Y7 girls shoes

[HouseofEliot]

My Dd starts in Year 7 in September. She has always had clarks/startrites since she needed shoes. Her school say she needs black leather shoes but any style. If I get her usual clarks shoes with a strap across will it be ok. She wants slip on ones but I doubt she could keep them on. She had a pair for a wedding and she struggled to walk.

What age do people normally stop getting their childs feet measured and just go to New Look etc?

Thanks

My dds are still in primary so I don't have to face this. I have spent time at the podiatrist since I was 19, so I take shoes seriously. As long as feet are growing good shoes are a good idea. You are right that "ballerina" flats are not a good idea.

I see girls around here in Prada lace up black trainer type shoes. They look good for foot development, but at £200+ I am gobsmacked to see so many kids in them. Around here, edge of London, I don't see any senior school girls in traditional, mary jane style school shoes. I think they would rather die.

What does your dd have in mind? What are her friends doing? Any good ideas, or just all bad influences!

How about these, still not cheap, but they look well made and a little more grown up. www.step2wo.com/style/step2wo-lina-bar-shoe-920221?colour=2013

DD2 (Y6) has been wearing clarks boys shoes this term. So much more practical, so much comfier. She will likely get another pair for when she starts at secondary in September - she utterly loves her current shoes.

I think it's best to get them measured and fitted whilst feet are still growing as toomany said above.

I always think that DC have to wear these shoes for 6 or 7 hours a day, for 5 days a week, for 38 weeks in a year. Yes, it's annoying if your child's feet grow quickly, but actually in that case it's more important that they have the correct growing room and not just what they think feels right in the shop.

However, you have to trust the person measuring. I don't have confidence in the staff in our local Clarks shop, I go to Jones the Bootmaker. They stock Clark's, startrite and their own make (which are great). The staff are lovely and they are great if you have a problem with anything or have to take something back.

My DD1 in year 7 has the jones girl brogues, much better than the Clark's ones she had before. My DD2 is hoping her feet have grown enough so she can have some for September!

Thanks. She is only a 2 we usually get a year out of them. It's more the style she is worried about. Will try brogues I think.

Brogues seem to be the norm amongst DS's Y7 peers, but it's not a fashion conscious school - DS wears the same 'rhino' branded style he has had since Y3 and is utterly unbothered. Out of uniform, boys and girls all wear Converse, and there brand consciousness has struck to the extent that they have to be real converse

Sorry - that should have read "DS's female peers" - otherwise it's not really very relevant

Thanks yes she has converse for out of school. She said when she went to visit the girls had a mixture of shoes so I will take her to get measured.

My year 7 daughter started year 7 with clarks brogues (exactly the same as sold in new look - except for all her friends with the new look equivalents have fallen apart now). When the summer came I bought her a pair of very flimsy new look ballet pumps that feel v similar to wearing ballet shoes and nothing like the m&s equivalent that she said weren't comfortable. Can't say I'm keen but only a week left. I would only buy clarks shoes in year 7 if fashionable and didn't want my child to look different. Having said that, there are some fashionable shoes in clarks but I'm not sure about straps across, which is why we went for brogues. With hindsight, I would never buy such flimsy new look ones again.

Brogues appear to be the norm at dd's school from yr 7 on up, she's got Startrite ones which were no more expensive than Clarks and seem to have lasted better.

My dd in Yr10 is wearing This type of thing (without the bow)
and dd in Yr 7 is wearing brogues type of shoe.

They are both very comfortable with them - they think the slip ons are pretty useless.

Plenty of Clarks-style with straps still in evidence here at the end of year 7 (and also plenty of brogues, which DD just doesn't seem to fit).

Dd's got really tricky feet - v long but v thin - so far the only shoes which fit are the boring start rite mary-jane ones with a strap across which she's been eating since she was 5

She tried various brogue styles last time we went shoe shopping but the assistant said she couldn't in all conscience recommend we bought them as they simply didn't fit properly :(

However she's now in the largest size they do so not sure what we'll do then

Eating? wearing!!