DD's feet are too small for school!

[AuntieBulgaria]

DD starts school in Sept. I took a quick look at school shoes (i know, i know, pfb and all that).

All the school styles start at size 9. She's just gone into a clarks' 8.5 E, having been an 8 for an age. In another shoe shop with a startrite measure she was a 7.5!

Anyone recommend a shop for scuff proof shoes for smallish feet?

I would get on the phone & ring around (use eyp to find suitable shops). DD was no more than size 8 when she started school, too.

Primary schools should not be too fussy about "school" shoes (ie black) as long as they are sturdy comfortable shoes. DS had a brown pair at one point. Probably harder with a girl though as I guess all the non -school shoes are pink and flowery...

Having said that I'm sure start-rite have some styles in less than size 9 because we started at a smaller size than that - have you checked the website and a local decent stockist?

start rite

Don't buy now though, leave it to start of August if you can. More range by then and less chance of outgrowing.

brantano size 8 school shoes . Got a store near you?

Are you sure? They may have more getting toward September I suppose.

Dd1 was a 7 when she started (despite being autumn born and rather tall for her age) so I can't imagine it's unheard of.
Ds was 8 (just).

Neither of them had difficulty finding school shoes, either from Clerks or Startrite. Had more problems with dd2 who has large narrow feet so find the styles are often more gown up than either of us would like for her.

Another are you sure comment here. DS is in YR now and started with size 8.5 feet and we got Clarks school shoes no problem.

He had been 8.5 for ages. The week before half term I put his shoes on for him and thought they were tight, came out of Clarks that day with size 10.5........

My DD has been wearing clarks black school type shoes for the last 4 pairs we have bought her.....and she is only a 9e now.........

Ooh thanks, I hadn't done an extensive search just John Lewis and Charles Clinkard as i was there today but there is a Brantano near mum's so will try a bit later on.

Can't abide shopping let alone shoe shopping with DD in the school hols - when they found a size 8 pair in Charles Clinkard that had rubber fronts in the sale for £14 I thought we had cracked it, but the shoes gaped around the side and they were able to pull one off without undoing it.

DS was a 7 when he started school, is only a 9 now in Y2! We didn't have a lot of choice but we found a pair. Keep looking and good luck

Dd was also a 7 and finished yr6 an adult size 5! I remember how teeny tiny her feet were :-)

Yep, just checked Clarks web site, go to girl's, school shoes, they start from size 6. There are 9 styles in size 8.5.

Despite turnjng 5 in the week she starts, she's a bit little all round. Except in the noise department; i can currently hear her combining the National Anthem with an impression of Yoda and a complicated Moshi monsters' adventure. I should go and tell her again to go to sleep but it's quite funny.

You're all undoubtedly right that more will come in closer to Sept.

JL had Clarks and CC had Startrite and Hush Puppies but neither had stock smaller than a 9 (apart from the random sale pair) in today.

I'm keeping watch on this! Mine doesn't start for another year but is only a size 6 (only just) so has a year to go up 2/3 sizes! She's also v narrow and the Clarks man found her v hard to fit we were in there ages the other day for anything to just last the summer!

They might not be stocking them now, but check again in July.

Try an independent shoe shop maybe?

At a year old my DD had a pair of patent leather black shoes, made by Kickers, which would have been suitable as school shoes. They started from a size 2 - so there are definitely some companies who will have something.

you can order clarks shoes and get them delivered to the store to try on - you dont pay until they have been fitted in-store. As a pp said there are 9 styles in the right size on the clarks website

The shops will also be able to order the right sizes in - order 2 or 3 sizes if not sure and just buy the pair you need when they arrive.

DD2 was just a size 7 when she started school too, and I literally found one pair small enough to fit her that year. There'll definitely be more in the shops soon, but they won't stock a great quantity or variety of the littlest sizes, so don't leave it too late (ideally try and get it sorted before summer hols start, not least so you can avoid shoe shopping at the same time as dozens of other stressed parents!).

Erm, to add to your worries, do you need plimsolls as well? Even harder to find, any of the cheap ones were so wide that even the right size slipped right off her feet... Ended up having to fork out a tenner for some Doodles ones .

I bought DD a bargainous pair of size 7 black Clark's for £7 a couple of months ago. She starts school in September as well, am hoping these will do for her.

My point is that Clarks do make them that small!

I got black daps (plimsolls) in size 7 last week from M&S for only £2.50, FWIW.

clarks have all of these in an 8.5 E

you shouldn't have a problem

bum that link didn't work for some reason.

but if you click on 8.5 on the side, and then E for fit it should come up with 9 different pairs

We had a pair for dd2 in a size 8 (she will be 5 in July) they came from and independent and were by a company called Pedipead. They have been FAB! Begining to fa;; apart abit now but they come with an additional insole which can be taken out as the child grows to maximise the shoes life.
Find and independent honestly it's the best thing I ever did in regard to school shoes.

PS IMHO avoid clarks like the plague.

Our school have no preference over colour / style as long as they are shoes.

If you ever find a scuff proof pair of shoes, I'd love to know... such a thing doesn't exist ime :)

DS was an 8.5 this time of year but just a 9 when he started in the September so you may find her feet grow.

If not startrite shoes are great and often find these in independent shops. I found DS scuffed anyway in year R because when sitting on the chair he would hook his feet under. Once sitting on a chair became less of a novalty the shoes scuffed less!

I agree - of you can avoid them, I'd steer clear of most Clarks shoes.