Ballet pump style school shoes

[Itstheprinciple]

My DD's school has got a bee in their bonnet about school shoes at the moment and I'm just wondering I this is normal. They are saying the girls can't have ballet pump style school shoes, they have to have a 'sturdy school shoe'.

I personally don't see what the issue is but they are insisting. I think as long as it is a shoe rather than trainers and black, what is the problem? My DD, along with half her year apparently, have these Vivienne Westwood Melissa shoes (I don't really know about this sort of thing!) and they seem to have a particular dislike to them. They are definitely not my cup of tea, but i don't think they are offensive. Is this level of shoe policy the norm?

Vivienne Westwood shoes are the bane of my (secondary teacher) life.

Yes it’s a normal policy. Buy her some proper school shoes. If you can afford £80 for those you can afford to by the correct shoes.

Vivienne Westwood is a fashion designer. Fashion shoes are shit by definition. And ballet pumps really are godawful shoes, not only are they terrible for feet but they make you waddle in an attempt to keep them on.

The kids need to do as they are told.

Flat ballet pumps are absolutely appalling for feet, knees, ankles, achilles tendons, hips and backs.

They throw the whole body out of kilter because A - you have to clench your toes to keep them on and they make you walk flat-footed, and B - because they have hard flat soles your feet can't articulate as they would if you were in bare feet.

Dreadful things.

Ballet pumps are awful for feet and impractical.

I wish schools were less picky over trainers as they are at least practical shoes.

My school tried to ban all ballet pumps a few years ago on health and safety grounds - busy corridors, packed staircase etc. The risks are genuine. It didn’t work, not enough parents would comply so we still have half of the girls wearing silly VW pumps. The other half seem to wear doc Martin’s with the big bows. Incidentally school also tried to ban the bows. That didn’t work either, but at least the shoes are more sensible.