To send DD to year 7 in Mary Janes

[JulyBlue]

Are these shoes (below) acceptable for starting secondary school year 7?
DD has literally only just turned 11 years old a few weeks ago. She's so young still. And she loves these shoes for their comfort and she likes the style.
But will she get comments about them being babyish??
She has tried on 10 different pairs of school shoes - flat brogues, chunky brogues, chunky T bars, patent chunky T bars, DMs, boys smart trainer style school shoes and loafers.....and there has been something wrong with all of them - too stiff, too hard leather, too heavy, too narrow at the toes, rubbing at heels or rubbing below ankles, too uncomfortable....every pair, all 10 pairs. And these are all from retailers such as Clarks, Startrite, Next, M&S, DM, Schuh.
Then she put these on and they fit like a glove. They are soft, supportive, instantly ultra comfortable......she said "Ah mummy, these are perfect!".
BUT, she's also desperate to fit in with the other girls at her new secondary school and also doesn't want to be seen to be babyish in her style.
Who knew buying secondary school shoes was such a minefield!
Are these OK, or too young for year 7?
I hate even asking this question! If she'd been born a few weeks later she'd have been starting year 6 next week, not year 7, and I wouldn't even be questioning shoe style!

https://www.startriteshoes.com/products/samba-black-leather-girls-riptape-school-shoes?gl=165qkkhupMQ.._gs*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn8XFBhCxARIsAMyH8Bun2_uMW-dpGRWcr6jSt1IwQz7QKgeD2N8Lxcg1R33vkzXVnID9qzIaAoVLEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAAD7OCwCjV8g5116EIZCB6-hd1b2sF

Mine just wear the same ones.

They’d be unheard of at our school.
The girls wear these or the M&S version
https://www.kickers.co.uk/youth-womens-tovni-lacer-leather-alternative-patent-leather-black/13891569.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paidsearch&utm_campaign=feed&affil=thggps&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&variation=13891768&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=UK+-+Kickers+-+Pmax+-+BTS&utm_term=&utm_content=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20316363105&gbraid=0AAAAADiNwZXY_gxYIUmskQcKTfcOo80Ci&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrKy5346yjwMVB5hQBh3jiQutEAQYDCABEgKLQfD_BwE

You're making yourself look a bit thick.

@ItsHellOrHighwater was just answering the OP's question and it is very clear to anyone with a small amount of reading comprehension that she absolutely doesn't support the culture around wearing the right shoes.

Agree with this…I don’t think anybody wears ‘proper’ shoes in our school.

I prefer it - Nikes definitely last longer.

DD loves those kickers shoes you've linked, we looked at them.
Ticked all the right boxes for me, too.
And then I checked the school email about uniform policy and Kickers shoes are used as an example of banned footwear.

The email I've received about uniform says No to Kickers. No to logos. No to labels. No to any brand name being visible on the shoe.
I had previously examined these shoes you've linked to see if I could carefully cut the Kickers tag off of the outside, where it's sewn on by the laces. Then I saw that 'Kickers' is stamped in to the leather on the outside of the shoe, which is banned by the school.

That was my first thought too!

That’s really annoying. And silly really - the school my child is going to is rated one of the best top 5 state schools in England. Smart black trainers are fine. Clearly doesn’t effect their results 🤣

My DD goes to a good state comp and they all wear Nike Air Force 1s in plain black. I don’t think they’re very smart but they’re allowed so that’s what they do - a child in Mary Janes might feel that they stick out. Check the norm at the school before you buy

This post has reminded me of being bought t-bar Mary Jane's for year 6 and crying bitterly at being made to wear baby shoes. I was absolutely distraught 🤣

I actually think the pair she's picked are quite smart, and if she's comfortable then so much the better. I'm sure they won't even be noticed with dark socks

I teach secondary- those shoes will be absolutely fine. I see lots of girls in similar styles.

I hope she enjoys starting her new school!

DD's new school bans any type of shoe that is a sports shoe and it bans black Nikes, black Adidas, and any other shoe with a brand, logo, or anything at all that identifies the shoe as having a brand.
I have received an email which categorically states:
No black Nikes
No black Adidas
No black Skechers
No black Kickers
No black Vans
Etc.
It shows images of all these shoes, including ones with a black Nike tick or black Adidas stripes against a plain black shoe, and has an oversized big red cross against them all.
You say nobody wears proper school shoes at your school, but only proper school shoes are allowed at DD's new school.
It's very much knee length tartan kilt, blazer, shirt, tie, plain black smart socks, and 'proper' school shoes.

Ah a secondary school teacher! Thank you. Even with these velcro straps in secondary?

Please see my reply just above at 10:11am to @CissOff

I agree. It is incredibly annoying. It's beyond silly.
And it makes no sense.
Like, why?
What's the reason?
As I said in a previous post, the main focus of a school should be on attendance, behaviour, having positive values and instilling a positive attitude to learning.
Not footwear.

Baffled that so many schools allow a) trainers b) brands.

At every school in our area you cannot wear anything branded whatsoever and nothing remotely like trainers. Its extremely effective in removing issues over who has the "right"shoes - the girls all wear either brogues or mary janes (dms not allowed) the boys either plain black lace ups or loafers.

What's the reason

Its to remove competition over who has the "right" nike air force etc (those brands include very expensive styles). Its much easier to inclusive and remove fashion choices if you only allow boring smart black leather shoes. It becomes something that is not an issue and all the kids look tidy.

From what you've said about your Dds new school I think she'll be fine in those.

I went to a proper school shoes school. I have small feet. I had velcro school shoes in years 7-8 and maybe yr9 I think because I had outgrown buckles and as a dyspraxic I didn't want pesky laces! I was definitely unusual but it was fine. I certainly never got bullied or teased for them. I eventually got a pair of penny loafer type shoes from Clarks- they were very comfy. Maybe your Dd will find these more to her liking in a year or two.

Most children learn how to adapt their speech to their audience. Mine call me ‘mumma’ at home but wouldn’t call me that around their friends.

OP I can’t see an issue with those shoes. My DD is just about to start at a ‘hard no to any trainers/brands etc’ type of school (and they definitely enforce it). She nearly went for a Mary Jane style but in the end decided on lace up brogues. However when we looked round the school I looked at what the girls were wearing and there were a fair few in the Mary Jane style.

My dd’s school has same uniform policy as yours op. She was in y7 last year and had these. (Velcro Mary Jane’s similar to yours but slimmer with a patent tip). She’s very fashion conscious and never even mentioned her shoes, wore these all year. Having said that, she doesn’t have a lot of choice at a narrow size 8 which excludes the majority of brands.

this year she’s gone for these.

Ahaha those were pretty much the exact ones I had when I started secondary school. Grew out of them by the second term and my mum was raging, it was cheap trainers from then on.

She will be fine, they’re similar to what I’ve seen my DNs and their pals in. Good luck to her at secondary school!!

Do they show the same thinking with coats/backpacks or PE trainers? Our school banned the school shoes but kids still had the Nike backpack and Northface coat!

I'm also a secondary school teacher and our uniform sounds very like your daughter's - black blazer, black and white kilt with black socks or tights, or tailored black trousers - not leggings or jeans, black shoes that have to be able to be polished (ie leather not trainers or suede). We also have the no visible brand rule. The idea is that we are in a professional setting and that dressing smartly shows respect. The no-brand/ trainers rule means there is no competition about who has the newest, most expensive Nikes or whatever. We also have spare shoes at student services so if anyone is wearing trainers they have to borrow a pair. As teachers we are also not allowed to wear trainers and are expected to dress professionally.
Her shoes are absolutely fine and in my school lots of Y7 and 8 will be wearing them. I hope she enjoys secondary school.

Precisely.
Obviously DD doesn't say to her friends "My mummy". She says "My mum" when referring about me to others.
But when she addresses me directly, she calls me mummy.
Must admit I raised an eyebrow at the responses here picking up on her addressing me as mummy and critising it. A thread about school shoes and there are grown women who zoom in on what a child called me as part of her sentence - a child who was still 10 years old 3 weeks ago - and decide to post here to highlight it in a critical way.
Role modelling at its worst.

She likes them - cling to that fact!

I had 3 DDs and finding school shoes they liked was an annual nightmare!

Buy them right now!