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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Four pairs of shoes per child a little excessive?

19 replies

EndoplasmicReticulum · 30/08/2011 15:28

Mine need:

Black school shoes
"Indoor shoes" - they take the black school shoes off in the cloakroom then wear pumps or slippers for most of the day.
Black PE pumps for indoor PE
Trainers for outdoor PE

I have two boys, have just bought 8 pairs of shoes! Admit that the pumps / indoor shoes are only a few pounds, but could they not double up some of the uses of these e.g. wear PE pumps as indoor shoes? In a small cloakroom with a class of 30 children must just be shoes everywhere......

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TeamDamon · 30/08/2011 15:31

I have stopped buying the black indoor pumps after having to give a brand-new, never worn pair to the charity shop - DS apparently always did indoor PE barefoot or in his outdoor trainers

Have never encountered 'indoor shoes' for school, thank God!

But have still just bought four pairs of new shoes: school shoes, school trainers, home shoes and football boots. Sigh...

DeWe · 30/08/2011 15:33

Be thankful they don't do dancing. My girls have four pairs of dancing shoes each (ballet, character, tap and jazz). Despite 3 years between them they take the same size so I can't even comfort myself it'll get two uses.

Tonksforthememories · 30/08/2011 15:37

Also never heard of 'indoor shoes', does your school have particularly expensive carpets or something?

Still have to get 3 pairs each for school, plus sandals, trainers, and party shoes for home. I'm broke! :(

mrz · 30/08/2011 15:37

Madness!

IndigoBell · 30/08/2011 15:39

This is a private school, right?

montymum · 30/08/2011 16:00

Indoor shoes always seemed ridiculous to me- parents spend money o proper fitting school shoes only for them to spend the whole day in ill fitted indoor shoes- madness!!

Saracen · 30/08/2011 16:10

My dd's school (state school) specified the same. I refused to buy the "black school shoes". Whatever is the point, if they are going to be wearing their "indoor shoes" for the entire day? My dd arrived and left either in scruffy old trainers or wellies depending on the weather.

I could absolutely see the point of the indoor shoes, as it was a rural school and everyone often arrived muddy. The school playing fields were muddy too. In fact, I was delighted at the idea of these "indoor shoes" because cheap plimsolls would do, and my dd was able to find some which were very comfortable - I'm sure it would have been a huge job to find good school shoes that she would wear.

I grumbled about the trainers because they weren't on the uniform list and we only found out what was wanted when the PE teacher said dd's cheap trainers wouldn't do and she needed "proper supportive leather trainers". But I did buy them at first. I found some Adidas ones in the Sports Direct sale for £12. They disintegrated by November and then I didn't replace them.

The head was fine with it when I told him we couldn't afford all the shoes requested, which was true: we were on a much lower income than most parents at that school. Headteachers are supposed to be sensitive to families' financial situations and I'm sure nearly all of them are. However, I think even if we hadn't been hard up, I still would have used the line "we can't afford it". (Can't afford it because we're saving for a second Maserati... )

acebaby · 30/08/2011 16:33

once you figure out what they don't wear, just send in the outgrown ones so you don't get notes. My Mum used to do this, and I ended up (age 16 with average adult sized feet) with junior size 12 indoor school shoes

Ladymuck · 30/08/2011 17:10

How come they don't need football/rugby boots? Surely they can't being doing those in trainers?

Hulababy · 30/08/2011 17:14

If they have indoor shoes for school then surely they should be allowed what they want to get to and from school?

Also pumps for classroom should be fine to wear for indoor PE as well imo.

DD has to have school shoes (black, sensible, not slip on, no heels) and school trainers (any style but suitable for outdoor games). They used to have plimsolls too but never wear them so i don't even buy now.

Mind you, if I added up what she has for out of school.....

mrz · 30/08/2011 17:17

It depends on the age of the children usually junior age children need football/rugby boots and no trainers in the winter

AgonyBeetle · 30/08/2011 17:26

Just wait until you have a pre-teen/teen boy who is into sport and outdoory stuff. Every time he goes up a shoe size the list goes:

School shoes
Non-school shoes
School trainers
Running trainers
Running spikes
Rugby boots (with proper screw-in studs)
Walking boots

£200 minimum (you can get this down by buying/selling the stuff on ebay, but it's a giant faff).

defineme · 30/08/2011 17:32

sports direct is your friend for football boots, rugby boots, trainers and so on. never paid more than £10 and sometimes £5.

However, I have just spent £108 in Clarks for my kids cos they all have G or H width feet -3 pairs of shoes and ds1's cost more than I'd pay. I was really hoping 1 out of 3 wouldn't have grown!

I am considering the long drive to lto the outlet shop next time.

TeamDamon · 30/08/2011 17:46

Love the sniffy and completely irrelevant 'this is a private school, right?'

Some posters just can't resist any opportunity for a dig, no matter how slim.

newlark · 30/08/2011 17:48

Dd is going to a state primary and has to have black school shoes for getting to school/indoors, trainers or wellies for playing outside at break/lunchtime as the grounds can be muddy and black plimsolls for pe. I got Tesco trainers and very cheap plimsolls so the only significant cost was the black shoes. I agree it seems mad to insist on black school shoes if they aren't going to wear them at school - I suppose they might need them for more formal occasions though like assemblies/concerts?

IndigoBell · 30/08/2011 17:56

Not a dig - I'm just amazed.

We only have to have black school shoes and plimsoles, and I'd never heard before of a state school needing 4 pairs.

But now I have.

I'd be well and truly cross if my school asked for anything else. But there wouldn't be much I could do about it I s'pose......

I know the secondary schools require ridiculous amounts of shoes. And I'm already preparing myself for that fun next year.....

Original poster

EndoplasmicReticulum · 30/08/2011 19:14

IndigoBell - no, not a private school, a small village state primary. They are precious about their carpets!

They don't do football yet as are going into yr 2 and yr 1.

It does seem silly shelling out lots of money for the properly fitted black school shoes that are only worn to/ from school and at playtimes, during the day they wander around in "indoor shoes" or fluffy slippers.

OP posts:

sugartongue · 31/08/2011 13:14

We have a similar list at DC's school (with rugby/football boots added) but I put them in plimsoles for indoor shoes so these double up for indoor PE, no one had ever noticed. Can't get away with no black school shoes because they get arsey about them looking smart while they're travelling to school and identifiable in their uniform...sigh

spiderpig8 · 31/08/2011 16:49

I think this is the norm-you can double up pumps for your indoor shoes though

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