Not exactly style OR beauty: boys school shoes that LAST?

[NumptyMum]

I'm in Scotland so we're gearing up to the new school term again (!) and I've got to get new shoes for DS. Being only 6, and being DS, his shoes get a LOT of use/wear & tear... Please could people recommend good, sturdy brands of shoes? Or am I better to get cheaper and replace them quicker? We got his shoes at M&S last year but I've just been onto their site and the reviews weren't great. Must be velcro/easy fastening, he can't do laces.

Thanks in advance!

[NumptyMum]

Anyone got experience of Next shoes? I've never bought shoes from there before, these ones look like contenders:
two straps
one strap
trainer

[primallass]

www.amazon.co.uk/Ricosta-Mokka-Waterproof-45331-280-Junior/dp/B0085SCUFC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375310050&sr=8-1&keywords=ricosta%20don&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

I get these for my DS. He loves them.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I've always bought Clarks for my DS (he's 13.6) since he started school.
He walks alot to&from.
Used to play football (and took the right knee out of all his school trousers ) but the shoes were fine.
When he was a little chap he needed shoes more often because he had his growth spurts. But if he doesn't grow, then they last the full school year.

I have to keep a check because he's a lazy blighter who won't say "Oh my shoes are tight" because that would mean a shopping trip with Mother

[5madthings]

Ricosta as primalass suggests or geox are what I get for my boys. They do goretex ones that are waterproof as well. My boys are hard on their shoes but ricosta always last, well worth the money IMO.

[notapizzaeater]

Another vote for geox, my ds has for the first time ever got a full year out of a pair of shoes .

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

What size do the Ricosta go up to. That link is up to size 2?

I buy a pair of Clarks waterproof every year for DS (he doesn't wear wellies. And he can't be taking spare shoes to school) Keeps his feet warm, dry and good grip.

[Graceparkhill]

Agree - Ricosta and Geox practically indestructible . Pricey but a good investment because they will last.

[5madthings]

70's they go up to adult sizes, ds1 is an 8? And he gets ricosta shoes till, they do shoe as well as boot styles, the boots are great for winter tho, but not allowed at high school.

[5madthings]

And as long as my boys don't grow we have always got a full years wear out of gex or ricosta.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I don't know how rigis our school is with rules regarding shoes (I know they can't wear logos and jackets,shoes need to be black and plain)
But when we had snow (DD school closed) but DS had to go in , on foot.
I thought "if they expect him to turn up, they'll have to put up with whatever I deem safe to put on his feet to get him there.And if they don't like it, tough".

[Cherrypie32]

DS wore his Clarks shoes for first full year of infants school, every day. They still look fine. I ordinarily have never paid £38 for shoes for him but they were well worth it.

[shelley72]

For ds's reception year last year we bought a pair of start rite - aqua stream I think they were called. lasted all year and still looked reasonable at the end of summer term, despite quite hard wear. Think they were £45 so quite pricey but will be buying again this summer, if they still make them. Will check out geox though for when he's older.

[KirstyJC]

I buy Clarks, since we once tried a Tesco pair (still about £12 so not really cheap) and they lasted a month. Clarks have always lasted until he grew out of them, even a whole school year a couple of time. Worth the extra money imo.

Also now we go to the shop in a nearby small town we don't normally have to queue to get him seen - the other Clarks shop in a bigger town that we used to go to had a ticket system and you sometimes had to wait for about 20 minutes before being seen!

[ShoeWhore]

We always get the Clarks ones with rubber toes. Last all year unless they grow out of them first.

[Goldendandelion]

^^

This. Got to be the rubber toes though.

[SoMuchToBits]

Ricosta, Geox or Start Rite are all good. We have often had these from Start Rite which last very well.

[NumptyMum]

Thanks everyone - so many replies! His current shoes are Clarks but my issue is that the velcro straps are not long enough, to cover the velcro you'd have to really haul them across and of course DS doesn't bother with this, so we have all manner of fluff/grass/eugh getting caught in the velcro that's left uncovered.

I'll have a look at Ricosta, Geox and Startrite later, thanks all :-)

[NumptyMum]

Hmm, next question will be - where do I get Ricosta and Geox? If it's online, how do I measure DS's feet so that they fit? I've only bought online once or twice, when I've guessed the next size up - but I did this last year with the M&S ones and overestimated how much his feet had grown. It did mean they lasted a long time though, he eventually grew into them .

[Graceparkhill]

Whereabouts are you? Small independent shops are usually the best bet. If you are in/ near Edinburgh or Glasgow I can recommend several

[notapizzaeater]

I get ds geox from amazon, I tend to go to clarks and get his feet measured or nip into Brantano (u can measure them yourself there) then order from amazon (have sent one pair back on a free returns label)

Disclaimer : clarks do not do shoes that fit my son !! He has a narrow foot with high instep and very high top - they kept forcing his feet into their bloody shoes and last time when they ripped his feet to pieces so I went back and got a refund

[herecomesthsun]

Geox Savage here too

[cloutiedumpling]

If you are in Edinburgh you could try Maddie and Marks. I think they do Geox. They have a variety of brands and always seem to have quite a good variety (I don't have any ties with their shops, just pass by the window of one quite frequently).

[Madamecastafiore]

Timberland Earthkeepers are fab - we have tried all different makes for heavy footed DS and he likes these best and they have lasted longest.

They are very soft leather and DS said feel more like trainres - but look more like shoes so he is very happy with them.

I know they sell them on line and in John Lewis.

Haven't ever thought much of Startrite of Clarks - other than looking awful they seem to not last.

[NumptyMum]

Thanks again for all the replies. I've done the cheeky bit about being measured and not buying before; guess we could always nip to John Lewis for starters as they do Clarks and Startrite there (and we could check out the Timberland).

However Clarks measure differently to Startrite don't they; if that's the case, if I'm looking at other brands (Geox/Ricosta) would we go with the Startrite measurement, or the Clarks?

Graceparkhill we're just north of Glasgow, easy enough to get to city centre/west end.

[snowlie]

Ricosta are bullet proof and the leather is thick and soft, they last and look good till my ds grows out of them. No idea about sizing as I don't buy Start rite or Clarks.