On the subject of children's shoes: Can someone PLEASE tell me why, in the depth of winters i can only get sodding mary jane style school shoes for dd??

[LucyEllensmadmummy]

Tried clarks, tried start rite - they are all practically sandals - if im out and about, i have on either trainers or boots this weather. Not my Mary Janes, my feet get cold!!

But i have to send DD to school in said shoes!! They wont allow boots and at the weekend i thought stuff it, im getting her boots, dare they say anything to me - but then i thought, no, i woudlnt want to have boots on all day

So no new shoes for DD this weekend

I just want a pair of shoes, that enclose my DDs feet - thats all, its not too much to ask, is it?

dd wears boots and changes when she gets there. she is only 4 and seems to manage it quite well. it also makes the school shoes last ooh at least a week longer!

same problem here for 2 winters in a row (plus I'm in wet Ireland). DD now has black sneakers from JJB sports, they look more like shoes than sneakers. They were very cheap and are a good quality brand. The only downside is that they are not particularly pretty!

it's because girls are delicate little things that shouldn't even be going out in winter.

I've spent years looking for decent winter school shoes. and have finally given up. mjs all year round now.

LEMM how about wellies? Easy to get on and off herself and then switch into shoes or pumps? We live on a very muddy dirt track road and it's either that or clean DD's shoes at school! All that said I'm sick of girls fashion shoes with no support, flashing lights and bloody DOLLS in the heels?

on a related subject, it is equally impossible to find plain black shoes/boots for a 5 or 6 yr old. They are all pretty colours, or black with added fancy bits (neither option allowed by school)

oh don't get me started.

needed to buy some fleeces/plain-ish jumpers for toddler dd before christmas as we were going up to Scotland (-15c) to see dss

could i find any little girls fleeces? could I buggery.

boys fleeces and jumpers everywhere, sensible warm boys trousers and lots of sensible boys shoes as well

but girls? t'shirts, namby pamby cardigans and bloody mary janes everywhere.

LouBossGaGa - I second the wellie suggestion.
My DCs go to a school where they are not allowed to wear outdoor shoes inside (apparently it's to protect the flooring ... ). So they have to keep plimsolls there to change into. In this recent weather we have been having to walk to school as our own dirt track is covered by a dirty great glacier and we can't cycle. The boys have been in wellies and it's been great. Just have to do the double-sock thing to keep their tootsies warm ...

Yeah and keep those 'will last 'til next winter' wellies on

Buy boys shoes? Far sturdier.

DD2 however is an absolute tomboy and would be overjoyed. DD1 would have rather lost a toe to frostbite. DS, well he could go either way at the moment .

We did wellies during the snow - but where i drop DD off at school is a tiny ante-chamber to the classroom, all the mums are gathered there faffing about getting coats on pegs etc - just too much hassle to change, plus don't think the school would appreciate it me blocking the corridor just to change DDs boots.

Im glad its not just me and DP being precious about it. DD school uniform policy is very strict. I don't want to send her in trainers as her feet will sweat, i want enclosed shoes - no laces either. ARRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH

OP, have you looked here?

I don't know what size your DD is, I just looked at 12 for examples, there are 3 styles of closed girls' shoes in black. 2 x Clarks and 1 Richter.

these clarks ones are nice its funny I have the opposite problem I can never find boys school sandels to where with shorts in the summer!

oh, thansk for that iheartdusty - there is a pair on there DD is 10.5. Will have a word with DP, just dubious because i can't try them on. Thats a good site - cheap too!

Did you ask Clarks or start-rite if you could look in their catalogue and order a pair? Both of our local stores do this very happily, and if you don't like them/don't fit when they turn up, there is no obligation to buy.

they did offer to order to be fair, but its a pain in the arse, because i dont drive so we can only do it weekends and believe me, my DD does NOT want to be shoe shopping at the weekend! lol girl after her mums heart - she HATES shopping

I have the same problem, but DD 11yo can't change shoes at school - she's at secondary, no boots allowed, she's in an adult size 4, can't do laces due to muscle problems, anyone got any suggestions? Can't do wellies, they don't fit in her locker .

I am so with you on this one. I have looked and looked. We aren't even uniform bound. We want pretty (but not pink overload) we want cool, we want covered (but not too hot or fleece lined) we want affordable!! Are you listening all you shoe manufacturers out there?!!!
(Don't ask for much, do I?

This time last year I hunted high and low (and wrote to complain to Clarks and Startrite) that the only shoes produced in my DD's size were black school shoes. As she wasn't even 4 I had no intention of buying school shoes (most of which had those ridiculous toys in the heel or were not suitable for climbing in...and they wonder why girls give up sport at a young age!?).

We went to John Lewis in the end and got her some funky robust ones which have been wondeful. Kickers are the other staple round here.

If your DD is at a state primary I don't think they can have grounds for banning boots if they are sturdy, practical and safe. Speak to a governor and demand to know who came up with such a ridiculous idea. Obviously knee-high stiletto boots wouldn't be overly safe but a pair of Kickersesque ankle boots (they do them with velcro!) would be fine.

The best pair of school shoes I ever got for DD came from Shoe Zone. Clarks et al rip her feet to shreds and leave her with horrible blisters and sores, so we went to SZ (price too tbh) and bought some. She had them for a half term before the summer holidays, and then when she changed schools in September, she wore them going back (her feet don't grow too fast thank god!). They were scuff free, the velcro still worked, they were absolutely fab.

I have replaced them only recently for some others and I have to say they are not as good quality as those SZ shoes she had. I think this is because I allowed her some leeway in the decision process. Next time, I am choosing and she will have the same again.

Loudlass, what about something like these?