To want to buy school shoes in September not July?

[Oddpet]

My DS starts school this September. I've just been to the local shoe shop to book a shoe fitting slot for early September but have been told they don't do slots that late. Apparently they won't have any stock left and am better off buying the shoes now !
The reason I want to leave it late is because DS's feet seem to grow really quickly every summer so I'm worried they won't fit him by mid September when he starts school.
So AIBU to want to be able to buy him school shoes in September? Or is this just how it works? I'm new to this school lark

Weird- I had the opposite problem today. I went to get my children's feet measured today and the lady in the shoe shop advised me to come back at the end of August or they would grow out of them and they only have a 28 day return policy. Knowing how slowly my children grow, I really don't think that will be a problem.

We sorted out school shoes last week, as we have always been told the same thing. That said, I thought I was getting uniform sorted out early, but when I went into the shop I discovered that most of it was out of stock.

I buy shoes when they grow out of them.
DS started reception last year. Size 8 shoes.
He wasn't going to be a ten by Sept so I bought size 9 and an insole. Took the insole out at half term. He grew out of them in early Jan.
Then I bought a size 10 and an insole.

He wears Geox savage for school. He has been in the size ten since Jan, they still fit and will cross over to next year. And they are still going strong but boy is he hard going on his shoes.

I just bought a size 11 and insole on Amazon for when he grows out of them but he's not going to start new term in them.

Go to the independent. Find a style you like. Get him measured. Get it fitted. Make a note. Buy online ! Elsewhere. !

And I really recommend Geox Savage.

I work selling kids shoes and have done for three years - I can see it's frustrating buying them so early, but it's also frustrating for us in the first week of September (or that dreaded August bank holiday) when we don't have what you want and we don't have time to get hold of it. This time of year we're just trying to avoid the inevitable tears we always get at the end of the summer holiday. We have no say in what arrives in the delivery, and its impossible to tell which shoes will be the big sellers.

Every year we always have one or two particularly memorable strops that first week in September... shoes thrown at staff, hissy fits that you can hear from two doors down, I had a mother cry once because her DCs went back in 4 days and we didn't have the particular styles they wanted. We know how stressful it is and we just try to warn parents that we can't always guarantee availability of every style.

And I'm afraid the appointments process is just due to demand. Before we offered appointments people asked why we didn't, now we do people complain that they don't want to be tied down to a day... as with everything in retail you can't suit everyone.

Eek I haven't even bought so much as a pencil for my dd.
better get cracking soon I guess

GotTo We have to provide stationery?

Can I ask, are there massive reductions in school shoes from say 7th September?

I might force mine to hobble for a week!

I don't think so bump
I've never seen any in 12 years,especially not in Clarks or independents. They will always be able to sell school shoes.
LL works a little like l do. Shop around.