Girls shoes for secondary school

I really hate girls school shoes! At least brogues have come back in, but before that it was all ballet flats and Mary Janes. Whereas boys wear harder wearing shoes, that cover the whole foot, don't easily fall off, they often have Velcro, and decent soles for walking to and from school or the bus.

DD2 has been told off at school for wearing boys school shoes. They're a bit too much like trainers, apparently. She was allowed to wear them, though, because they adhere to the uniform code. The teacher just didn't like them, because they aren't feminine. Unlike ballet flats.

Dd3 is going into y8 and I've just bought her another pair of Kickers, the bog standard lace-ups. Not cheap, but lasted all year. She tried on the buckle Kickers, but couldn't get them tight enough.

Went into Clarks to get her feet measured, and they said she had C width feet. But you don't do C width, I said. No ... and we don't do many D or E either, but you could have an F.

So we should buy width-fitted shoes that aren't even the right width? Yeah right. Not to mention that they're all (in her size) impractical and/or ugly.

DDs have these Startrite ones, she's worn a pair a year since yr 5. Yr 7 just gone, they have lasted right through the year but were getting a bit holey in the sole right at the last half term. Lucky it had been dry during June and July

We should have had them re-soled half way through the school year (even though Timpsons charge something like £17!!)

DD wears toughees shoes, bought via Amazon.
They last ages and fit wide feet well. A good range of styles too.

Which ones - 1st or second pair? Pair 1 are definitely the norm in a lot of schools, I think. The chunkier ones are probably more popular with older girls (think the DM type look).

My Dd is going into year 9 and refuses Clarks! She has worn Kickers buckle patent black shoes for the last year and they've worn really well

I was just about to start a school shoes thread

Answering your question - DD is going into yr 9 - to date she's had Startrite brogues in this type of style. They seem to be the absolute bog standard in her school; she's not at all particularly fashionable, but having had a bit of a peer at other girls' feet they all seem to have some variant on the theme.

BUT if I can thread hijack a bit . . . I'm going to have to buy online anyway, as there's no longer a startrite stockist near us, and I refuse to buy Clarks any more (don't last more than a term). Any suggestions of good hardwearing lace up brogue style shoes other than Startrite would be very gratefully received.

DD just got the school year out of the last pair, but they were pretty holey by end of summer term. At going on 50 quid a pair, that doesn't seem that great - certainly my shoes last longer. Alternatively, does anyone's dd wear this style of Startrite, and do they last better???