Kids’ school shoes are a real investment. Mini has just had to have new ones as his feet had grown so we opted for a new pair of durable Clarks school shoes and they cost £42, thankfully we had a £40 voucher from Clarks to put towards them. For Mini we really have to look to a shop like Clarks as he has wide feet and a high instep. His current shoes are a 2.5 H width fitting and they had plenty of classic black school shoes to choose from including durable leather lace-up looks or more modern designs.
With boys who seem to grow overnight I am always reassured by Clarks fit guarantee, if their shoes don’t fit 3 months from their in-store fitting, they exchange them. So not only do you get unbeatable Clarks quality you get reassurance that they will last more than three months. This is applicable not just school shoes, but school trainers too (but not adults’ footwear sizes). So it makes sense to get your kid’s feet measured in-store (subject to T&Cs).
When you pay that short of money for shoes it is essential that you look after them and I have to say I learned a lot about caring for leather shoes from my Dad and Granddad.
Tips for caring for school shoes
- Add a name label, when you have paid for school shoes, you do not want to lose them! a name label, when you have paid for school
- Protect them before they are first worn with a protective waterproof spray and again on a regular basis.
- Never dry them over a radiator or heat source when wet, instead fill with crumpled newspaper of paper and allow to dry naturally.
- Get your children to take them off when they get home from school to air them out.
- Remove dirt as soon as possible, get in to the habit of giving them a wipe over each night with a damp cloth
- Clean on a regular basis with a leather cleaner. I am an old-fashioned wax and brush girl, which I leave on for an hour to sink in before removing with a soft brush and rag. Applying the wax with a brush gets it in to all the bumps and crevices and will cover the scratch marks.
- If your kids can not tie laces then Claks have handy riptape straps (the posh name for velcro), I clean them using a toothpick.
- Liquid scuff polish is a great quick fix to keep shoes looking smart
- If shoes start to smell then a sprinkling of bicarbonate of soda in them overnight will deodorise them.
Mini wanted the yellow and green trainers, but school shoes have to be black and I prefer black leather, not just for comfort but also for their breathability. I love the use of coloured laces to bring shoes and boots up to date and will be doing this with the boys’ shoes as long as the school say that is OK.
Not only do the shoes come in a range of width fittings and half sizes, they also have flexible soles and super-soft footbeds for busy days and long-lasting comfort. Even if we buy the kids shoes online, I opt for in-store fitting of my kids’ feet – Did you know you can book a slot during the busy school season?
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