To think that a lot of girl's school shoes are stupid and not designed for winter...

[katykuns]

Granted, I am on a low income and buy from cheaper places, so perhaps that has a bearing on what I come across... but all the ranges I have seen have either had silly high heels (DD is 6) or are little ballet style pumps. It's bloody freezing here and they are just stupid... when it rains water gets on her socks, her feet are permanently cold.
Then I look at the boys shoes and they are all sturdy, cover the whole foot and look they will last more than 5 minutes.

Am I being unreasonable to want to smack the people that design these? And the supermarkets/shops that only sell effectively the same shoe, but with different flowery/butterfly shit on them?

YANBU. The school shoes for girls are ridiculous. Besides not having any decent covering over the foot, they also do not appear to have any support for the arch of the foot. It must be so uncomfortable walking around in the flattest of flat, unsupportive shoes all day.

you don't mean 'school shoes', though, surely? ones recommended by the school? you must be talking about the 'school shoes' put forward by manufacturers. the sensible shoes are out there if you look for them.

Expensive shoes are no better. Even Clarks and Startite don't do better than the supermarket shoes. Clarks shoes have stupid toys as well as flowery shit.

Dd likes to wear trainers, but I fear that she will have to wear proper shoes when she starts reception.

YANBU. I hate the type of girls' shoes sold in this country.
The shoes for boys always look much stronger and weatherproof, with a nice thick sole. In fact men's shoes in general have a much thicker sole than women's.

Buy plain black 'boy' shoes.

YANBU. But Kickers do some good ones ..... at a price.

YANBU I totally agree, those silly little shoes are ridiculous and designed to turn gurls into...I don't know what...

Yanbu at all it really annoys me as well!!!

Dd wears black boots to school now as her shoes would just mean freezing cold and wet feet all day.

YANBU, they are (mostly) hopeless.

I got DD's (year 1) current school shoes from Wynsors and have been quite impressed - they were cheap (under £20) and have lasted really well this term whereas the Clarks that she had in reception were binned at Feb half term despite still fitting as they'd been wrecked and had fallen apart. They're better than lots that I've seen, although still not as robust as the boy options.

It is ridiculous.

I think when DD is at school I will be buying black winter/snow boots and school will just have to cope if they don't like them. She will be walking to school - she needs proper shoes.

Boys shoes are cut wider than girls, as boys feet are generally wider. I don't know about other kids, but DD can't wear boys shoes.

Get her something like this

www.matalan.co.uk/fcp/product/fashion-to-buy-online/Footwear/Girls-Black-Patent-Lace-Up-Boot/59672&resultsPerPage=100&attrList=Dept,brand

at one point in my daughters school, trainers were banned completely and so girls were supposed to wear those little ballet pumps.....wtf?

ooh i like those cantspel

Thanks RueDe, I will check that site out!

The ones I bought in September when she started Y2 were from Brantano, they lasted 2 months before the sole actually came off.

I bought boys ones this time, despite DD protesting, made it all okay by offering to stick girly stickers on them

We bought DD some Clarks from the outlet store that are the most sensible shoes she has had yet. They are this sort of style (sorry about giant link)
www.thekidsshoecompany.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=257&category_id=7&vmcchk=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=12

peaceandlovebunny - we don't get ones recommended by the school. We just get told to buy black, waterproof shoes. No trainers allowed.

I only buy DD boy's shoes, she is almost 5. I didn't know that boys' feet are wider than girls' feet, my DS's feet are considerably narrower than DD's feet (he is an E fitting and she is an H fitting) so I thought it was just generally variable across both genders.

nice boots!

This is what myy dd now wears to school - they haven't moaned yet and I think they look really smart!! Much more practical for this time of year imo.

It is an odd thing, but that's what clarks told me and I find it to be true, it's less width and more shape of foot possibly because I have a boy and a girl who are both an e width, but only ds has ever fitted the boys shoes. They just fell off DD.

YANBU. School shoes for my DD do not last half a term but I cannot risk more than a tenner on her shoes, cos she is going to wreck them whatever.

YANBU
Why the hell the DDs can't wear black mum boots under their black trousers like millions of women do everyday is beyond me.
Flat boots and black trousers is fine for most working environments so why do senior school insist on shoes.

YANBU.

Which is why I insist that DD (age 6) has to have shoes from the boys' range for school.

Interesting that you had the sole come off some Brantano shoes. We bought DD Brantano shoes for this term, by half-term they had holes in the soles. Ended up having to go and get her some Clarks after all which, after half a term now, still look practically unworn.

You are so right. Girls are clearly not expected to play particularly active games, or do any activity that is rough on shoes. After buying the most sturdy pair of Clarks I could find for my 4 year old daughter, they fell to bits after just a few weeks. I always buy her kickers t bars now, and they last really well, and keep her feet warm and dry.
Good strong shoes

Given how utterly ridiculous 99% of women's shoes are, I am surprised that you are surprised that girls shoes are less sturdy than boys.

I am a wearer of sturdy shoes, but I am often told it's not 'ladylike' or worse 'not professional' at work... if most women are wearing stupid impractical shoes then most girls will want to copy that.