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AIBU?

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Original poster

cost of school shoes

38 replies

fieldy · 18/09/2013 13:08

I am still reeling from my visit to high street shoe shop (not sure if i am allowed to name and shame it) to buy school shoes for DD and DS; £36 and £38 respectively (they are 9 and 7). Am I being unreasonable by thinking that this is an outrageous cost for the time that they wear them.... or have I missed something

OP posts:
frogs · 18/09/2013 13:57

These school shoes from South Africa are the dog's bllcks of school shoes. Leather, indestructible and not expensive:

Toughees school shoes

Otherwise shoesforkids.co.uk are very good for discounted startrites and clarks.

Madamecastafiore · 18/09/2013 13:59

Blimey that's cheap. DS's were 55 quid.

If you think how long they wear them for they are actually really good value.

NaturalBaby · 18/09/2013 14:13

YABU. If your feet aren't in decent shoes then they can't grow properly. School shoes are the one thing I'm prepared to pay good money for.

saulaboutme · 18/09/2013 14:35

I buy the higher end even though they are pricey but they are good quality and last most of the year.
Ds is very fussy with his shoe fit. Although this terms shoes broke after one day, faulty, so got a refund.
Am now lost as to what brand to go for next. Supermarket, department stores and any cheap doesn't seen to last.
I always expect to pay £40-£50.

tshirtsuntan · 18/09/2013 14:36

I had to buy my reception son a pair of Clarks trainers as he's an extra wide h fit with a high instep, no other plimsols/ trainers would go on ( and I forced him to try on hundreds!) 38 quid!! - however have just received bank statement and they only charged me 14? Is that a result or should I be feeling guilty...
Ps I only think they're actually "worth" about 14 quid.

SkinnybitchWannabe · 18/09/2013 14:36

I got my eldest and youngest sons shoes from Brantano when I had a 20% voucher.
Middle sons were half price in the Clarks sale so I saved £40 this year Smile

Dahlen · 18/09/2013 14:54

Decent does not necessarily mean expensive. That's a myth pedalled by manufacturer's who are no doubt delighted to see so many people believing in it.

As long as a shoe is flexible enough to move with the foot and is tight enough to not allow the foot to slide around but loose enough to not compress, a shoe is fine. You really do not need to spend £50 to achieve that.

You may wish to spend more to get a better-quality shoe in terms of leather that won't scuff as easily, soles that are harder-wearing, etc but IME if you did that you wouldn't be buying from clarks anyway. Wink

Tailtwister · 18/09/2013 15:05

YANBU, they are extremely expensive. We decided to go for something which would last, as DS1's feet grow quite slowly. In the end we went for a Ricosta shoe (one of the few brands which fit his narrow feet) and I think they were more than £40. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they last!

zatyaballerina · 18/09/2013 15:10

You get what you pay for, good shoes are important to prevent foot deformity, blisters, corns, the instep from collapsing, knee and hip problems, allow the kids to run comfortably, walk long distances and last.

It's worth spending money to protect your children's feet. You probably spend more on chocolate over the course of the year so not outrageous when you think about itGrin

Dahlen · 18/09/2013 15:15

You'll only get blisters, foot deformities and corns from shoes that are too tight. Shoes actually encourage hip and knee problems and collapsing insteps when they are put on children at too young an age. If you leave your child out of shoes for as long as possible and then buy shoes that are flexible and fit correctly, you won't have any of these problems. You do not have to buy expensive shoes to get ones that are flexible and fit correctly.

Who says advertising doesn't work?! Hmm

Nice way of making impoverished parents feel like crap though.

HorryIsUpduffed · 18/09/2013 15:33

DS1 grew two full shoe sizes in Reception. He has started Y1 with new school shoes, plimsolls, football boots, wellies and casual/weekend shoes. Wellies are big because they don't fit anyone, but I fully expect to replace everything else in February/March ish again.

When I was little you wore your school shoes every day and did PE in bare feet. Not so now.

lborolass · 18/09/2013 15:39

Shoes are expensive, school or otherwise but I do think it's worth buying quality if you can afford it for you childrens future.

I assume the poster whose childrens feet go up a size each term actually means they go up by a 1/2 size so need to buy the next size up. This might be true for a while but doesn't happen every term for the 10+ years a child is at school

sarahtigh · 18/09/2013 16:01

my DD is 3.5 a year ago she was 6.5 infant she is now 8.5 however if she went up 3 sizes a year until 13 her feet would be size 10 adult highly unlikely I think, they do grow quickly to start with but I have never since she had her first pair had a set that did not last a least 3-4 months, I would expect 2-3 sizes a year until about 7 then 1-2 sizes until 12 then maybe 1 a year until she finishes growing at probably size 5/6 which is what the average woman is

you can get the same clarks shoes online and in outlets for much less she is wearing brand new Clarks that cost £21 from outlet the previous set for summer cost 9.99 from clarks

she wears her school shoes 5 days a week, she has wellies, plimsolls for gym as the nursery use big school gym once a week, a pair of party shoes ( about£5 ) and cheap trainers/sandshoes depending on season all apart from school shoes do not come in 1/2 sizes anyway just 7, or 8 not 7.5

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