It's a school shoe spot the difference thread!

If they would really deprive him of a day's education over shoes that can only deviate from their unpublished (and as yet un clarified) policy by such a small difference that we're here trying to guess what it was, then that school is not for fit purpose.

What if all the teachers asked the kids about their interests and ideas instead of engaging over shoes - there surely can't be much appetite for this kind of thing from the staff enforcing it. What if they all just refused to give a shit or
-it can't be why anyone got into teaching.

"black shoes of polishable leather in a non-trainer style?"

It's right there in the OP. First paragraph.

The hush puppies. They wouldn't be allowed in our school either

All look like trainers, the Hush Puppy more like plimsolls because of the flat sole. I think schools should either insist on proper shoes or, preferably, accept all of the 4. Sympathies OP

you emailed them, they gave you the OK...

and then she bought a different pair which she thought would be OK.

If these shoes were stocked at the official uniform shop I would raise this with the school.
Absolutely bloody ridiculous, as if teachers have nothing better to do with their time. I was rubbish at being the uniform police in my last school, so glad that my new school does not have a strict uniform!

@TheUnstoppableWindmill

you emailed them, they gave you the OK. Stop engaging with them and tell them that if they want to pay for another pair of school shoes then they can go right ahead, but you’re not replacing a perfectly good pair of conforming school shoes.

my DS is year 12 now, but there was the odd whiff of jobsworth when he was in school, you have to pick your priorities in terms of what’s important to change and and this isn’t one of them.

the school shoes are bought and paid for and they fit. Whenever he’s grown out of them, you’ll replace them. They are black, polishable and leather.

Woman up, Mum up, Parent up - whatever works best for you and tell them that you have ticked all the boxes they asked and that’s the end of the matter

Surely the email reply from the teacher that they were all “Absolutely Perfect” should be enough…

In Scotland too & this wearing of random trainers would definitely not be acceptable. In my school I work in it has to be all black shoes- no ridiculous policing, just all black, including trainers. Shirt & tie & blazer.

So how can we, as parents, stop the ridiculous uniform policies in this country? Don't come at me with "if you choose to send your kids there" etc. because in my area (north Birmingham suburbs) there is literally no choice nearby unless you go private or are catholic.

To be fair, my children's schools are fairly sensible but even so, black trousers and blazers in 30 degree heat is ridiculous and shirts and ties annoyingly old fashioned.

I'd love to abandon infield altogether but I feel that might be a step too far but what can we collectively do?

It’s the shape and sole of the shoes that make them feel so trainer like. My guess was Hush Puppies. Shame - they do look very comfortable and easy to get on/off.

The shoes look fine to me 🙄

If it makes you feel any better, I went to a school which had an official school coat you could buy from their official supplier. It was expensive (wool, full length) and uncool so virtually no one had it - we were allowed to wear any navy coat. But I had it in year 7.

My teacher held a class coat inspection and told me my coat was a banned style and I would have to buy a new one (it was such a dark navy it looked black). I took great glee in telling her it was literally the official school coat.

Exactly @Fizbosshoes , it's absolutely maddening. I do not want to spend my time replying to emails from parents of students in my form about school uniform policy. It's not a good use of my time, when I don't have time for the important stuff. I also don't want to pick a fight with teenagers because they're not wearing XYZ, just before I'm going to spend an hour with them trying to teach them something difficult. The SLT who make these rules and insist on being anal about them to the extent that they make no sense (I refer you to the schools that insist that students must wear blazers in 30 degrees), are absolute knobs. Most teachers think they're knobs. So if you're an SLT reading this who makes your teachers enforce this kind of nonsense, you can rest assured that your colleagues think that you're a knob, and they don't have much respect for you.

Every year I read these types of threads with my jaw dropped.
There are many things that I don't agree with in the school system in Germany (which is where we live) but the lack of any kind of uniform is one I can totally get behind. Both my dc (one in primary, one in secondary) just wear clothes - normal, comfortable, affordable clothes. Some kids are really into designer labels and make a big effort. Most wear jeans and t-shirts/hoodies. And 99.9% wear trainers. I can happily report that it has no impact on their ability to learn whatsoever.

Write a strongly worded letter to the head, head of year and SENCO and note he must have supportive footwear with a Velcro strap as a reasonable adjustment. Be very firm. They are seriously being ridiculous

I don't think any of them.are trainer like. All three of my sons where this type to secondary. Private and state.

I'd be petty and send him in in Nike airs with a note to excuse his footwear until you get paid and then have time to source new shoes.

But in reality I'd send him in the ones I bought and plead your now skint as used up your shoe budget.

School shoes not being OK but kids vaping on the way to school. It's hardly a massive deal in the scale of secondary school possible issues is it

Without criticising teachers (because I doubt it's individual teachers setting the criteria) almost all teachers on MN say how overworked they are and how much stuff outside the classroom they do (and I am not doubting it for a monent) ....so who's idea is it to come up with rules so nuanced that teachers have to be emailed and thus reply out of school hours, on what shoes to buy???

My own DC school came down really hard on uniform rules when they all went back ft after covid. With all the extra protocols and procedures around testing/bubbles, one way systems, etc I couldn't imagine why they were giving themselves more work to do by heavily policing uniform (especially when shops had been closed for months)

OP, if your son is on the school's SEND register they have a duty to make / consider reasonable adjustments for his sensory needs - no need for a doctor's note. All the shoes you've posted look fine to me - and your son has selected a pair based on comfort and support. Getting my kids to choose shoes has always been stressful and I'd be so upset if the school put any extra pressure on them over it. Neither can deal with laces so we went for velcro or slip on, in a similar style to the ones you posted. Thankfully their schools were inclusive in their policies and it was never an issue.

I would send another email featuring three of the above (Inc the hush puppy) and one that looks more trainer like and then ask which they would consider to be acceptable. See if they then pick out your son's shoes as unacceptable second time round.

Tbf these pics are from the side and at eye level. The difference in shoe shape would prob be more subtle when actually worn on a child and looked at from above (especially adult's pov). They'd look really similar

This is crazy. All those shoes look perfectly smart enough for school. Its ridiculous you'd have to fork out for another pair!

My school in the 90s was exactly the same so I don’t think it’s new.

Hair bobbles had to be navy blue, earring gold round stud only, shoes below 5cm in height (this was before flats were cool), tie down to waist band and skirts to knees

I honestly don’t have a problem with a strict uniform code, our local school you can see the bum cheeks of the girls walking to school. If they had feee reign I would dread to thing what some of the girls would go to school in 😳

I think that the first ones look most trainer like do to the shape of the sole.

What an absolute waste of everyone's time and money.

There is very little difference between any of the shoes you posted.

I'd request a meeting and go in with printouts of all the shoes and waste an hour of the head's time just to make my point.

A doctor’s note? This is utter utter madness. I thought my DDs’ school had some sort of uniform obsession but this is next level!!