Girls school shoe advice

[Rudi44]

Hi, I am a school shoe novice as my 11 year old daughter going into yr 7 in Sept has never had a uniform before. She is tall and her feet are a 5 1/2 according to Clarks today (actually they measured her initially as a 6 1/2 but I demanded a recount!). She didn't fit into any of their black shoes.
School uniform policy states black, sensible, plain unembelished. Any suggestions as places other than Clarks we could get nice leather school shoes for her size. I did think about Dr Martins but would worry they would be too heavy all day.
Thanks so much

Startrite? That's for teeny tinies, isn't it? Do they do grown up sizes?

Fortunately Clarks are totally acceptable and none of her friends are superficial enough to care.

Nice dig, but in my experience it is the ones who are not their friends that are likely to take the piss. That said there are obviously variants across schools and regions. However the people (myself included) who mentioned clarks not being accepted by the kids in our high schools were well meaning. I certainly didn't post it as a slant to anyone who's DC wears clarks, merely a warning that they may not be 'high school cool'

Exactly MrsBadger. DD wore brogues because she wears insoles. They were Clark's because they had the size and style that she wanted.

Clarkson adult range are good.
Clinkard are good.
Debenham have some nice ones in.
Schuh stock rocket dog flats and they're often not embellished.

Personally, I don't sign up to buying a brand/avoiding a brand because it is/isn't cool in the eyes of teenagers or pre teens. Parents buying uniform for its cool factor and how fashionable it looks are the reason some schools have gone down the route of tightly prescribed, limited supplier uniforms. (You only have to look on here to see what a ballache it causes for those who understand how to dress their child appropriately for school).

Personally, I don't sign up to buying a brand/avoiding a brand because it is/isn't cool in the eyes of teenagers or pre teens. Parents buying uniform for its cool factor and how fashionable it looks are the reason some schools have gone down the route of tightly prescribed, limited supplier uniforms. (You only have to look on here to see what a ballache it causes for those who understand how to dress their child appropriately for school).

I have always let mine have the shoe brand they want, they are also dressed appropriately.

Sorry, I didn't mean that to come across as badly as it did. I just meant that it's simply not an issue here, with either the cool or not cool kids. They may roll their skirts up, but they still wear their Clarks if they like them and they fit. It would be viewed as deeply superficial (and thus uncool) to be rude to someone because of their shoes.

But its within reason surely? If the make fits the uniform then fine.
More often than not, those obsessed with brands and being cool are also the ones who try to push other areas of uniform (you obviously aren't, which is great) & then argue endlessly about it.

When I went through uniform before the summer I've been asked if the Vivienne Westwood flats are OK for school. No because they have a logo/embellishment (which they've been told already).

Every year without fail I spend time dealing with phoning home because the brand their child has said is OK (despite the uniform being clearly outlined and reminder letters going out) isn't. And then I get 'but I spent £70 on these shoes!'

Both my two are both extremely tall and at the start of year 7 certainly DD had out grown Clarkes school range.
She got some Doc Martens which were polishable, without the contrasting stitching (not too different from Converse style but less flat) and a fantastic sole that stood up to a long walk to and from school all year whilst keeping her feet dry and offering her feet some support.
Round here Clarkes wouldn't go down well for secondary school attire. I think we got hers from Schuh.

Bags is another thing at secondary. DD went against the grain and opted for a rucksack but the more 'popular people' have these awful cheap and nasty looking oversized handbag type bags that go on their arm with a carrier bag or hessian type bag for PE kit.

bright the carrier bag for PE kits gives me horrors. The it carrier bag was always the Jane Norman one.

Clarks are fine at DD's school too (all girls) and they have some of the teen ranges up to an 8 I think. DS also wears the men's range and has through school and now into sixth form. Most of the boys have the same ones.

However Clarks don't fit DD. They're too shallow for her high instep.

Try John Lewis. They have a range of brands including the bigger Clarks. Charles Clinkard also has a variety of Brands too.

My daughter had M&S brogues for her school shoes all through Yr6, they were wrecked by the end of the year but they did last the distance.

I haven't bought Clarkes shoes for her for years because of the poor quality.

My dd wore Clark's Hamble brogues from year 8 on. She is 21 and still wearing the pair she had in Year 11!

She didn't have very fast growing feet, though- they would have been expensive if she had. They always fit her well and she has a high instep and dancer's toes.

My DD had some women's Clarks brogues. She has worn them for about 3 years so although they were £60 they have been good value. She has finished Year 11 now but they are still fine to wear!

Yes, dd's Clark's school shoes size 7 have had two years' wear! Her feet have deffo stopped growing. She is 16 btw and Clark's are fine at her school.

Cheaper than DMs too!

How would anyone know that a pair of brogues were Clark's? They aren't the only shoe shop that sells them. DD has narrow feet and wears insoles and we always went to Clinkards or Clark's. Nine times out of ten she ended up with Clark's because they were the most comfortable and the best fit.

LoniceraJaponica
My guess is they wouldn't know 100% it's Clarks but because some people are obsessed with brands they'll notice that it's not the 'cool' school shoes marketed at image conscious parents and kids.

I'd happily scrap uniform altogether but when I see/hear parents and kids going on about trying to get brands and fashion into the uniform already, it starts making me think that in my school scrapping the uniform would just lead to a loud minority of image obsessed individuals treating each day as an opportunity to show off how much money they spend.

If brogues are what we are talking about then of course it doesn't matter where you buy them. When I commented about clarks not being 'high school cool' I was thinking about our school where converse and all black superstars etc are the show of choice. Brogues would stand out a mile. But obviously if your school fashion is brogues then clarks would be normal

Those wouldn't be allowed in dd's school. No trainer style or canvas shoes or boots

It isn't school fashion in DD's case but uniform rules. In this case it clearly illustrates why the uniform rules are a good idea because Converse, other branded and logoed shoes are not allowed, so there is no pressure to look cool in branded shoes.

Migraleve
Most schools near me (Including my work) are specifying what counts as school shoes precisely because of people not getting it and buying black converse, superstars and trainers so their kids can seem cool. They are not school shoes in any way, shape or form.

And every year 90% of parents get this and kit their children out properly, and we get a handful who insist on buying black trainers and the arguing the toss "because Dan said they are black shoes and that school were fine... and I spent £60 on them! You can't seriously expect me to buy new ones. It's so irritating.

Just to clarify, our school allows these as a choice of shoe.

Just to clarify, our school allows these as a choice of shoe.

www.clarks.co.uk/c/Selsey-Cool-BL/p/26118895

My dd has worn these since y4 and they go up to adult 9. (She's just finished y9)

My daughter had a pair of Geox black brogues, they were finer rather than chunky but with a good rubbery gripping sole. They've lasted her a full two years.