To think boots are shoes

[crazybutterflylady]

I have two daughters, 7&5. Both seem to wreck their school shoes so quickly. I bought them each a pair of smart black chelsea boots for the winter for school, in the last week of term.

DD1’s teacher told her she couldn’t wear them so DH emailed the head to ask why and ask that if there was an issue they speak to us, since we buy their clothes. The head said boots are not uniform, since the policy says shoes. DH replied that he will ask the governors to consider amending the policy to particularly specify boots and in the meantime the children will wear them since we have already bought and used them.

DD1 came home in tears today because her teacher made her change into her (white and pink) trainers and everyone heard the teacher tell her off.

AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

YANBU because surely in January smart black ankle boots make so much more sense than shoe-shoes?

Uniform is uniform, and if you include boots, you get all sorts of ridiculous and impractical variations, most not very smart.

Boots are not shoes. 99% of schools do not allow boots unless for medical reasons.

Sounds like a silly rule

Having said that, boots are boots and definitely not shoes

This sort of thing makes me cross! Boots are not shoes, they are boots. You read the uniform policy and decided to ignore it and now your DC is paying for it. Don't kick up a fuss, just go and buy the right shoes.
If you don't like uniforms then send your DC to a school without one!

My DC's school sent us a photo of the shoes they meant. DD, who's a size 5.5, seems to have got away with lace up brogues. I can't find anything else in her size.

Boots aren't shoes. I would think this is quite a normal rule. But girls' shoes are often rubbish for winter, with thin soles and straps, so I can see the appeal of boots. Could they wear trousers so the boots are hidden?

Boots are boots, shoes are shoes.

What does the wording of the uniform say specifically?

I thought primary schools couldn’t enforce uniform rules?
Our schools have are absolutely fine with shoes or boots and actually insist that during winter weather they’re not bothered what ‘bottoms’ kids wear as long as they’re warm and comfy.
This is a very highly rated school that values common sense and children’s comfort (which they realise helps with learning) over arbitrary rules.

My DC walk to school in all weathers. I'd absolutely love them to be allowed to wear boots.

Wow, strong reaction! Good to know IABU, that’s what this place is for after all.

My thoughts were: they’re smart, they’re practical and they’re not causing harm. I’ve defijitely seen boys in boots but they’re obviously under trousers.

Off to John Lewis I go!

Can’t they wear the boots to and from school and then change there? We used to do that when the weather was bad, you wouldn’t want to be in snow boots all day(realise Chelsea boots are not the same)

A teacher told me that one reason her school didn’t allow boots was because of a child decided to kick another child if they were wearing boots they did more damage. That was a school in a nice area too.

DS' (6) school uniform policy specifies 'black shoes or plain black trainers (no logos)'. He wears black Chelsea boots and it has never even occurred to me they might not comply. Hasn't been a problem for his school.

This is everything that is stupid about school uniform - punishing the child who doesn't get to choose their own clothes anyway, and focusing on something ridiculous instead of learning. Boots are no less comfortable or smart than shoes - there are comfortable or not, smart or not, versions of both.

Your DH is right - if you think the rule is stupid then you should go through proper channels to get it changed.
In the meantime, I'm assuming your DC have been at the school for some time, so you would have been aware that uniform rules are strictly enforced, and shouldn't have bought the boots. Why not let the DC wear them out of school?

Yes, Nell I agree. Interestingly the same DD is being persistently called fat by 2 boys in her class but this doesn’t merit any conversation apparently. The term fucked up springs to mind.

Threads like this make me so grateful my DD’s school is sensible when it comes to this sort of thing. They prefer black sensible school shoes but don’t complain about boots or wellies in the winter as a lot of children walk to school. They also have an indoor shoe policy anyway so the children change into gym shoes in the morning, after playtime and after lunch. I would absolutely be challenging a school that wouldn’t allow boots in winter. Even if they need to specify only black ankle length boots allowed then fine. We live in the U.K., lots of us get rain for most of the winter, lots of us don’t have the luxury of a car in the morning to do a school run so we need to walk in above mentioned rain. Why should we be expecting kids to either get wet feet or carry a spare pair of shoes in a bag so the can change out of practical, weather appropriate footware into flimsy shoes for the sake of looking nice? I would never dream of walking around in flimsy half open shoes when it’s raining heavily outside. I would have boots on. Even when I worked in a smart business dress office I would have on boots in the winter and I still looked smart, appropriately dressed and didn’t die of having ‘too hot’ feet - not mentioned yet but it’s a MN favourite when this topic appears.

(Usual replies on MN to this topic are - it’s too hot in school with boots, they can’t sit on the carpet properly, they will get sweaty feet, can’t they just walk to school in wellies and change when you get in school, it’s your fault for not making your girls pick boys school shoes in the first place, should have got them brouges as that’s what all the teenagers do where I live, you knew the rule when signed up for the school, if you allow some boots then they will all appear in uggs. etc)

Boots are not shoes, they're boots.

If you have seen boys wearing boots under their trousers the chances are the teachers aren't that fussed either, but girls who are wearing them over tights, or whose dad's have decided to go to the headteacher and state they are going to ignore the rule, are a lot harder to turn a blind eye to, teachers don't make uniform rules.

The teacher didn't make DD change before Christmas, you've then had the holidays to find something else, that's a lot more reasonable than a lot of schools, your DH has then gone in with ' if there was an issue they speak to us, since we buy their clothes' which will have instantly started the conversation off on the wrong note, he's then flat out told the head your DD's are wearing them because you've bought them and disagree with the rule, what did you expect to happen?

Yes and trousers are shorts. Jumpers are t-shirts. Socks are tights. A tracksuit is a suit

This is fun

It's a fairly common rule, but your dh's way of approaching the school certainly won't have helped your case.

No idea why everyone is so up their own arses about rules 🙄 if I read black shoes I would assume that's shoes or boots, basically not trainers.

Although judging by the response by some posters on here it's opening the doors to all sorts, let boots in? Next it will be flip flops, next thing you know it will be heroin in the halls!!

seriously, some people need to untwist their knickers. These kids are FIVE and SEVEN! We are stakeholders in the school. I don’t understand why some people feel we can’t challenge something if we don’t agree. But I suppose the world needs a proportion of yes-men.

Anyway. I have written a note saying I’ve ordered her some alternative shoes and that in future issues concerning attire should be addressed to me as the buyer of garments and not my 7yo child who now feels humiliated. Hopefully world order will now be restored.

Sounds like school did let you know when the head emailed your husband to say they were not part of the schools uniform but you then decided that rules dont apply to you and you can do what you like. If you had abided by the rules them they wouldn't have had to talk to your daughter.

DD walked to school in snow & rain; of course she wore boots, from yr2-5 tbh. Very expensive waterproof £70 ones one year.

These pathetic style conv. girl shoes were useless in bad weather!!
MNers used to often recommend Kickers but DD hated them.

I definitely agree that it is horrible to punish kids for their parents' uniform choices.

I used to send my girls in little Clarks ankle boots; far more sensible for walking to school and running round the playground than dolly shoes or wellies. Fortunately our school was fairly sensible about uniform.