Can I just do a quick poll of those of you who have boys

[katierocket]

Are you generally happy with the choice in boys shoes? Whenever I go shoe shopping for DS I am so disappointed at the lack of choice/range of different designs / colours etc. Everything seems to be black or brown or navy. Does anyone know anywhere that does more stylish boys shoes?
These are my favourite make but not that many places seem to stock them naturino
reckon there might be a gap in the market but would be interested to hear what everyone thinks.

Mine are too old now (14, 16 & 18) but I could never see why their shoes had to be so dull. We always got them at the Clarks factory so we managed to keep them in purple and turquoise for longer than usual. Someone mentioned 6 as a cut-off age, but mine would have been happy with colourful shoes until they had to have "school shoes" for secondary school at 11.

(They also are H fitting with a high instep and a narrow ankle..)

Agree totally. My ds is 3.5 and I am so dissapointed in Clarks. We tend to go to Russell and Bromley now.

Don't have a problem with Clarks at all! DS1 has to wear black shoes for school - had no problem in finding a nice pair. Likes trainers with lights for any other time - go with anything - how much does a pair of shoes cost in Russell and Bromley or Ravel?

ah but talullah most children these days are in uniform and black school shoes from primary. DS started wearing uniform and black shoes in September aged 4 1/2.

I couldn't agree more hativity. I have searched high and low for some decent school shoes (black or navy) for dd, there aren't any good winter shoes. They are either boots or open on top....not great in rain or snow! The only ones I have found have a 2inch clumpy heel!

I have a DD not a DS, but I agree that boys shoes are dull and boring in the UK. So are boys clothes (as mentioned several times here in past threads - a big bugbear on MN methinks).
Seem to remember funkier styles on offer in Germany?
There are far too many pink or lilac shoes for girls though.

It isn't jsut shoes though is it? Boys clothes are jsut as unispired so at the end of the day we're better off buyng black or brown as it will go with the rest of their clothes.

oh, and I am finding it impossible to find nice boys pram shoes. The girls are so lovely and the boys are jsut terrible. The dts keep losing socks, but I still haven't found any nice ones.

Bozza, our primary had a uniform but DD went in blue and red hand-painted shoes with suns and rainbows on, and got away with it!

Nope not really. Though I recently picked up a gorgeous pair in the local designer shop that I love (the shoes that is)

Kelly, have a look here . Click on baby shoes on the R and put your size in (maybe too dear for pram shoes though?)

To answer the original question: NO! It seems to be either clunky black shoes (the shops say it's because of school uniform regulations) or trainers. If you want anything different you have to go for the more expensive ranges. And when it costs £25+ three or four times a year twice over to keep two children in Clarks, I'll be winning the lottery before I spend £40 on a pair of shoes for either of them at this age.

Kelly, try Ollipops . They stay on very well!

boys ruin them anyway.

Thanks for the recomendations. Have you tried those shoes then? It's a lot to pay out if they lose one of them. And do you have any idea what the sizing is like? I find most of them come up rather small.

I found that they were value-for-money. They lasted two children, and all are still good enough condition to be used again. Only one pair looks at all tatty. Neither of my children were able to get them off. Ollipops had a sale section with the previous year's styles - not that it made much difference, they had such a variety of styles. They had a wonderful lambskin pair, lovely and toastie warm for ds in the winter when he started walking.

Here you go: sizing .

ooh measurements too, thanks for that, I think I will try it. I'm not planning any more to hand them down to - four is enough! but if they don't lose them, then it will be value for money.

Boys wreck their shoes playing football, kicking stuff, scuffing them on the floor... they need boring bog standard shoes. At least my DSs do.

The choice for boys once they get into bigger sizes really is crap isn't it. Ds1 is 3 and a size 11, the only decent ones I have managed to get him are the Clarks Gore-Tex ones. Thankfully they were £25 new off Ebay and not £38 from Clarks! Other than them, it's all black school shoes. I mean, don't they think children go anywhere other than school or kicking about in trainers?!

Ds has boring Start-rites for school and usually something a bit jollier from the Ricosta/Elefanten ranges for "leisure wear". I am still undecided about buying funky casuals for boys in lurid colours by mail order (one for the Perfect Parents thread there I think) because there is a good choice in the Vertbaudet and La Redoute catalogues.
For once it is quite an advantage to parent a little Fotherington-Thomas...the Ricostas are pretty clean and presentable after 8 weeks because we use wellies for mucky stuff and the rest of the time ds is drawing comics

the other thing that gets on my nerves about boys is how comes after they are 12m there is very little choice in baby blues,beiges and whites their clothes all seem to be brown,black and really dark and dull!