To think "no sportswear or flipflops" means ...

[sentamental]

... no trainers?

DH booked the four of us into a relatively upmarket restaurant to celebrate a big birthday. I think our 2 teenage sons, who normally live in trainers, may need to wear their school shoes, but DH disagrees. Aibu?

I think it best to err on the side of caution. If they are unhappy about it I would suggest that their school shoes are taken with you in a bag so if necessary they can change. Better than the whole evening bring ruined if you are right

ring and ask

Call the restaurant and check? Lots of people wear trainers now as sort of smart/casual so they might get away with it, but there's no way to tell without asking them.

No, they'll be fine. If they turned away every woman who turned up in white trainers and a dress, they'd have no customers left.

I called a restaurant with the same dress code (maybe the same one?) recently to enquire and they said sportswear meant no hoodies, tracksuit bottoms etc ... trainers were okay.

I suspect trainers will be fine nowadays.
People wear trainers with suits and with dresses.

However, as pp said, why not either (or even better, both) give them a ring to check directly as it doesn't matter if 100% of us thought one thing, if the particular person working that night at that restaurant thinks another) , and polish up the school shoes and put them in the car so the option is there rather than not being allowed in once they get there ?

I would call and check.

You’ll probably be alright, but if unsure err on the side of smarter. Please don’t be that person who ends up in the local newspaper all indignant at being turned away in their hoody and trainers.

I would err on the side of caution and either ring restaurant or not wear trainers.
I have seen some places turn people away for wearing trainers, so would agree with your assessment of the rule, but a quick phonecall would clarify things and stop disagreement .

Trainers should be fine. No sports wear imo refers to football shirts, sports shorts, Adidas three stripe joggers etc. Trainers are the normal show now and even worn at oscars

I think trainers will be fine. Adidas bottoms and a hoodie will not.

I think smart trainers and a shirt would be fine. School shoes when not with school clothes usually look awful.

I'd take the dress code to mean no joggers or hoodies or heavens forbid football shirts.

My guess is that the dress code is there as a “get out of jail free card” for the restaurant if they get rowdy groups of late teen-early twenties lads who have already had a skinful - they can just say they’re not coming in because of what they’ve wearing but, as a (presumably!) well-behaved family group you’ll be fine.

As they are two minors, otherwise smartly dressed and with their parents, I imagine they will be fine but as PP say, ring and check.
Hope you have a really lovely family evening together.

School shoes look fine with ordinary clothing if it’s modest and sensible. Most of my friends and I wore them for all high crimes and misdemeanors.