SCHOOL SHOES

[hullywully]

Which ones to buy for a 4 year old. Clarke’s paintent shoes or regular ‘mat’ shoes.
Don’t want to spend £40 for them to then be ruined.

I was nervous of patent peeling & scuffing but actually they’ve worn better than matt. I bought my Reception dd rubber toed shoes from Clarke’s last term (only ones in her size!) & despite reservations about them being a bit plain, they’ve worn really well. She’s terrible for scuffing her toes so actually they were perfect for her.

Thanks all. I hope by mr asking the question it’s helped other mums too. By the sounds of it as long as I go for the best (Clarke’s) paintent is better but if I go a bit cheaper (M&S etc) then plain leather.

DD2 is a picker and has never peeled the patent off in her life, neither of mine have. Didn't know you could peel it off.

I will never buy patent from Clark's again. They peeled so easily.

My dd trashes all shoes from any make in about 3 months. Yr4 now and has never grown out of any as buy next 1/2 size once she trashes them. We have bought ALOT of shoes. If they just generally scuff them a bit patent wears better. If they manage to make them look like they have been in a blender within a week, matt is more salvageable with polish !

I discovered a Clark’s outlet near us. Saves a fortune on school shoes although the choice is more limited.

DD is really hard on shoes and had 2 nice pairs of leather shoes last year. We got the second pair at Easter just because she had unexpectedly outgrown the first. By the end of term they almost had a hole in the toe on one of the shoes and the soles were worn thin. There was nothing wrong with the quality...it's just how she is!

So this year we have gone for something different. If you have an independent shoe shop near you, check out the Plae school shoes. They are not made of leather and they have a reinforced toe - they look pretty cool as well, and you can wash them. I think they will last because she's had a pair of trainers from the same brand and they have held up to a lot of punishment.

Patent ones always stayed smart looking for dd. Clarks or start right were fine.

I bought DS2 Toe Zone from Sainsbury's.

I bought these M&S patent shoes only just two weeks into school (Scotland) but I am impressed. I bought cheaper because I will likely switch to boots in the wetter and colder weather.

Patent all the way, I can't believe when DD started I spent £48 on some classic matt mary-janes that were trashed in a week. Never again.

Wouldn't it be much nicer if children could wear comfy trainers, nice canvas shoes or 'baseball' style boots.
Sigh.

Dd is about to start year 3 but last year she really wanted the Lelli Kelly's that were patent with interchangeable hearts that you coloured in with the pens provided.
They were over £50.

Scuffed the first day. Never looked clean despite me shining them every night.
Never again.

I don't like Clarks shoes but this year we've gone for the classic buckle Kickers in plain leather.

Particularly if the kids wear them indoors all day at school, please get as flexible shoes as you can, the plae ones mentioned above, or vivobarefoot school ones or very similar (zero drop, very flexible, wide toe-box) Then they are as comfy as trainers or canvas shoes, aswell as looking like school shoes.

I'm shocked that children get 12 months out of school shoes! My dd and ds usually last half a term to maximum if a term before they have outgrown them, or they look unsightly. My dd has always had kickers in various styles usually patent leather, as they have a more firm edge around them which usually reduces scuffing.

On another note, I'm so cross, I bought DS a pair of new school shoes at the start of the hols and they are now too small, annoyingly I labelled them and was all organised - never again.

Mine don't itshappened but DS2 put a hole in his 3 days before the end of term.

Patent or matt, just don’t get Clark’s, the quality is abysmal and their fitting is questionable and inconsistent.

M&S patent shoes. They've been brilliant. We only change them because DD outgrows them. Two pairs last a whole school year(and a bit). I'll post a picture later of how hers look now,being worn since Easter.

Here they are. Not in great condition,but plenty of "life" left in them still.

@Lucked - we bought the very same shoes for DD. Got the predecessors (no bows) for the last two academic years and they lasted brilliantly until she simply outgrew them. They do half sizes now, whixht I don't think they've done before. Don't think I'm going back to Clarks with their flimsy (imho) offerings!