It's a school shoe spot the difference thread!

[TheUnstoppableWindmill]

Can you work out which of these shoes is NOT an acceptable school shoe for a policy which states that students must wear black shoes of polishable leather in a non-trainer style?

I've got a year 7 child just starting secondary school. We were encouraged to email the Head of Year to check that shoes are acceptable under the school policy if we had any doubts. Thanks to a helpful Mumsnet thread I sent a handful of pictures in the style that I know if comfortable for my son. I was told these were "all perfect."

The ones I bought have now been rejected. I genuinely can't tell the difference.

So, AIBU to think that if 3 out of 4 of these shoes are perfect, then they should all be acceptable?
And can you guess which ones are too "trainer-like"?!

I'd also say the Hush Puppies

I agree with others the hush puppies look most trainer like but none of these would be acceptable at our state secondary school. All would have been ok for primary.

Sorry OP; all of those look like they fit policy but are absolutely hideous 😂 surely by secondary school Velcro on shoes is embarrassing for your son?!

I think they rejected the "Engineer" shoes. The sole is different to all the others, much more trainer like.

The hush puppies because my son had similar shaped shoes but another brand and they were not acceptable apparently

Another vote for the hush puppies - they definitely look more trainer like to me. Although the whole policy sounds annoying and ridiculous!

Going against the grain of most pp, I thjnk it's thd Start rite ones as they have the big bendy trainers sole.

Tbh the school needs to be clearer. If all "good" examples were lace up, why were the op's suggestions of velcro ones ok?

I agree btw schools need to take on board the fact that so few offices insist on suits or even ties any more.

I would say hush puppies as they look as if they have a non leather part across the toe area?

As a former secondary school teacher, I’ve tied enough laces in my time to know that loads of kids can’t do it (or have SEN) and would have been miles better in Velcro. You don’t know the situation with the child.

In terms of why velcro my son is on the autistic spectrum with poor motor skills and toe-walking so we're still at velcro and focus on foot support. I assume the school allows velcro to avoid discrimination.

Sorry OP, I didn't realise. Was just thinking back to my secondary school days 10-ish years ago where other kids would have definitely had something to say about the Velcro. We wore slip-on brogues or kickers 🙈

I think the Clark’s one looks the most trainer-like.

The different panels of leather on top look more like trainers

Schools have gone mad it should be like Scotland much more relaxed polos and trousers with black plain trainers.
My DD went back in patent buckle kickers the exact same pair as the last two school years and I got a phone call.
I emailed head of year with photos from the last first back to school day with the shoes visible and isn’t it funny they backed down

Not all 11 year olds can do laces, my 10yo had ADHD and dyspraxia, his attempt at laces is literally holding them and wiggling his fingers. He wore joggers until year 4 because he couldn't do the clasp back up after a wee 🙈

Much more embarrassing for a high schooler to have to admit they can't tie their laces and have to ask someone to do it for them 😂

I'm dreading this issue next year, both local high schools are fussy wrt shoes

If office style is the goal then that makes a great argument why 6th form should be in smart office wear and younger years less strict. The reality is the opposite of course so we all know it's about

a/ control and

b/ school pride.

The head worries about what the school brand projects to the outside world as the students walk to school (never mind the school girl I saw in the week heading to school with her skirt hemline up to her crotch, toking on a vape at 930 🙄🙄. At least her shoes were not trainer like)

I am very grateful for all of the opinions- thank you! It is the Hush Puppies that I bought, so I am climbing down from my outrage a little.
I am glad that some people thought that the Clarks and Startrite were more trainer-like though, as that was what I thought. My logic when I bought them was 'these must be fine because surely these are less like trainers than the Clarks ones'. I thought they were basically identical to the Next ones except with 2 straps rather than 1. I clearly don't pay enough attention to the nuance of footwear to notice these subtle differences!

Thank you all!

Use self fastening laces from Amazon. Very cheap but fit on shoes and trainers alike

I'll have to have a look at the options again, we tried some elastic ones a few years ago but they had a big toggle and then a loop of elastic which looked much less smart than velcro!

My dgs just had summer with us and I got him to practice tying laces every day for 2 weeks.
Hes 11 and very pleased with himself that he can now tie his laces.

Have a look at school policy regarding children with additional needs/ characteristics covered by disability act to ensure school is following them and is compliant with the act!

The last one.

I’d say the soles on the hush puppies make them look more trainer like, but that is being really picky.

And if motor skills are an issue look at locklaces or easylace silicon laces

I wouldn't have got any of these at all to be honest. We got lace up ones from day 1 to avoid any problems

He is getting the hang of laces but not reliably, and given how hard everything else is in the transition to secondary I really wanted to minimise the stress in any way I could. We're working towards laces for y8.
On the helpful mumsnet school shoe thread there was also a good discussion of velcro vs laces in year 7.