Shoe lace alternatives - Reception

[drspouse]

DD has a perfect pair of patent Kickers to start school in Sept but they have laces.
They wear PE kit all day on PE day so I just need them to stay tied rather than be easy to tie IYSWIM.
All the ones online seem to be for older children and I'd prefer ones we can tighten rather than fully slip on if that makes sense.
Thanks!

Frog can't exchange them as she's been wearing them already!
Red yes they do. Saves a lot of time. The school council suggested it.

You don't need to spend £50 on school shoes. Ones from places like Asda that cost about a tenner are perfectly fine. They will bring outgrown quick, they will get bashed, they will get taken off and either a - lost (and usually just one shoe not the actual pair) or b - your daughter will come home wearing someone elses shoes - quite possibly a miss matched pair.

Ok then find me:
Leather
Boot style like Kickers not open style Mary Janes
Velcro
in a supermarket!

The Kickers were from eBay but now I can find none. Obviously I will keep searching.

(My very disorganised DS who needs special shoes due to orthotics has never come home in anyone else's shoes).

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/9628430085979066570?q=girls+school+boots&client=safari&sa=X&hl=en-gb&biw=375&bih=553&tbs=vw:g,ss:44&prmd=simvn&prds=epd:9582091017210311415,paur:ClkAsKraX2PNJcAPECU1JD0Fcacrz16GEz4W42Jo3rbbK5bZmdNNNhyML0KFLqHIfSFTRfXXOfQ8wWOndvGzaHN8LFx2nShPXvJ4y49yJ0xrXIuBG9zx-myLRIZAFPVH70cVqKS0VNz0rd01VqLfJJObbz9GQ,cdl:1,cs:1&ved=0ahUKEwj9spvq56bbAhVLa8AKHRKOBacQgTYIhwYY_

https://www.kickers.co.uk/lachley-zip-boot-infant-p6188?utmm_source=google&utmmedium=cpc&utmmterm=kickers-lachley-zip-boot-infant-uk-size-8-uk-size-8-114906-25&utmcampaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIha2Dsuim2wIVL7ftCh09AwdTEAQYASABEgI-AfDDBwE#attribute33_=12

Don't know if these help I can't do links

Shoe Zone do nice zip up boots for school. The shoes aimed at girls ('Mary Jane ' style?) are fine for warmer weather and velcro. My daughter currently wears her Shoe Zone' school shoes' all the time because they are comfy and easy to get on and off - this includes running around all over the place being active.

These are the Shoe Zone ones she has at the moment. Perfectly fine for summer and the beginning of the school year when the weather is still nice. £12.99. When the weather is colder she had the previously mentioned zip up boots.

I work in a primary school as a TA and I often get asked to cover in EYFS whether that be in Nursery or Reception.

It's an absolute pain helping children take off and put their shoes on and even more so if you have to untie and tie their shoe laces. It's not just your child either, there could potentially be 38 or so other children who need help. So that's a lot of shoes!!!

The need to change shoes happens a lot more than most parents think. For example, when getting changed for P.E and Forest Schools, changing into wellies becaue of poor weather or because the child got wet in the water area, or because they couldn't hold it and had an accident necessitating a full change of clothes.

Of course, there's also when the children just like to take off their shoes when they're playing and getting changed into different costumes.

Please get either strap or velcro shoes. The staff in your child's Nursery or Reception class will thank you for it, and curse you if you don't.

While you're being lectured on your shoe buying, OP, I got these for ds who takes his shoes off at the drop of a hat, but can't be bothered learning to tie his laces, and they are brilliant.

Grainne those all seemed to be for larger shoes plus you can't really tighten them which I think you need to.
bookmum I'm not sure Shoezone would know what leather was.
Frog those Kickers look to be OOS in most sizes so I suspect clearance and they aren't in stock in DD's current size. Or the next one up!
The Clark's are £40 so I'm not paying that if her current ones fit her and can be adapted!

What's wrong with the bungee laces (aka triathlon laces) suggested above - just get plain black and they cut to any size. EBay have loads - couple of quid. We've used them for years through early primary and dyspraxic 11yo still appreciates them.

One of my DC had very narrow feet and the only shoes we could find when he started school had laces. We taught him to tie them. He was of average ( but no more) coordination. It didn't take long.

Have you considered teaching her to tie her shoe laces?

We have started teaching her but I'm not confident we'll do it in time!
Now I a) know what bungee laces are and b) know you can cut them to size, we'll give them a whirl.
Thanks all.

The fantastic dyspraxic shop has some no-tie shoelace options.

I got a pair of Geox shoes that were basically like the boy style with an enclosed foot but with patent leather and some "girlie" design bits a while back from TK Maxx - it's another place worth keeping an eye on for shoes as sometimes you get some gems in there... this last year I've not bothered since their current school lets them wear boots (head's policy is "long as they're sensible - I don't care at all" with footwear) so they've worn them all winter.

Work on getting shoes onto the right feet as well - DD2's forever coming out with them not on - they take 'em off for yoga every day as well.

Why do they need to be boots? Won’t they be very hot for her feet?

Pretty sure I learned to tie laces at 4, it's really not that tricky. She doesn't start school until September, you have three months to help her learn to tie her shoes. Barring some serious coordination issues, it shouldn't take that long. A few weeks would do it if you devoted 15 mins every day.

My dc found it easier to tie round shoelaces rather than flat. Dd leaves at 4, before starting school.

“Learnt” not “leaves”.

Why do they need to be boots?
They don't but I haven't seen anything else that isn't open top Mary Jane and is wearable with skirts should she choose to wear them. By boots I mean the standard Kickers high top.
We have had a month or so training on tying - not daily but fairly often - and she can't yet do an overhand knot. That's why I'm not hopeful.

you can wear any shoes with skirts surely? I really don't see how there's any difference between any other velcro school shoe and what shoes up in a search for "kickers high top" (I have no idea what they actually are, but they appear to be what I would call a "normal school shoe that aren't mary jane")

Surely shoes that fit her now won't fit by September (or at most October) so this seems like a bit of a non-problem. Buy her some shoes with velcro for school.

I've been diligently expecting the shoe size expansion all year! Dd2 is still in the same size shoe she started with with a bit of room in there and dd1 has gone up a half size if that!

My kids feet grow insanely slowly!

She won't even fit in the shoes she is wearing now in September so this is a total none problem op ! Just buy her some Velcro fastening ones nearer the time problem solved !