To ask if these are acceptable to wear as school shoes?

[CovidIsADick]

My son has just been put into detention for the second day in a row for wearing the wrong shoes. He has been threatened with a fixed term exclusion too. Their uniform policy says if their shoes have laces they must be black and that they can’t be canvas. These look smart, they have black laces and they are leather. My DS has issues with his feet because of their shape and normal school shoes hurt him. We’ve tried so many different brands.

YANBU- these are acceptable as school shoes.

YABU- the school is right.

YANBU; school are being awkward

Why are schools so obsessed with uniform? Honestly, my son's school was like this. Unfortunately they didn't to spend anything like as much time fretting about the level of actual education!

While I accept that it's a positive influence on the school environment to look smart, these shoes look perfectly fine and will probably not get as scuffed as other shoes.

@NotMyselfWithoutCoffee

Why are they punishing the child though? In this instance surely the school should be writing to the parents, the child can't control what shoes the parents are buying for them.

That is a very good point

But - if there's a legitimate reason why he needs to wear these rather than more formal shoes then it's worth discussing with the school or at least making them aware?

Get a doctor's note.

They are clearly trainers and unsuitable as per the policy.

I do think uniform policies are nonsense, but you chose the school so you have to follow the rules.

In what world are those trainers?
There's no way you'd be doing sports in them. Perfectly fine as school shoes.

Look, uniform rules are idiotic and I think uniform should be abolished, but he clearly wants to wear Air Force Ones to school so he looks cool and you either want the same thing or you don't want to spend money on new shoes 😂 if it's really about the shape of his feet, you can get some orthopaedic shoes or you can have some orthotics made. And if you can afford black on black AF1s you can afford it.

he'd get away with it in my sons school but your sons school is obviously a lot stricter

They're fine imo, but it's not my opinion that counts though.

I know they wouldn't be acceptable at many schools round my way, as they are more like trainers. But they're not so very different from these

www.hushpuppies.co.uk/collections/kids-nonsale/products/shawn-senior-school-shoe-black?variant=39307128766579

which are marketed as school shoes.

I couldn't vote though, as imo all these rules around uniform are fucking ridiculous. Most schools have uniform regulations that I consider manifestly unreasonable!

Jordan's would definitely not be allowed in our secondary school, whatever colour they are. Branded shoes not allowed at all.

They’d be allowed at our secondary. Our new principal picks his battles and he considers plain ,comfortable black shoes to be acceptable even if they are trainers. I agree with him.

YABU. Tick = Nike = trainers. End of.

@EerieSilence

Were you trying to compare British school uniform to the caste system in India? Because there is no "cast" system... unless you're talking about something to do with theatre maybe?

And if you want to moan about class, then maybe think before you speak. A lot of schools don't allow branded trainers because they dont want some kids turning up in £100/200 trainers, when other kids' parents can only afford shoes from Asda. The rule is designed to try and equalize all the kids. Plain black shoes, not branded and often just "no trainers" to stop the difference in cost of shows being so obvious.

In this instance surely the school should be writing to the parents, the child can't control what shoes the parents are buying for them.

Rigggght. Because teenagers NEVER influence what their parents buy for them, nor express any demands about what they wear...

You'll need a written report from a podiatrist saying due to a foot condition/insoles your son needs to wear trainers. I write them all the time for kids I see in the NHS. Otherwise you'll have to buy new shoes that aren't trainers. I think schools are ridiculous now.

However, if you can get a medical letter regarding the issues with your son's feet then the school should allow your son to wear the shoes.

@bluerecruit

But those arent plain black trainers. Those are branded, expensive trainers. Which most schools want to keep out of the classroom to prevent bullying of kids who cannot afford them.

They're fine at both of my kids schools (one primary/one secondary) as they're all black.

My 15yo has had Nike Visions (which I thought these were tbh as they're so similar!) every year for £45 from Sports Direct so they're not any more expensive than cheap school shoes.

@LakieLady I see nonissue with those as well. Sadly kids aren’t always the nicest and £54 a lot less that’ll the Nike ones…but which do you think the kids will wear! I think that’s the issue the school would probably allow the unbranded ones but no kid will want to be seen in them for fear of bullies.

If it was up to me I'd say they were fine but it's up to the school so YABU.

Those would be classed as semi trainers and are specifically excluded in our school.
If it's a medical issue can you discuss it with them?

@TheWoleb - this is bollocks. You can do the same with "plain black shoes". You can buy them for over 200 pounds and they will scream expensive, hand-made etc. Or you can buy some really cheap. Same goes for trainers.
My daughter's ones are from TK Maxx and Primark - at the stage where her foot grows by the size every two months, I'd be damned if I buy her anything expensive.
You can get a very cheap pair of black trainers or Nike knock-offs or sale shoes so your argument is pretty much invalid.
And yes, I'm referring to the British class (or caste system at this stage, almost). It looks like it's going back to the good old Victorian times.

They are Nike trainers not shoes. School has to draw the line somewhere.

Of course YABU
They are trainers. But you knew that.