Trendy Shoes and Rucksacks for Girls starting High School/Year 7

[Lilyfairy]

Hi there,

I'm just wondering what shoes and rucksacks are trending for girls starting high school this Sept please? Everyone seemed to be wearing Air Force Ones this year but I'm not sure if that's still a thing? Would love to hear what others are thinking of going for if their daughters like to follow the trends.

Thanks in advance. x

Most schools won't allow air force ones. So don't spend a fortune until you've double checked the uniform list on website!

Our school does allow them. Decided to stop fighting it and concentrate on other things.

Before that, most wore black lace ups like from Clarks. There wasn't and still isn't a big peer pressure thing about shoes and bags. We obviously must be lucky.

Rucksacks-most kids just use a dark coloured sports rucksack like Nike etc. Although my youngest who has just finished year 7 went for pale pink 😜. Will still be using it next year and it's how the other kids distinguish her from the other kids with her name 'the one with the pink bag'. I know as I work there 😂. But she quite likes being a bit different. Most would have black.
In our school it's definitely more rucksack than large handbag.

My DD has those Nike trainers for her primary school shoes and I think they will now be her PE shoes. She wants a Clarks pair with a hole in the top that she has never coveted in primary school and I've told her no open top shoes as she has a walk to the bus and we live in NW England.
I think we'll be getting a pair of Clarks lace ups.

For her bag she'll probably use her old Hype one as she hasn't quite destroyed it yet. They have to have backpacks - no handbags.

Ahh, thank you. That's helpful. My daughter chose a chunky pair of Clarks slip-ons for Y6 but she was pretty much the only one in shoes when they started as everyone seemed to have black Air Force Ones (or similar). I liked it that she had her own style but I think she felt a bit 'behind the door' with it and I didn't want to buy a pair of those on top. Hoping to get some intel this time before we head out and buy her new ones!

It’s so school dependent, do you know anyone with kids at the school she is going to, to ask? Also, their uniform policy will clearly state if trainers are allowed at all, so check that.

Ours is the only school in the area that allows them, but my autistic son has chosen shoes as he ‘doesn’t care if the trainers are trendy!’ 😂

My dtwins have just finished year 7.
Both have fjallraven backpacks (black and navy) and Clarks brogues. They are using same backpack in year 8 and they have lasted really well and are getting a new pair of the same brogues .

DMs here. Shoes for my eldest who isn't allowed boots, she had the lace up ones in years 7-9 and then moved to the buckle ones in year 10. I did resist them initially and bought some M&S brogues which broke within 6 weeks so then bit the bullet with the DMs. She walks over 10,000 steps a day so needs sturdy shoes.

Dd2 wears DM boots in the winter (second hand from Vinted) and Kickers with a buckle in the summer.

Just get whatever backpack from Nike/Adidas etc is decent - from DD1 the advice is to avoid the ones with the criss cross elastic on the front of them (so you can put extra stuff in that bit) cos the other kids think its hilarious to twang it.

Sound advice!!!! And definitely something I wouldn't have thought of! Thank you. 😁

And don't worry too much about storage cos within 1 month of starting school they'll have all their worldly goods in their blazer pockets making them look like they won't fit through a narrow door with how much their pockets stick out.

Toward the end of Y7 I removed 4 body sprays, 3 lip glosses, 4 glue sticks and a random neon green badminton shuttlecock among other things from DD1's blazer. She doesn't EVER play badminton.

AF1 are classed as trainers and not allowed at my dc's schools. Clarks or DMs

Nike Rucksack, black

Yeah most of the secondaries around here are similar - but DMs would be a no-no if they have the yellow stitching. My kids go to the slightly more chilled school who recently reviewed their uniform rules and are allowing all-black trainers in response to them being a heavy percentage of "school shoes" in the shops.

They're very good on uniform stuff in general this school though, minimal logo nonsense and at least two suppliers for the logo stuff and openly telling parents to get to the supermarkets when they have their offers on and get the rest of the stuff cheap! Also will get student working groups together to produce clarity on uniform issues - like acceptable PE shorts and cost different options for parents - I really like that approach compared to the local "will exclude 90% of kids on day 1 of term for a single white stitch on their shoes" place.