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Original poster

velcro shoes!

33 replies

amck5700 · 05/07/2012 22:58

Is it okay or not to have velcro fastening shoes at High School?? My son (12) is starting after the summer and I think he should have lace ups - he wants velcro. I am trying to say to him that he is grown up so should have "adult" shoes, he insists that they wouldn't make them in his size and bigger if they weren't meant to be worn by older kids. We have had bullying issues in the past so just want to make sure that he is not going to be made a target by what he wears. There is a full school uniform so it is really just his shoes/bag and trainers that will be non standard.

Well, apart from the lunch box and don't even get me started on that one!

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HSMM · 10/07/2012 18:18

My DD took her plaits out every day at primary, now she puts them in every day (yr 8)!

GrimmaTheNome · 09/07/2012 13:50

DeWe - my DD is in yr8 and still prefers her hair in two plaits for school, despite being short and occasionally offended at being mistaken for a yr7. On the whole I reckon its no bad thing to let them remain girlish for as long as they want rather than pushing them into looking 'more grown up'.

Original poster
amck5700 · 09/07/2012 13:43

In a way DeWe, it's good that they know their own mind and are happy to be individuals.......I guess we would be happy that they were individuals in a group though Wink

SS - we keep waiting on the growth spurt, he has always been tallest in his class and is almost 5'4 now, but he hasn't grown any more than normal yet. He has however informed me that he has "new hair" (!!!) so I guess it wont be long now (I've kept the labels on his blazer!!) - some of his classmates overtook him height wise before they broke up for the summer - he was not a happy bunny!! Expected height as a grown up is between 6'3 and 6'5!! My Oh has size 12 feet so expect he will have big feet although I am 5'10 and only take a 6 so maybe he will be a bit more dainty than his Dad.

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SecretSquirrels · 09/07/2012 13:35

Also if your son is 12 he may be on the brink of that growth spurt that happens overnight.
The feet grow first.
You might not want to buy all those different kinds of shoes every few weeks......
DS1 went from size 7 to size 10 in a year when he was 11. He's 16 now and in size 11 so not much more growth since then.

DeWe · 08/07/2012 20:01

I've got a similar issue with dd1's hair. She insists she's having it done in 2 plaits at secondary, like she has for most of the last 7 years. I think she should move to a more grown up style. She's stubborn and doesn't like change, so I suspect she'll be leaving school with the same style.

Original poster
amck5700 · 08/07/2012 19:41

lol, wasn't criticising your taste SS, just that of the kids! My boys are strangely not that hard on shoes, but then they are not really into sports so no football at break/lunchtime. Their feet also haven't grown for the last year so they have managed to keep the one pair of school shoes and worked between 2 pairs of trainers that have lasted all year :) We do however live approximately 200 yards from the primary school and they have to change to indoor shoes when they get there!!

Also I have also had to buy walking boots, snow boots, water shoes for canoeing, crocs for Judo and, of course, baseball boots for posing! All of these times 2 and in the same size! Never mind, only about another 10 years and they will be buying their own.....

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EllenJaneisnotmyname · 08/07/2012 19:20

They look a lot like the shoes the local 'cool' boys wear around here. Smile

SecretSquirrels · 08/07/2012 19:16

isn't it amazing what they think is cool Grin. Actually we've never had those exact one's, I just googled to give you an idea, but several similar pairs, the last, in fact were hush puppies. I didn't mention that grandad used to wear hush puppies.

My experience has been that nothing lasts longer than a few weeks cheap or high quality. Fair bit of walking to bus here including a shortcut across a field.

Original poster
amck5700 · 08/07/2012 17:47

Jeez but those are awful SS!! - They look like something my Dad would have worn. I am obviously totally out of touch with fashion though :) I bet they have to get a new pair every other week too - that stitching looks like it will come away with a stern look.

He will have a fair bit to walk if he gets the bus so I was hoping for something a bit more robust to cope with the lovely Scottish weather we have.

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SecretSquirrels · 08/07/2012 13:44

Something like these are what most of the boys seem to wear.

CecilyP · 08/07/2012 10:46

Of course, adult shoes could also be slip ons.

SoupDragon · 07/07/2012 22:26

I've even resorted to teaching DSs the "cheat" way of tying laces - tie the initial knot then make two loops and tie them in a knot.

SoupDragon · 07/07/2012 22:25

I don't think it will lead to bullying, no. Not specifically anyway. :)

I am just aghast at the "incompetence" of children now - and I include my own in this!! DS2 can tie them buy v e r y slowly. Drives me nuts. Neither him or DS1 ever wanted to learn. OTOH, DD (age 6) keeps bugging me to teach her how to tie the laces on her tap shoes.

Original poster
amck5700 · 07/07/2012 18:44

he can tie his laces, he is just lazy so prefers the velcro option!!

yes soup dragon - both my OH and I remember learning to tie our laces at age 5 but velcro wasn't around then. My boys have been going away to camp since about age 9 with lace up walking boots so needed to learn to tie them properly, but it seems a lot of kids just tuck them in instead!!

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EllenJaneisnotmyname · 07/07/2012 18:10

Ha, excellent x post!

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 07/07/2012 18:10

Why, soupdragon? Do you think velcro would lead to bullying? My DS has ASD and poor fine motor skills and tying laces is beyond him. I'm very glad other DC still have velcro shoes as it means he doesn't stand out so much. Purely selfish reasons, of course. Grin

SoupDragon · 07/07/2012 18:08

Before the invention of Velcro shoes, children used to be able to tie laces well before secondary.

SNs excepted, obviously.

SoupDragon · 07/07/2012 18:07

I insisted DS1 had lace up shoes when he went to secondary. I will also insist DS2 has them.

CecilyP · 07/07/2012 18:02

If shoe manufacturers produce shoes in sizes that fit a 12-year-old, surely he won't be the only 12-year-old wearing them. Come to think of it, I have velcro on my sandals and I am a good deal older than 12.

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 07/07/2012 17:58

If tying laces is a particular problem (as it is for my DS) there are alternatives.

www.greeper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=70

Original poster
amck5700 · 06/07/2012 19:47

thanks all - it was those clarks ones that we saw sophia. I also thought that Clarks would be a no no too. But I'll give it a couple of weeks and then head out to get them - i'm sure he is going to hit puberty before he goes so I haven't taken the labels off his blazer yet in case i need to try and swap it!

Also saw some men's shoes with velcro, my OH was horrified :o

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HSMM · 06/07/2012 19:28

DD has ridiculous school shoes which don't stay on her feet properly ... however she was desperate to start secondary with lace up trainers and now wears velcro trainers (speed of getting changed I think), so velcro must be OK at some level.

GrimmaTheNome · 06/07/2012 14:00

he insists that they wouldn't make them in his size and bigger if they weren't meant to be worn by older kids.

Faultless logic. If he is happy and confident of his choice I'd have thought he would not be particularly susceptible to bullying about them.

My DD is in yr 8 and has shoes from Clarkes 'bootleg' range - she was delighted her feet were big enough for them this year as its what most of her friends wear, they only start at about adult 2.5 so clearly designed for older kids - sort of a robust 'ballet' shape with a velcro strap. V practical without being clunky. The style wouldn't really work other than with velcro.

SophiaWinters · 06/07/2012 13:52

My son (13) wears velco shoes as do many of the boys at his school. Make sure he does know how to tie laces though, as their feet get bigger it's more difficult to find velcro shoes in their size. Son has PE trainers that are laced, but he still prefers velcro for school shoes. His school also has a policy for no trainers but they do allow a trainer style school shoe like these.

NoComet · 06/07/2012 13:49

DD is in Y9 and she has Velcro straps, she refuses to do fashion and votes for comfortable Clarks ladies shoes.

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