AIBU to not shell out £65 for kids trainers?

[Tonka76]

He's twelve and his feet are still growing... I've said if he wants expensive trainers then he needs to ask for them for Christmas. Is this miserly? He needs to be shod I know that... and if I'm honest it's a lot to do with his choice of haurrache Nike which I think are the ugliest shoe if ever seen and just can't face seeing them on a daily basis.

What do you pay for shoes for kids? Am I being a Scrooge?

My dc often have £80+ trainers because they do hard-core running.

But when they want fashion trainers (which they do) they either save pocket money/birthday money and buy them themselves, or have them as a Christmas/birthday present. Which I think is perfectly reasonable. YANBU, op.

If you can afford it, yab slightly u. Only because kids this age can be cruel. I was the kid with the cheap trainers in school, and I was bullied for it.

Thing is, kids can be cruel about cheap trainers/unfashionable coats, etc.

But the OP isn't saying her son can't have the 'right' trainers, just that if he wants them, they'll be a present not just an everyday thing. Which seems pretty sensible to me.

I obviously fall on the Scrooge side.

I've been wondering what to to buy my brother for Christmas now I know

YANBU.

If your objection is just because you hate them then that's unfair. It's children's job to wear clothes that baffle and repulse their parents.

I make sure my boys have trainers they won't get teased for because yes, kids can be horrid creatures to each other, but I don't see the need for me to perpetuate this whole idea that there is only one possible 'must have' trainer

I agree, haurrache Nike for Christmas, otherwise £35 at sports direct.

They are hideous though, like a trainer / Crocs lovechild...

Verybitchy I know on initial glance they look harmless enough but before long they do this awful think of making the toe stretch over the front of the shoe and then there's a sort of spare bit of sole/heal at the back. It's hard to explain but it looks like he's slipping around in shoes that don't fit.

I know only too well the horror of going into school in the wrong shoes so I'm not expecting to send out in a pair of Clark's basics. I suppose if it wasn't so bear Christmas I wouldn't be questioning it at all.

Maybe that's a good idea. Have a basic amount I'm willing to pay and he can pay the rest if he wants expensive ones. There's loads of cool Nike and Vans out there for less. I suppose I should be grateful he went off the ones that were 100 quid .

Thanks for the advice here... I feel I have some options on this

My 12 year old has £75 superstars which are popular for girls. I wouldn't bankrupt myself for them, she's very lucky to have them though.

12 year olds seem to have no concept of how much these things cost. Ds1 keeps asking for very expensive football boots, trainers, astro's etc.

My kids aren't this age yet, so I may be way off, but from year 6 my parents gave me spends /an allowance that was more than pocket money, and I had to budget it myself. I would save for a while to buy decent boots, or not bother and spend it on the cinema. Either way, my parents were saved any angst. I was also highly incentivised to take advantage of any employment opportunities that came my way (envelope stuffing for a neighbour's business etc. Work friends tell me youngsters don't wash cars these days due to lack of insurance!)
Figuring out how much to pay will be a pain tho! Xx

Clearly I was thinking of my parents and thought I was texting them. I didn't mean to give kisses to the internet!

Neve heard of those particular ones but ds always has Nike trainers. I get them from Sports Direct. He has very narrow feet & they fit him well. He has also started to play hockey for a club so his Astros are a decent pair.

For dd I will pay whatever it takes. She has wide feet with a high instep & a tendency to pronate so we buy whatever is supportive & fits well. She dances seriously so her feet are important to her. She's currently in Sketchers.

DS has had adult size feet since year 6 so I'm used to paying ££ for trainers. Tbh I don't mind too much because he and his bro are not into branded clothes and will happily wear supermarket trackies. If they were wanting Ralph Lauren polos and superdry hoodies I might reign it back with the trainers. £70ish is my limit. And thankfully those fugly huaraches are only for 'wannabes' round here.
I absolutely draw the line at pricey football boots though. David Beckam managed just fine without them stupid sock boots.

I think white Nike Huaraches look like the ugly own brand trainers of the 1990s.

Yes... squoosh... yes. Exactly that

"oh for goodness sake if that is your stance then I suggest you do not shop anywhere...dont use Amazon, dont buy clothes made in Bangladesh or China, dont shop anywhere that uses zero hours contracts...etc etc. You could just sit in your straw built eco house being right on"

There are plenty of other places to shop you know that have better ethical practices and don't use slave/child labour if you can be arsed looking (or use charity shops). Sports direct are a particularly shit company, most big companies are but you can find high street ones that are a bit less shit if you're worried about being associated with people who live in eco houses

Yes Huarache trainers are unpleasant looking, but they are very very common. I'm just glad my two children aren't at age where they can pick their own trainers/clothing.

I's second going to sports direct. My french (and rather stylish I like to think) bf regularly goes in there when he's over and buys up pairs for him and his friends.

Of course yanbu op. I've never spent that on trainers for myself and wouldn't for dc. If he doesn't want them for Christmas he isn't that bothered is he?

I don't think it's as simple as 'well if you can afford it'. I can afford it but dc need to start to learn the value of money and get used to what they will be able to be afford when they first move out of home and are skint. Setting a level of entitlement because of parental bank balance is imo. Interestingly it is often the people who can't afford it who feel more pressurised I think.

I was very happy when ds 17 got his weekend job. He now has 17 pairs of Adidas and a taste for Pretty Green clothing ( which I actually like and it washes beautifully).

I refuse to pay silly money for trainers but I did buy a cheaper Dolis pair for DD that disintegrated within weeks. Ever since then, I've bought the big brands but only when there's a sale on and then I will buy two sizes at a time so she's never without. I've never parted with more than 40€ a pair but luckily DD doesn't care about brands and will wear anything you give her unless its pink.

Stand firm, money doesn't grow on trees and if he wants the big brands then he'll have to develop his bargain radar.

mine get them for Birthdays/Christmas (or occasionally as a treat if ex get a big cheque or I get some decent back dated expenses!)

This Christmas they have both had trainers (Superstars and yes god awful Hurraches) Adidas jackets, Top Shops sodding jeans - that alone comes to £130 + - then there is the make up...!

Teens cost lots!

I would normally say YABU, but then I saw that he wants Haurache and I couldn't agree more with you.