd had in previous years.

mimbleandlittlemy · 02/08/2016 14:25

My ds is 14 and has size 13 feet so I feel your pain. We go to Clarks because I've found them hard wearing and they also do a wide fit. Will school allow something like this?

www.clarks.co.uk/p/20351793

Trainers are our big problem - places like JD Sports only ever seem to have one pair in a size 13 and always in the most hideous style.

mimbleandlittlemy · 02/08/2016 14:29

Oh yes - we've had the Clarks Keeler Walk ones above - those looked good right to the point where he grew out of them.

MummyBtothree · 02/08/2016 14:30

My son is very much into football and has size 9 mens shoes. We kept buying good quality ones but he was going through shoes ridiculously as he plays football at break times. Now he takes his trainers in his school bag and changes into them for playing football at break. Its much more economical and his school shoes refrain from looking like they have come straight off a tramp now.

Michaelahpurple · 02/08/2016 14:30

I had my son in Clarke 's isaacs which go huge but have now switched him to M&S men's airflex soled plain black ones They are really smart, have a soft, rolled comfy back like a child's shoe and are such good leather that everything polishes out. Plus they cost the same as the Clarke's ones

Mymouthgetsmeintrouble · 02/08/2016 14:33

Dr martins shoes they have a thick sole like the boots and leather uppers

marnie22 · 02/08/2016 14:34

All schools I have come across accept Doc Martin lace-up shoes (without the yellow stitching). My boys won't wear anything else, except Kickers if they have to, as Clarks etc are 'moist,' (wet and embarrassing). DMs look great, are expensive but last the year and they get used to the heaviness very fast.

marnie22 · 02/08/2016 14:48

Forgot to add that at my DS2 school (Highbury Grove) they change out of school shoes at lunchtime into trainers to play football, so heavy DMs not a problem. But then they have lockers with PE kits in them so this is possible. No lockers or shoe-changing or going inside the building or football or fun in any form at Mossbourne though (I digress...) so it depends on the school.

Kit30 · 02/08/2016 15:37

We're in the same boat sized shoe situation. Look on the Clarks website - we've stuck with the same style for the last few years in junior school & they're the only brand we've found that look okay with shorts as well as long trousers. Get measured in a Clarks shop and they can order the right size and get it delivered to you direct.

TrivialPursuit · 02/08/2016 18:00

I went to Clarks a couple of hours ago. After a long wait in the queue, the assistant measured both boys feet and told me that they both need size 9 1/2 or 10 in a c fitting! (which doesn't sound quite right as men's shoes are either F, G or H).
So, then I asked what they had and he said we should look at the men's ranges "but he wouldn't be able to fit them on the boys feet as Clarks don't fit adult shoes on children").
TBH, I was beginning to regret going to Clarks, so we left and went to an independent children's shoe shop where 2 assistants were instantly available to take one child each. They measured both my sons' feet and then showed us what they had in those sizes - about 4 different pairs. It wasn't much but at least it was something.

DS1 got the Startrite Rhino ones and DS2 got some other Startrite shoes - both fitted perfectly and we were in and out of the shop in under 10 mins.
Price was £50 each which is much of muchness with Clarks.

I don't think i'll go back to Clarks again. They used to be good, but my local shop at least always seems understaffed and pretty much useless.

OP posts:
TrivialPursuit · 02/08/2016 18:02

mimbleandlittlemy size 13! Ds is 12 and size 10 - so is that where we are headed?

OP posts:
ihearttc · 02/08/2016 19:54

DS1 is 11 and a size 9. We've got the Startrite Rhino ones which seem to hold up quite well at the moment.

He had Geox Savage until last year because they stop at a size 8.

lapsedorienteerer · 02/08/2016 20:08

Managed to get DS a pair of very smart of Rockport (US brand) size 10 black (city style) lace ups from TK Maxx for £49.

AtiaoftheJulii · 02/08/2016 22:59

I managed to buy some sort of magic shoes two years ago - Clarks men's size 11, slip on because I got fed up with watching him shove his feet into tied-up shoes, and they have lasted through cycling to school every day, football etc at breaktimes - and although they look knackered, they're still structurally intact, with no holes and no bits coming apart. He wants to keep them, see if they get him through y11!

Pantah630 · 05/08/2016 16:02

Where are you finding men's shoes in shops at size 13? I've had to resort to buying online for DS2, now size 14 Sad walktall have a great but very expensive range of all types of shoes, boots and trainers but I've managed to buy men's basic black slipons via the M&S website, a steal at £25. He's about to head into yr12 so no more black shoes only, we can now add colour but still need to be shoes not trainers.

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 05/08/2016 16:15

DS1 is a size 14 and last time I bought him school shoes, it was from Sports Direct (they do limited ranges up to 15) He's supposed to wear shoes in sixth form, but he lives in boots which are hidden under his trousers anyway. I'm crossing my fingers that DS2 sticks at the size 10 he currently is! His last pair of school shoes were emergency ones from ASDA (10pm realisation his school shoes had holes...), £20 DM rip-offs which have lasted a surprising long time. He goes into sixth form this September and their dress code is basically no nudity and nothing offensive, so he'll live and die in his converse!

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MarshHarriet · 08/08/2016 23:52

Kickers go up to a size 12.
They are expensive, but seemingly indestructible, and popular in our local schools.

mrsmortis · 09/08/2016 14:09

Would doc martens shoes pass the uniform test? I lived in them at school (admittedly I wasn't playing football every break time)

Or maybe not - I've just looked at the prices... When did they get that expensive?

ColinFromAscentFootwear · 24/08/2016 19:54

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