Tell Brantano your top tips on shopping for school shoes and you could win a £100 Brantano voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

The team at Brantano would love to know about Mumsnetters’ tips and experiences of the back to school shop for shoes.

Here’s what Brantano say, “To help make this shopping experience easier for you and your little ones, our friendly staff are all expertly trained and can provide a free shoe fitting service across all the brands we stock. Brantano stores are also conveniently located in retail parks, with most open until 8pm so you don’t have to go too far for those back to school essentials.”

So, how does your back to school shoe shopping usually go? Who has the final say on your DCs shoes? Have you got any tips and hints to share about how to make the back to school shop a little easier?

Whatever your experiences are, Brantano would love to hear about it!
Everyone who posts their comment on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £100 Brantano voucher.

Please note: your comments may be used anonymously elsewhere on Mumsnet and by Brantano on their website, marketing materials and possible elsewhere, so please only comment if you are happy with this.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

[gazzalw]

School shoe shopping seems to be becoming increasingly contentious as the children grow up!

We always opt for quality, properly fitted shoes for our DCs and usually their school ones last all year (and this with a considerably amount of daily walking). By the end of the year though the shoes are fit for nothing but the bin - it's one of our family traditions on the last day of term!

Focus on the shoe shopping and a treat and nothing else to minimise the pain for the children.

If possible take the children shoe shopping independently.

Try to plan your school shoe shopping trip at the beginning of the school hols rather than leaving it until the end (particularly if you've got a DC with hard-to-fit-feet).

Check out the websites first to give yourself and the DCs an idea of the type of shoes you/they will approve of....agree this in advance to save public melt-downs in the shoe shop (never a nice sight!).

Beat the rush and get out nice and early on the designated shoe shopping days (children are bound to be less fractious if the family is served speedily without crowds!)

[BiscuitsForBreakfast]

It's usually a dreadful experience to be honest. We have 5 DC, 4 of which are school age so we're usually shopping for 8 pairs (including sports shoes). We go to Clarks because it's the best option where we live but I get frustrated at how little interaction the 'fitter' has with the children and how they don't seem to notice or respond to the kids losing patience and I find myself trying to hurry the process along. I try and gear myself up beforehand and give warnings about behaviour expectations and sometimes promise rewards after, although this often backfires as the kids are even more impatient to leave so that they can get a treat. We don't leave it until the week before school starts and we sometimes do it over two trips to make the stress a bit more manageable!

[rachelkanga]

Horrendous experience as my 3 daughters have to have black, flat, plain, leather shoes without any embellishments which pretty much rules out 80% of shoes in most stores. They also want different shoes from each other although they are in different classes. One of the 13 year olds and the 15 year old have size 4 feet and shoes that are suitable are limited as it is an in between size. The other 13 year old is a 2 1/2 or 3 depending on where we shop therefore slip-on shoes don't stay on.

[Theimpossiblegirl]

I'm so relieved people are finding it as hard as I am! The schools and shoe manufacturers are at complete cross purposes. I dread school shoe shopping.

Someone needs to read this and produce a line of affordable, good quality school shoes that kids will wear and schools will approve.

[Cambam2010]

I tend to get this job done first thing in the day with promises of fun things afterwards. Make sure they are wearing comfortable socks and let them try on a few pairs (even if you do not intent to let them have the 'unsuitable' choice that they would pick).

[nerysw]

I assume it'll be awful and am pleasantly surprised when it's ok.

[Mummyofonesofar]

We love shoe shopping - until we get there are find the boys section of most shoe shops is tiny compared to the girls section!!

Something I recommend is make sure you buy them before you go on holiday otherwise you end up with 48 hours to find shoes before school starts after a late holiday! A rule I always forget myself

[JulesJules]

Remind them of the rules first - ie we are looking for black school shoes, no ballerina style, no stupid gimmicks like toys in the heel that will result in the insole breaking and making them unwearable - yes, Clarks, what idiot came up with that Go for a treat afterwards - drink and a cake

Go early in the day and don't leave it until the last week of the hols, especially if they have difficult feet, because stocks run low.

We go to John Lewis or our local independent for a good range and good sizing check.

[scampbeast]

Take a pair of school socks with you, my DS always seems to pick a pair of thick socks to put on before we go shoe shopping and then moans that the shoes don't fit the same when he wears them for school.

[ChocolateTwiglet]

Check what colours are allowed - my daughter's primary school originally allowed any colour - and then changed it to only black, navy or tan the week after I parted with £40 for a pair of (dark) purple boots. I had to see the deputy head and explain why we would only comply with the rules once her feet had grown (his own shoes had only cost £25, apparently. He's since had his own kids so is probably learning the hard way).

Really hard for secondary age- DD wants black trainers which are allowed - but I've insisted it must be a shoe. Kickers the compromise. Please can there be a better range of teenage school shoes!

[shewhomustbeEbayed]

My dd has feet that are a whole size different, one shoe is therefore really big and she soon outgrows the other one ! We tend to buy laceups. Now she is at senior school we look in the grownup Clarks sale.

[GetKnitted]

If you can't go early, take cbeebies on a phone. Shop for comfort over style. Go quite late in the summer so they don't grow out of them.

[Emrob86]

My tips is do to a tracing of your child's feet before going. Then you can measure that!

[Hopezibah]

we always make sure we take some books to read or games to play in case there is a bit of a wait - helps the kids to stay calm.

[peronel]

My tip is to try the small local shoe shops first. I find they are quieter and at busy times the larger branches seem to run out of popular styles/sizes quickly. Early morning is a good time, before DC's get fractious!

[StickChildNumberTwo]

Go to the outlet store for same quality shoes and fitting but lower prices.

[etoiledemer]

My DD has very skinny ankles and we really struggle to find shoes that fit her securely so we always go to a proper shoe shop with sales assistants who fit properly as I don't feel qualified to measure my kids' feet.

My top tip is to avoid the sharks at Clarks who must work on commission as their only aim is to do the hard-sell and they don't seem to care one jot whether the shoes actually fit.

[TrollTheRespawnJeremy]

DD loves getting new shoes so she is happy to come along and have her feet measured/try on 100 pairs of shoes.

Rule of thumb- Just because she says that the fit is perfect, doesn't mean that it is. She will do anything to get her hands on a patent pair of shoes (expensive mistake previously.)

I make her do plenty of walking instore to make sure there is no slippage (and probably drive the shop assistants mad... I can't be too careful with my kid's feet though!)

[FTS123]

We go first thing after breakfast to beat the chaos but am thinking of straying from Clarks this year as I'm a single parent and have three pairs to buy, but I still want to go somewhere that measures, had no idea that Brantanos did this so will definitely pay a visit.

[vlcrhopkins]

Wear or take socks with you,

Snacks to occupy children whilst one is measured and choosing, making sure you plan lots of time and not rushing as shop closing/promising to meet someone.

Get them measured, but check most shops as on a budget to see if you can get them cheaper.

[thanksamillion]

Don't even think about buying something that they are luke warm about, even if it's the best fit by far. In a day or two's time they will be telling you that they don't like them, never did and only said they did because you looked like you were about to murder them not that I ever did that myself

[girliefriend]

Well what normally happens is I leave it to the last min and then spend an afternoon frantically trying to find a pair that dd likes while listening to dd moaning a lot!

This year I will be much more organised of course plan to go to the local discount village, make a day of it and bribe dd with the temptation of and hot choc if she tries shoes on nicely

[Fumnudge]

Age permitting, buy patent leather. You wouldn't think so but they last so much longer before looking trashed.
Also, watch closely for fit as they walk around in them in the shop, children often say they fit fine as they just like the look of them, once you're home they moan they rub!

[Snoozie101]

As my kids have narrow feet and the shops never have their size/width in stock I go onto the shop's website and order in a few pairs the right size to be delivered to the shop and then only buy one of the pairs that actually fit.