School Shoes - Opinions Please - Shoes or Trainers?

[Housemum]

The rules for our local secondary school state:
"No Boots, trainers, sports shoes, plimsolls, fabric or any shoe with sports branding, boots, Uggs, sandals, mules, flip flops, stiletto heels, court shoes"

So are these shoes or trainers? I think they are not trainers as you wouldn't play sport in them (and not made by a trainer brand) and they are called shoes, some of my friends disagree.

This Style

And surely the majority of Velcro shoes on this page of school shoes would also be trainers if this style isn't a shoe?

page of school shoes

Searching here for advice as have asked 6 local mums, the only ones I'm FB friends with who have secondary kids, and they have been divided 50/50 - I like these shoes as they are the only ones to fit well on her narrow feet (and she won't do laces - coordination issues possibly linked to her autism or possibly just laziness!)

It completely depends how strict the school is tbh. Some schools would be fine with this, but many would definitely not.

If you want to err on the side of caution, then stick to shoes which have polishable leather.

They'd be trainers at my school

They're trainers in my opinion. For me, the style of stitching makes them look like trainers.

Trainers

And what a shop says is a school shoe is generally not what school's say are school shoes -school's win that argument every time

If your dd has asd I would minimise potential for a member of staff to pull her up on breaches of uniform code as the vast majority will have no clue she has asd and will not handle it appropriately if she is stopped on the gate or corridor

I would class those as trainers. Also the Velcro makes them seem like they are for very young children. I can't imagine seeing an 11 year old wearing something like that. I don't actually have an 11 year old so may be completely wrong in that respect!

I was going to say I am fairly certain that I have never seen a child at the secondary school I work in wearing shoes with velcro tabs!! Most wear lace ups (lie the bottom pair).

I think they would look more trainerish on a girl whereas a boy might get away with them as they are school shoes. Have you looked into locklaces as a compromise.

Also I just realised they are for your DD. There are much nicer school shoes suitable for girls in a slip on style (such as black pumps or loafers are very in) that would mean she doesn't need to fiddle with fastenings and that suit narrow feet.

eg. www.tesco.com/direct/ff-school-flatform-loafers/368-1899.prd

They are shoes, but made to look like trainers, you couldn't play sport in them

Thank you - think I will go back and exchange them. They are for a girl but she wears trousers and wants to wear shoes like the boys, so loafers and pumps are out as "too girly" (I like those Tesco ones but not a cat in hell's chance of getting her to even try them on!)

It doesn't matter whether they are trainers or shoes - they are partly made from fabric, and thus would fall foul of that part of the rule.

A few on the whole page would fall foul of the same part of the rule - I find it interesting that the difference between the geox shoes labelled shoes, and those labelled trainers on that page is the area of fabric on those called 'trainers'.

So similar styling, but all-leather, would possibly be OK - though tbh, although I have seen girls in boys' shoes at primary, I have never, ever seen it at secondary.

How about a brogue style?

Schools range in strictness so you need someone from your school trousers rally.

That style is popular for primary school boys but would not be accepted at our secondary school. (Some of the lace ups on the second are fine) Velcro wouldn't be socially accepted anyway. (Boy or girl)

My dd wears brogues and my son who's starting y7 will be getting lace ups.

Interesting, around here lots of the boys wear Velcro up until year 11! I was trying to squint at a school photo, there were quite a few slip-ons and some that looked like the ones in the link - but the school has just re-issued its uniform policy so I'm worried that they will be stricter at least at first.

Her younger sister wears lace-ups quite happily.

IME, girls at secondary tend to wear brogue-style shoes, whether they wear trousers or skirts. I'd look for 'lace alternatives' to replace the laces in them - there are different types available - rather than velcro.

Email the link to the school and ask them. If they know if your daughters issues they may make allowances.

And the girls wearing boy clothes is a bit of a fashion thing here too - there is a whole group of "gender-fluid" girls choosing to dress as boys (which has partly led to the uniform changes, so many girls were wearing the unisex shirts rather than the v neck blouse, that they now say that if you wear high neck style you have to wear a tie, which girls were exempt from before)

Dd is about to start secondary school and we have brought these as she had them last year and they lasted the whole school year.

www.marksandspencer.com/kids-freshfeet-leather-brogue-school-shoes-now-available-in-extra-widths-and-half-sizes/p/dsd3ae2c5a38898d982be446f830cabd09?prevPage=plp

My DS is 16 and whilst not one of the main cool set, he is popular and hangs out with the rocky/band type people - he has long hair etc. He wears velcro shoes (Kickers) mainly because he is ham fisted (possible dispraxia) and I got fed up waiting for him to tie his laces to get out the house. He wears laced trainers so can do it, it's just painful t watch.

I think the original style listed would be fine in DSs school but they aren't that strict to be honest. I'd say they are trainer style shoes.

I am sure on threads where children have trouble tying laces I have seen people recommend no-tie laces. Not sure whether they would work with lace up school shoes.

I've just bought these for ds starting secondary in sept!
Should I have gone for lace up?

They look definitely shoe-like so wouldn't fall foul of trainer rules. Where are they from, they are nice?

Definitely trainers. You'd get a call on the first day of term at my school, asking you to replace them.