So are these school shoes or trainers

[Shoesortrainers]

School have published their amended policy from Sept. This style is showed as unacceptable as they apparently trainers.

Er no they are school shoes and they
are the ONLY ones that fit my wide footed , high instep child. Believe me we’ve tried and tried over the years. They are just like me unfortunately. Plus sensory issues too.

School shoes must also be black and of polishable leather (they are!)

School refusing to budge. In fact the teacher dealing with uniform is being very rude and obstructive.

So Mumsnet are these shoes or trainers.

They are shoes and my DS also has wide feet with a high instep which will only fit into that type of shoe!

This ... and TBF the style bought are right there in the images as those which are considered unacceptable

About the comfort though - you can get formal slip-on type shoes and I wonder if that would help?

OP I wouldn’t make a drama of this. I would simply say I’m sorry, I thought these met the standard, and DD will be wearing them until they need replacing, and I’ll try to find something different next time. End of story.
Any more crap then approach the governors.

I wouldn't consider those as trainers at all. They're leather. Hardly the type of shoe you'd be able to run a 5k in. I should think those are fine. Is it the Velcro you're concerned about?

So glad my DDs are older and we’re over all this bullshit ….. used to get approx 6 emails a week for a supposed breach of uniform.

tiny black secret socks worn with tights in the winter as it was snowing and bloody freezing …. teacher had to get down onto the floor to even spot them and made her take them off.

girls could wear trousers but would then have to wear a buttoned up shirt and a tie … if they wore a skirt then they’d need an open necked shirt, no tie. God forbid you mixed this up … the teacher would implode.

email home in may of year 11 to complain that DD’s skirt is too short and could we buy another …..my reply was that she’s had a growth spurt and she leaves school in a month so no I won’t be paying £70 for a new skirt/kilt.

Absolute bollocks.

Yes but they wear wellies or walking boots in the winter for the walk to school and change at school, same as you would do walking to work.

They're not calling them trainers.

The OP has posted the schools' guidance and all they're saying is they're not an appropriate style of shoe. The word trainer doesn't even come up.

These all come in wide fit and might be suitable:

https://www.clarks.co.uk/c/Loxham-Pace-Youth/p/26151592

https://www.clarks.co.uk/c/Scala-Lace-Youth/p/26142825

https://www.clarks.co.uk/c/Orinoco-2-Limit/p/26163621

Where are they storing these wellies or walking boots?

They don't wear wellies FFS where would they put them once at school. They would literally have to cart them from one classroom to another alongside everything else all day. It's not at all comparable to wearing wellies to work where you can then leave them under your desk or with your stuff in a locker.

It's not unreasonable to expect girls to be allowed to wear suitable footwear to school which will fit properly and prevent their feet getting wet.

They are clearly trainers. Girls certainly roiling be allowed them at DS’s school in any event.

I just can’t understand why so many parents are intent on undermining schools. Schools have to be so strict because parents like you take a mile when given an inch.

DS’s headteacher is very clear that parents who don’t like the rules can go elsewhere.

So this school footwear nonsense still exists today. I had the same problem when my youngest (now 28) was at school. He had to have ALL black trainers for PE without any logo or branding, it was impossible they didn’t exist. I just bought Nike and used permanent marker on the tick. These are definitely shoes, they are described as such. I think you need a face to face meeting with the head teacher.

By their definition the rejected styles have no defined heel, but then one of their accepted examples lower left doesn't either.

I personally find the shoes that are acceptable ridiculous. High school children should be encouraged to be active. How are they supposed to do that wearing unsupportive (flimsy for the girls) shoes. At our high school you are allowed all black trainers.

Totally agree.

I loathed all the right trousers right shoes crap at school. As long as they're the right colour and smart so want.

Teachers please just concern yourself with teaching kids and tell your head to stop fannying on with this utter nonsense.

@WibblyWobblyLane yes I’m becoming hard work. Mostly because the school have failed my older child repeatedly through lack of support and incompetence and short of a Time Machine they can’t change that.

I did dutiful trusting obedient parent back then and they trampled all over that with lies and incompetence. There are no other schools locally that aren’t under the same management so can’t escape them. However im not tolerating more of the same batshit this time around.

Should I really be spending the summer travelling around trying a million different men’s shoes as well as visiting an out of county uniform supplier to meet their crazy demands….

Yes I was rude to him but only after rudeness and sneary attitude from him. I tried humour first though. He didn’t understand that.

Shoes obviously! My DS has this exact pair.

@Shoesortrainers Also, mens G fit might just be wide enough, the last (base unit shape) that they're made in is naturally wider than a ladies last.

Further mens styles to investigate - Craft North Lo slip on, gorgeous shoe and currently half price in sale.

Also, if you're in store and order through them, ask if they'll do a goodwill discount for for equivalent of the vat given that you're having to buy an adult shoe for a child. In our store we'll nearly always do 15% off full price if you ask nicely!

They are clearly trainers.

@SummerDuck Would you run a marathon in these shoes? They're not acceptable according to the school, but there's no way these would be described as trainers.

The school is wrong. The shoes are school shoes from a reputable manufacturer. Ask the school for their list of shoes they consider to be school shoes and that are correctly made to fit your son. They can’t do better than Clarks.

Exactly.

I'm horrified by the school's absolutely bonkers approach. I know this isn't an isolated incident either.

I'm in Ireland, with secondary-going DC. Of course there is a uniform policy & sometimes it's challenging in terms of what the students actually want to wear, for practical reasons. But it's broadly sensible & reasonable.

For school shoes, they must be fully black including soles, but trainers are allowed. It's helpful as the students (boys and girls) like to play sports / kick around a ball at lunchtime & it's just not possible wearing 'proper' shoes.

I'd be so disappointed with a school that has a narrow & batshit vision like OP's.

And yet Scottish schools don't have problems with attainment or behaviour with much more relaxed uniform policies. Most French schools don't have uniforms at all. It's as if uniforms have nothing to do with how well the kids learn.

Shoes! They are in no way trainers.

It should not be the teachers business what shoes kids wear as long as smart and the correct colour.

Honestly, ours used to line the girls up to check skirt length. It was ridiculous. Just teach them the curriculum not this archaic sexist crap.

Shoes