Was the shoe shop BU?

Er, just because the majority of people on MN think something doesnt mean its true or indeed what the law says on the subject! But i agree with the rest of your comment.

The law is a strange thing. Especially when it comes to footwear.

I had fancy expensive Merrell hiking boots which had vibram soles which crumbled and fell to bits when i became ill and was housebound for a long time.

I was gutted and they didn't give me a penny back.
The boots barely had a single mark on them. They would have passed for new if i put them on a shelf in store lol.

My old leather ones are still going strong decades later.

Bastards. I would never buy that brand again or vibram soles. And trading standards weren’t my help either as they were over a year old. Who expects £80 boots (in today’s money well over £100) boots to die within a year having barely a mark on them from NOT being used.

Shocking that they got away with that.

Yes. They didn’t charge me at all for stretching a pair of boots.

If the shop didn't do anything about it (they clearly weren't fit for purpose when the actual shoes were fine, just a crappy strap), I'd have taken them to the cobblers.

Have you a local independent cobblers? They are really cheap for simple repairs, Timpsons are hit and miss and can be pricey.

Then you can keep hold of the new size 13, and wear out the existing pair once the strap is repaired.

ETA I find people on MN have really low expectations of school shoes longevity! When I was at school, I got a new pair at the start of every school year, they lasted the whole year. Never needed a new pair mid-way through a year. My own children's shoes last them a year each too.

They may have to be ‘fit for purpose’, but there is no specific definition of what that is. Usually it’s what a ‘reasonable person’ would deem it to be so. And as you can see from the responses on here, the majority think that this is reasonable. In addition, even IF they’re not fit for purpose, as it’s over 30 days since purchase, the retailer is entitled to choose the remedy. This could be a repair, replacement, or refund, if relevant. And any refund they give can be reduced to take into account any wear/use the item has.

So in this case I do think they have been fair and reasonable for OP.

Sorry to hear about your dad OP. I definitely wouldn’t give this any more headspace. It’s not worth it in the grand scheme of things.❤️

Given kids school shoes are so expensive, at £50/£60 a pair, I would definitely expect them to last longer than barely 5 months, and would expect a full refund/new pair as a replacement @StartWrong

They offered a solution that I thought was reasonable.

Well clearly you don’t think it’s reasonable otherwise this thread wouldn’t exist?

I think what they’ve done is fair. I’d expect the to last longer than five months, so 50% off your next pair is fair. Considering you have had five months out of them, giving a whole new pair for free seems a bit ambitious.

I see you’ve stepped away. Sorry about your dad.

You have had them since September?? You’re lucky the gave you any discount.

sorry for the loss of your dad.

goods have to be fit for the purpose for which they are intended. i would suggest that shoes that fail after a few months are not of sufficient quality. so i’d have wanted my money back. if you bought yourself adult sized shoes that failed after a few months you’d be asking for a refund.

however as your child is growing pethaps trading standards would say something about that being the reason the shoes failed (imagining the incredible hulk bursting out of clothing now lol) who knows.

it’s good you got a discount though and it’s over and done with so you can move on and deal with the sad situation youre in, but if it happens again i think i’d get into trading standards to seek advice before visiting the shop.

This is unnecessary! Reported

She just lost her dad. Have a heart and stop being so nasty. As I say to my (primary age) children, if you can't be kind, be quiet.

Nothing.
You're the one resorting to name calling.

I got my little girls shoes fixed at one of them Timmons places, they cut the keys etc and the man actually didn’t charge me anything. Just in case something like that happens again you could try that instead of having to pay for a new pair of shoes x

It really does depend on the child. Like I said I had one child whose shoes lasted until the grew out of them and another that could destroy them in a term or so. Schools shoes are hardy enough but they can’t possibly cover children who climb trees and walk 1.5 miles each way to school, who scootered in their school shoes (using them as brakes often), football in the playground, dancing etc. some children just wear out shoes.

People are being unnecessarily unpleasant, but OP, you're in a very sensitive place right now. Im sorry about your dad, maybe keep away from the nastiness that us AIBU until things are a bit less raw.