Oh the joy of forking out for school shoes

[emkana]

£72 for two pairs

and the only one that fitted dd1 was one of those with a bloody doll in the heel. Didn't have the energy to try another shop.

[cece]

Oh joy I have to go this week. But at £72. Will have to steel myself... DS needs an H fitting and often refuses to try any of them on. sigh

[LynetteScavo]

Tis life.

I can even face getting my boys shoes. Last years shoes seem to still fit.

Will their teachers think I'm a bad mother if I don't send them in brand new shoes in September?

[PrettyCandles]

Yeah.

Every year I feel like Victor Meldrew: I don't belieeeeeeeve it! We can never get lace-ups and we can never find closed girls' shoes.

Ds1 has been able to do laces for over two years, is going into Y4, and still cannot get lace-ups. Dd, going into Y2, was also looking forward to getting lace-ups. It seems that every year the size at which lace-ups become availble increases. Well of course - if the children only ever wear velcro then they won't learn how to do laces.

And nearly all the girls' school shoes in dd's size are open styles, MaryJanes and so on. But we walk to school, rain or shine. Which is why they had to order in the only two styles they carry that are closed.

I give up on those b**y dolls and cars.

[hellzapoppin]

God yes the horror of the school shoe shop. £75 for two here.
This time last year I found a pair of school shoes in M&S reduced to one pound (!) and bought them as a spare pair. The expensive ones sprung a leak by December and the £1 shoes are still going strong, just a tad too small now.

Alas no £1 bargains to be had in M&S today..

[AngryWasp]

Why don't you wait for the sale? Why do you buy shoes always at this time of year? I don't geddit - sorry!

[lucykate]

it's bizarre isn't it in clarks, funny how once they know what size shoe a child needs, the only pairs they have in that size are the most expensive with the doll in

[lucykate]

angrywasp - i always end up buying school shoes at this time of year. dd's shoes tend to last her the whole school year, but by july are only fit for the bin!. i did look in the sales in july, but didn't buy as her feet seemed to be going through a growth spurt, so decided to wait till the last minute and plus, places like clarks are wise to it and didn't have much in the way of school shoes in their summer sale.

that website an mnetter linked to is the place to go, here clarks, startrite etc at knock down prices!

[PrettyCandles]

I can't buy shoes in the summer sales. My lot always have a growth spurt in the summer. Besides, they have awkward feet (narrow heels and wide toes - hence the desire for laces), so need careful fitting.

[AngryWasp]

I dunno, it just seems a bit odd to me, all parents flocking to the shops in August to buy their children shoes. We don't all buy our car tax in any one month do we?

Here's a tip. Buy some expensive shoes now if you must, but then buy a second pair in December, and then, make the children wear them on alternate days and hopefully they'll both be worn out (assuming the wierd logic that shoes always last a year exactly) at the end of October next year when school shoes will be in the sale.

I'm a blimmin genius!

[bellavita]

I need to buy two pairs yet... oh the joy

[LynetteScavo]

Angry wasp - is that what you do?

I'm laughing heartlily at the thought of finding school shoes that actually fit in the sales.

[AngryWasp]

No, my children aren't school age, - but I always got shoes when I needed them when growing up, - not in August. Probably never in August for that matter. My parents would never buy me school shoes in a month when I wasn't even going to school!

[stealthsquiggle]

Just you wait, angrywasp - you will be there. You will swear that you won't, you will do everything to ensure that you aren't, but even if you manage to pull off the shoes still fitting (as I have this year) there will be something (plimsolls completely disintegrated and a new-this-year requirement for trainers, in our case) which will have you there in the special level of hell which is childrens shoe departments at this time of year.

[AngryWasp]

LOL I expect you're probably right. Society isn't set up like it used to be. Couldn't find a fan last August because they don't sell them at that time of year apparently and they only have heaters for the coming winter.

Can't find sandals for ds either and we're about to go on holiday. I guess you have to buy when the shops have the stock

[LynetteScavo]

Our local independant childrens shoes shop always sell out of sandals my the end of May. I think this is just ridiculous. Why don't they get more in?

[gorionine]

two winters ago we managed to get the shoes for two years in the sale! that was fab some pairs were reduced from over £40 to a fiver (makes you wonder how shoes can change price so drastically(sp?))

No luck this year though so we probably will have to close our eyes when handling the debit card at the cashier and just cry when we actually get the bank statement!

[colditz]

AW, you can't buy school shoes any month except August. they sell out.

I've copped out completely this year and bought black leather velcro trainers for £9.

[stealthsquiggle]

Sandals our local independent shoe shop has in abundance - in the sale as well. DD (2.10) was trying to persuade me of her need for a pair of Lelli Kelly ones for £6 whilst we were failing to buy school trainers for DS (she failed - she has more shoes than she needs already (i.e. 2 pairs and some wellies!) and rarely wears the last pair she persuaded DH to buy).