Trouble with new shoes

They are shoes but probably not the type the school had in mind when they agreed on their school uniform.

• ignore the typos

Bensyster Yeah. Though thankfully the onlu uniform policing I have to do day to day is the usual roll your skirts down, do your top buttons up, reminders that shurts should be tucked in basically all the things we all did as a teenagers

Shoes to me..makes me relieved my DS will be going to a high school with no uniform.

"They aren't trainers. They aren't really school shoes"

Agree! They're brothel creepers

Hmm. They aren't trainers. They aren't really school shoes. But they are flat, black, sensible and won't harm growing feet. I hope every lesson is well taught and well differentiated at the school. If not perhaps the staff should focus on what matters.

They look like shoes to me!

They are not trainers but they definitely look trainery

They are self-identifying as shoes.

If you mis-genre them, you could cause literal death of shoes, you know.

Tsk.

trainers are shoes. Trainers R a kind of shoe. Gosh you guys are weird.

Maisypops - are you a teacher?

They are shoes that are designed to appear like trainers imo.
It's a growing issue in school. Rather than selling school shoes lots of makes knowing schools dont allow black trainers (some schools used to say black shoes) they make trainer style shoes that people will buy because they'll claim 'they look like shoes and were in the school section'.

The OPs ones arent the most ridiculous trainer/shoes I've seen. It seems reasonable they could have been bought in good faith. Sometimes that kind of confusion happens.
But its worth being very aware that lots of brands are tapping into fashionable schoolwear and it's a pain (especially when you get black uggs being passed off or leggings style trousers etc and then home shout off about how the uggs are shoes).

Definitely shoes. The school is nuts. Hope you get it sorted soon. DMs are not cheap either.

They look like trainers. They are shoes that are designed to appear like trainers imo.

To me trainers are something you would wear for sports. There is no way they look appropriate for any kind of sport. They definitely look more like DMs. Really feel for you daughter in all of this, you brought them in good faith.

Look more like trainers to me. But then I've noticed a rise in trainer-esque 'school shoes' turning up in shops. Those ones are closer to the shoe end than some of the ones ive seen.
A bit like legging style trousers and short jersey skirts being sold in the 'back to school' section and shirts with no top button.

Shops will brand stuff as 'back to school' because they know kids will want more fashionable items and pester power of 'but mam it says school' will get them the sale.

And we're told no fashion shoes - now how the hell do you determine what that means!!!!! Fashion is just current - it's not bad in itself, how could be be? School encourage you to seek their advice before making a purchase - how does that work - will the HT provide her home phone number for shopping consultations on a Saturday. I often think HTs live in an alternative universe.

For goodness sake, they're shoes! They're nothing like trainers. My dd is currently wearing similar to school (see pic) - they'll last a whole year, they're comfortable, and they're warm and dry.

This drives me mad - my dcs have narrow feet with orthotics and they walk 30 mins to school, finding a comfortable walking shoe to fit is hard enough without bloody stupid school footwear objections. Last pair of shoes ds had were deemed to be too trainer-like and we were told not to buy another pair - thing is when we find a pair that works we stick with the same pair - so after 3 years of wearing the same style of shoe, on a whim the HT decides they aren't suitable. The search just gets harder and harder.

Good idea. Carve them into a shoe.

Maybe you could whittle them, OP?

I don't think it's relevant what the shop call them as it's the school that decide how they classify them on their uniform list. What does it say on the school uniform policy about what is required? The sole is made from a shoe like material, but i think it is the flatness of it that is making them say it's a pump. Usually there is some distinction between the front sole, the heel and the bit in between on a shoe. On the kickers hi lo that is made by the front sole and heel having ridges but the bit in between doesn't.

Trouble is if you look on the Schuh website and search for girls' school shoes, 219 mostly unsuitable 'school shoes' appear;

www.schuh.co.uk/kids/girls-school-shoes/

So the tutor who said 'that's what they will tell you in the shop to get your sale' is probably right.