To buy high street shoes for school? Thoughts welcome

[CableCar]

AIBU to consider getting cheaper high street school shoes this year, because of the cost at specialist shoe shops (e.g. Clarks)? Or is it best to have decent width fitted shoes that will last?

Supermarket shoes last just as well.

I have never had foot issues and I always wore Clarks as a child, but DH wore cheap shoes / hand me downs and he has lots of foot issues! I always wondered if it was a coincidence or if it's actually due to our foot health when we grew up?

We get Kickers from Amazon Wardrobe where you just order a few pairs and they try them on without being charged and send those you don't want back. DS had huge wide feet and played football constantly and they lasted as long as I dried them out of wet and polished them once a week. DD also has Kickers the Mary Jane Velcro ones and they last most of the year unless she grows out of them. They sort of have a sole which over hangs a bit so she can't scrape the toes.

It's not because you had Clarks it's more likely because he didn't have shoes the correct size and wore second hand shoes that had moulded to someone else's feet.

As long as the shoes are the correct size it wouldn't impact on the growth of feet. Obviously barefoot style shoes are better because they don't squash the toes and are more flexible etc but having new correct sized shoes is the most important part.

For me the issue with my son was getting shoes wide enough and at one point Clarks didn't do them and neither did Startrite. I was directed to a specialist shop that stocked German shoes, apparently his feet were ideal for a German. Eventually after a growth spurt his feet were a bit more in proportion and he just needed wide fitting and his feet changed nationality!