Just wondering - how are all those expensive new school shoes bought at the beginning of term holding up?

[BendyBobbingApples]

Just surveying the damage of the first half terms wear and giving them a bit of a clean up.

Ds's were £37 Hush Puppies and now look well owned but are holding their own. They had a very sensible 'rubber bumper' round the toe which seems to have saved them. Why don't all school shoes have that??

Dd's 1&2 both had Clarks (I can't remember but think they were approx £30 each) One not too bad the other pair not looking great tbh

I bet it'll be another £100 after Christmas though for more shoes.

I passed on a pair of Clarks when getting DS shoes this year, they were nearly £40 and they looked like Shoe Zone quality. Now, I have nothing against Shoe Zone, as they charge appropriate prices for the quality of their shoes. But if I pay high prices I don't want something that is going to fall apart before October.

DS had Start Rite this year and they are fine. Scuffed on the toes (of course) but otherwise no damage.

Clarks go on for AGES as far as we're concerned; I don't think I have ever thrown any out until they are completely outgrown (at the end of last term dd2 had a small hole in hers where her toe had poked through the leather ).

Anytime I've strayed from Clarks I've regretted it (e.g. Next).

DS's Clarkes are in very good condition.

DD's Clarkes are very worn at the toes (as was her last pair). Is this inherent in girls' shoes, or might it be worth trying other makes? (She wears skirts to school, so can't just put a more robust pair with trousers).

I don't have so much luck with Clarks and agree more with the Shoe Zone comparison re quality. I just don't find them up to the job really.

But I invariably end up getting them for dd's because they are the only ones that seem to fit their difficult feet. And even then it's usually only one style in the entire shop that'll actually fit.

We trawled about so many shops in the summer trying to find shoes to fit them it was starting to cut into the holidays and driving us all insane. I reluctantly had to lift my Clarks boycot. I dislike them but always cave in in desperation. I can't afford Start Rite x 3

God though, I hate school shoes and everything to do with them.

DD's first pair of Hush Puppies were outgrown by the end of Sept (my own fault for buying them cheap at the beginning of the summer hols!). The new pair of HP's are lasting very well so far. I've found Clarks don't wear well at all for DD's school shoes, although they are fine for DS (3). Start-rite have been fine but Hush Puppies have been far superior, last years pair lasted the whole of year 1 and still had bags of wear left (although the uppers were looking a bit scraggy, toes crushed in etc).

Our Geox boys shoes still look very good. We bought them on sale www.johnlewis.com/133860/Style.aspx My boy is wearing them even during the weekends even though he has trainers.

Girls shoes, if they are allowed black patent seems to wear much much better than matt leather

Only time I ever bought expensive school shoes they had to be replaced (totally trashed) at the end of the first term.

DS's Shoe Zone shoes are holding up just fine.

I decided to buy cheaper shoes this years (having always bought Clarks before) because here I find the weather deteriorates so quickly that by October they are into boots and by the time it's nice enough for shoes again they have outgrown them! So I decided I'd rather save the money for some decent winter boots.

Am very pleasantly surprised at how well their £14 Mary janes from tescos have worn! Definitely no worse than their previous Clarks and no complaints about comfort either!

ds2 is on his second pair

The expensive shoes are doing very well. The sides have not caved in, there are no holes, the stitching is intact but there's a little scuff on the front.

ds2 who's in reception had some jack nano clarks i wasn't that happy when i bought them as wanted some more traditional plain leather jobbies that i could 'polish up' however these have been fab. they also have rubber around the toe they look in great condition for 7/8weeks hard wear by a 4yo especially in all the rain we've had of late.

Will be getting the start rite waterproof ones though in new year once these are outgrown.

my ds is still wearing the same ones from last yr
his feet grow very slowly

I was just about to start a thread complaining DD3 clarks are knackered already.
I will pay up to £50 for comfort and style but where from ?

dd is still wearing the pair bought at easter, black patent startrites, they look brand new. just paid a kings ransom for winter boots.

DS1 has Eccos. They've held up well and have that rubber bumper too.

DS2's shoes cost £8 - yep £8. He can ruin anything so i don't mind buying many pairs over the course of the school year at that price)

They are obviously used but they still fasten, they are still ok no major scuffs, no mis-shapen sides, the back is still intact and the stitching is still all there.

DS1 is on his 2nd (cheapo) pair. Not because of quality issues but 2 weeks into september his feet shot up a size and a half

DS wearing Ben shermans they are still perfect, as were the pair he grew out of.

Start-rite here and as good as new.

8y DD has Startrite ones this year and they are still weaing really well. They seem very comfortableon her and hold up to her being on the climbing wall in the playground fine.

She has Hush Puppies last time and we were really pleased with them too.

Funny you should mention it, DH just cleaned all the shoes and asked how long DD1's have to last as they're looking totally worn out already. It's five more weeks 'til the end of team, they're clarks, should I replace now with a cheap pair or wait 'til Christmas and replace (original plan). Hate the fact they only last a half term. She's so tough on shoes.

DS (aged 6) Startrites were falling apart but I can't quite remember when I bought them. It may have been at the start of summer.

DDs (teenage) both had Clarks, from their new range that was geared to teens but kept in the ladies' section.

DD2's lace up brogue-esque ones are still fine.

DD1's ballet shoes have stretched and gone far too wide for her, even with the insole we bought for a whopping great fiver at the same time as the shoes. Do you think I should take them back?

DS1's Clarks were £32.

They've got the sensible rubber thing at the front whih is great.

But.....

Ds1 likes to ride the scooters outside. They don't have brakes. He uses the top of his left foot as a brake . All of the stitching on the toes and across the velcro strap has been broken so they're now held together by super glue (and looking surprisingly good!)