Where do you buy school shoes for your 12/13 yo?

[tiredanddangerous]

My 12 year old (year 8 in September) has had school shoes from clarks since forever, but this years pair looked very old very quickly and didn't fit properly either. Where do you go? She has awkward feet so we need to be able to try before we buy.

Mine have had black vans for last few years, lots of boys and girls in the year wear them

What are her friends wearing?
Round here it’s either brogues or vans like this.
I think you just need to try on loads of she’s got awkward feet, rather than going to a children’s shoe shop. Maybe try somewhere big like a John Lewis, with lots of brands.
She’ll get the absolute piss ripped out of her for Clark’s shoes?

Sports direct.

Try Schuh

www.schuh.co.uk/brands/schuh/#g=&c2=130_Womens Flats,&c=Black,&p=0,999&b=68_Schuh,&sz=&m=&w=&c3=&h=&o=pop&st=&origst=&c4=&bRef=&s=&nd=&kwtype=c&page=1&va=&imp=&&icid=17860

www.schuh.co.uk/brands/schuh/#g=&c2=130_WomensFlats,&c=Black,&p=0,999&b=68_Schuh,&sz=&m=&w=&c3=&h=&o=pop&st=&origst=&c4=&bRef=&s=&nd=&kwtype=c&page=1&va=&imp=&&icid=17860

Bugger I cant get the link to work

My niece was in black vans too but now they all seem to be wearing doc marten shoes?

Watching! My 11 year old has a large size 7 foot (girl) so desperate for ideas!

Are they allowed to wear Vans ?

How odd that a child would get made fun of for wearing Clark's shoes. Why is this please?

Highly recommend Treads - t get are online. We got our first pair from there last year after years of Clark's never lasting long.

They come with a guarantee and have an insole system to fit for longer. I've been impressed.

Unfortunately my 13 year old now has size twelve feet and they don't go up to that size. So now I'm a bit stuck again.

How odd that a child would get made fun of for wearing Clark's shoes. Why is this please?

Because teens are dicks. If they can, as a collective, find something to mock, they will. It bonds the pack at the expense of the one being mocked. Whether that's the only teen still being bought shoes from Clark's....The only one without a mobile phone....The one who they found out still has an 8pm bedtime....The one who goes to church....

Anything. Nothing makes insecure, immature, hormonal teens feel better than being able to join the masses. They see it, they mock it, they join the herd.

Pack mentality innit.

Agree with pp about Clark's shoes for a 12 y o. Not cool.
Mine (was y9 this year)is another Vans wearer. I held off as long as possible and she promised that if they were deemed inappropriate, she was buying the replacements.

Sorry for posting and buggering off! Thanks everyone for the suggestions and links. The problem with some of them will be that her school has very strict uniform rules...those vans wouldn't be allowed. She possibly needs somewhere that does a wide fitting too. Just to add to my pain she is autistic and has many sensory issues, hence why I want to start looking now!

It depends on the school and what they allow. DD goes to a grammar school with a strict uniform policy and she asks for Clark's. Vans and Dr Martens aren't allowed.

My DD aged 14 has Dr Martens brogues but with black stitching instead of yellow.

She did have Angry Angels brogues before but they only go up to an 8 and she is in a 9 now and still growing. www.startriteshoes.com/impulsive-black-girls-lace-up-school-shoes

Oooh I didn't know you could get dr martens with black stitching! Do they still cut your heels to ribbons in the breaking in process? I think I still have scars from my year 8 pair.

Mine lived in £8 shoe zone not-really-Vans from year 8-11.

Unfortunately those startrite ones would be a no go too because of the pattern 🙄

Second PP suggestion of Threads .. strict school policy , no Vans, DMs etc have to be polishable
DS2 likes to think h has street cred (or whatever the correct term is these days ) and after initial muttering we ordered from Threads - comfy , non descript designs that blend in with your average shoes and last forever
Also great returns policy

@tiredanddangerous

Unfortunately those startrite ones would be a no go too because of the pattern 🙄

That is bonkers strict!

It is bonkers strict! I forgive them for it though because they are brilliant in other areas.

That is strict, even our school that has a 4 paragraph shoe rule allows brogues.
Dr Martens are here www.drmartens.com/uk/en_gb/p/14345001 not cheap but last forever and didn’t cause blisters at all.

Kickers from Amazon for DS. DD is in Dr Martens boots with Dr letter