Girls' shoes

It's the weatherproofness that winds me up the most. DD has some nice cool sturdy open sided Mary Janes from Clarks for summer but when we had the snowy patch last year I had no end of a job finding a closed top pair of school shoes. I eventually tracked down a single Startrite pair in John Lewis (although I found a nice pair of unisex black leather trainers - I think they were Converse).

Clarks seems to get better after size 3 for some reason - but the primary girls who need something to run around in are only offered feeble little slip ons. M&S girls shoes were particularly bad last time I checked.

I like those shoes Adagoo but no way can i spend £60 on kids shoes. I've got three. Eek!

adagoo - those are perfect but yes, bloody expensive!

And they're good for non-cushion-sitting clothes too

I buy my DD's shoes from an outdoors shop. Trainers and walking shoes for the summer (and I have to confess to Clarks Doodles for holidays) and walking boots for winter. This winter I'm hoping to get her some nice "dressy" boots that aren't pink and are quite sturdy.

Since she's gone up to junior sizing, it's a lot easier. I always buy Karrimor boots/shoes as they seem really hardwearing, flexible and cool.

Again, sports shops will usually have some plainer/non pink ones. Though TBH we usually found something OK in the Clarkes Cica range, some of them may have been 'boys' white and blue, some girls non-pink.

I have often resorted to buying boys shoes/trainers and 'feminising' them. DD fortunately quite likes bright primary colours and often prefers them to pink, so I am usually able to find something practical that she likes in a decent quality. I find trainers the hardest because girls only ever seem to come in white or pale pink with glittery bits or whatever. One time I compromised by buying a plain pair of plain navy ones (marketed as 'boys' even though they were just plain navy and unisex as far as I could see) and sticking on a few motifs on the straps. Result - happy mum and happy daughter.

I haven't bought from Clarks for ages, as I think the quality has fallen substantially and the gender stereotyping is terrible. I find local, independent stores tend to offer the best neutral shoes and value for money.

I am watching this thread- as I have been getting angrier and angrier about 'pinkification' the older DD gets and any suggestions welcome!

Can I just say how annoying Lelly Kelli is? My dd saw someone wearing them and now wants them instead of her practical trainers...

School shoes make me . They cost a fortune and last 5 minutes.
Please can we have nice looking shoes with Velcro straps, soft grippy soles and some support.
Not flimsy things with thin soles and such cut away uppers that they wear out instantly and your feet were wet anyway.
The girls want and more importantly need to run about as much as the boys.

I have this trouble- though i have bought dd a pair of boots from clarks with the illustrious rubber toe. But boots seem to be the ONLY appropriate footwear for her. in the ummer its all flimsy sandals. School shoes are always mary jane style, so her socks/feet get wet in the rain. boys get to wear school shoes that cover their socks entirely. Even girls trainers are flimsy and often have an open front to expose sock/foot.

Yes Grimma good call! I have just remembered that we looked at some shoes in an outdoorsy shop for DD about a year ago but her feet weren't big enough yet. Will definitely go for another look!

This may not be applicable when they're very little, or for school wear - but do check the footwear in outdoors-type shops. DDs summer sandals are from (IIRC) Mountain Life - grey with fuschia trim, properly supportive, velcro all round so fit well (and last more than one year!) - sounds like what Sardines is wanting. Proper walking boots - exactly the same boots for boys and girls, just more choice of colours if you're a girl.

My dd's school have just implemented a policy where they get changed out of school shoes and into plimsolls as soon as they enter school (and change again at break and lunchtime) so basically their school shoes are only for walking to school and playing outside.

I really resent paying £30 for girls shoes which just don't have the same wear and tear potential as boys shoes.

I am so with you on this!

Agree about the sandals, SardineQueen. And why do they make SO MANY of them in WHITE? They'll get grubby in SECONDS.

My DD said that the boys at pre-school had told her that she was a boy, not a girl, and I think it might have been on account of the shoes. It didn't stop her from wanting to wear them, though, as she doesn't yet see being called a boy as an insult. Well, I think that's why.

Our DDs have had a mix of boys and girls shoes when small. My taste means that I prefer the boys colours and styles (esp browns) and to my eye the styles look nicer.

Now DD1 is bigger and making her own decisions obviously she wants "girls" stuff - and my current beef is sandals. (Clarks). The girls sandals all have a flat piece of leather at the bottom, while the boys all have shaped rubber which comes up a bit at the front. Result is the boys shoes look comfier, sturdier, and less likely to cause a trip when running. It just annoyed me so much. Why can't they make "girls" ones like that? Grrrrrrrrr.

Yes, girls' shoes are fascinatingly awful. DS's Clarks school shoes last until he outgrows them. DD's Clarks school shoes last about six weeks; Startrite last about eight. Girls' shoes just aren't made for girls to be active, and it's a disgrace.

Those soft star shoes look like junior social worker shoes.

I like Converse too, they are v. neutral and come in bright colours...

Huh, I did a post and didn't post. Grr. Well, what I was saying is that my DD wears a lot of boy shoes (we recently bought Doodle sandals in a boy style, and some boy trainers), and always has done. They don't have to be overtly masculine, though the less aggressively boy ones tend to be rare. Her boy shoes have always looked better for longer. My DD is a very rough and tumble type. Girl school type shoes end up scuffed in minutes. I have found a couple of vaguely sensible girls styles from Start-rite in the past. This last few months she had a pair that looked a bit like this - www.startriteshoes.com/boys/non-school-shoes/badge - but that were in greens. They looked fine with most of her clothes, and the green made them seem pretty neutral. She had a pair of the more sensible looking start-rite girls shoe to go with frocks...