What are your top tips for finding good winter shoes for your DCs? Tell Brantano for the chance to win a £200 Brantano voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

As the weather gets colder, Brantano would love to hear Mumsnetters' top tips for finding good winter shoes for their DCs.

Brantano say: “As we approach autumn and winter, our stores will stock a range of shoes and boots suitable for little feet in the cold and wet weather. As with shoes, our expert fitters will measure and fit boots making sure they are a comfortable fit for your child. Brantano stores are also conveniently located in retail parks, with most open until 8pm so you don’t have to go too far with your little ones."

So how do you try to find good winter shoes for your DCs? Is there anything in particular you look for in winter school shoes? Do you have any tips or tricks for making the winter shoe shopping experience run a little smoother?

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 £200 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

I'd say buy more than one pair and have a variety of footwear to choose from, ie. ankle boots, wellies, shoes & trainers.
That way you have a pair for whatever weather it is plus if they are left anywhere or lost, you still have a back up.

I'm happy to invest in school shoes, but allow DD to choose more frivolous (and probably less sturdy) shoes for prancing around in. And good waterproof wellies are a must.
We are tend to go straight to the shop/s we have bought from before and let her choose from the selection there. We don't trawl around hundreds of shops. It helps that some shops allow you to pre book an appointment.

Dd has some boys boots from Tesco atm as we couldn't justify the£50 start rite wanted. They are falling apart already though...

I don't buy Clarkes or Startwright I think they are too quick to ruin and the styles are pretty appalling m.

My elder 2 had kickers for school as the were more robust and lasted a lot longer than the two brands already mentioned.

My youngest has either Livvy and Lucca or shoes we buy in Italy. They have huge ranges of different good quality brands in kids shoe shops over there.

Wellies must also be fur lined. Little toes get so cold in normal wellies. Single do really good quality ones that are lined and have a drawstring top which is handy for puddle jumping.

I despair of the quality and selection of kids shoes in this country!

My son has extra toes so having wide shoes is going to be really important for us. He's just been fitted for his first pair of real shoes as he's started to walk now and needs them but this will be an o going challenge for us. It's important for me that the material stretches, is comfortable and the soles are flexible.

Snowboots are way better than wellies. Warm, generally a snugger fit on the foot and keep the feet dry. My DCs all wear snow boots a lot in the winter (as do I!) and we all have nice warm and dry feet.

Leather shoes and boots for the winter. Polish regularly with wax polish as that helps maintain the waterproof ability of the leather.

I like shoes to look smart, but don't want style features to compromise the practicality, so no patent leather, suede, glittery bits or ribbons on school shoes. And I wouldn't even think about buying those shoes with little plastic toys in the heel!

Wellies are a must and work well even in cold weather with a pair of thick welly socks.

I favour boots style rather than shoes for winter although that does make it more difficult for ds1 to put his own shoes on.

Finding something DD likes the look of is essential! So I would always take her to get fitted rather than ordering from somewhere. Nothing will convince her to wear shoes she doesn't like.

We buy "boys" shoes for DD, as "girls" shoes are almost all impractical in the rain, as mentioned by PPs. We've not had snow since she's been old enough to go out in it, so I have yet to experience that delight. But as you can't send a child to school in wellies every day, it will be boys shoes in winter. Thankfully (so far) she hasn't noticed. Why must boys shoes (and clothing) be practical, but everything marketed at girls be all about style & lacking any substance?

Always leather.

Don't even get me started on the ones that are adorned with beads, sequins, ribbons etc, or come with a doll or other toy. They would be wrecked in a month.

And yes, some girls do actually have wide feet. DD has been an H width since she first started wearing shoes. This is part of the reason we buy boys shoes for her - the range of girls shoes in an H is often smaller, or they are not available or suitable.

Always leather and usually several pairs (as well as wellies) suitable for different occasions. We don't have a car so the children's shoes (and indeed ours) have always got to be robust with decent soles that will last and won't wear thro' within weeks (most shoes just aren't made to be walked in!). And they've got to fit properly too!

Expensive though adhering to all these rules - the DCs shoes seem to be more expensive than ours - how can that be right ???

We go with a few pairs as well. The only problem we have is girls school shoes are just appalling for winter and thee's no way of coercing dd2 into a boys pair. She'd rather be wet!

Woly waterproof spray if you do want to waterproof your shoes. We prefer to just let them breathe though

They need to be properly waterproof - ideally Gore-tex. I am most interested in a proper fit, comfort and not so much design, although my child has to like them. I go to a decent shop with properly trined staff.

It is difficult but they don't need to last a long time or cost much because they soon get outgrown.

Go early in the day so they're not over-tired and the shop's not too busy, decide what you're after beforehand and tell them, so you're not looking for one thing and they've set their hearts on something else. Lastly, book a treat for afterwards and tell them, eg, if we get you some new school shoes, we can go for an ice-cream later.

Go for ankle boots-ideally a couple of pairs so one pair can dry out if needed. Don't forget to get the little ones to polish them-it's deeply old fashioned but it makes them last longer, look nicer and gives DC a sense of pride in them which will hopefully make them treat their shoes with a little more care.

Snow boots and wellies are our kids' only winter shoes. Thick socks underneath. They're not keen on fashion or shopping, so it's easier to stick with the bare essentials.

My son is 13 and his winter shoes have to withstand getting the bus to school and playground footie! I've just purchased him another pair of New Clapham shoes, from the US Brass range. My tip for older children is to find a shoe they like and that's comfortable and stick with it. I also order on-line to avoid the shopping trip, unless I think we need to check his size.

Wellies for wet days out to the park & Good quality leather shoes for school.

We get two pairs one a bit more "stylish" one for town usually sturdy leather and another pair for wet days and our christmas visits to Switzerland.they have to be waterproof and warm. I have in the past bought shoes that I thought would be fine in the snow but it turned out not to be the case. So bulky big shoes don't always mean that they will do the job

They have to be leather and good quality

Think about spending a bit more on good quality shoes. I bought a different brand than usual one year for my youngest when she went back to school in September and ended up buying another pair 12 weeks later as they were letting water in !!

good quality leather that stays waterproof & any boots are fur lined for warmth

Pay that little bit more for quality and durability :)