When To Buy School Shoes

As your little ones grow up, it’s inevitable that school shoes will need to be bought, it’s likely they’ll go through a good few pairs before school is done. And not forgetting that kids will be kids and kicking footballs, climbing, running and many other mischievous activities are the norm which can be tough going for school shoes on a day to day basis.

There’s no hard and fast rule for when is the right time to buy school shoes for children, because so many different factors can have an impact on your child's needs. They could have had a growth spurt and now their current shoes are too small, or they’ve started to look a little worse for wear so a freshen up is needed. Whatever the reason, we’re going to take a look at what you might need to consider, trends and what school footwear is available as well as tips on how to save money without compromising on quality.

Growing Feet

One of the most common reasons for having to invest in a new pair of school shoes for your little one is growing feet. Children go through 17 sizes on average during their school years, this means there are a huge number of changes going on when it comes to the shape of your childrens feet. Taking this into consideration, it’s always important to keep checking the fit, especially for boys school shoes as boys feet tend to grow a little bit faster than girls. Use our boys shoe sizing and fitting guide to help with this. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be paying close attention to your little girls school shoes too, our girls shoe fitting guide is full of useful information to help get the correct fit.

The thing to always remember when it comes to kids school shoes, is that they’re wearing them all day, five days a week. It’s vital that they fit well so as not to affect their feet as they grow. As soon as the school shoes start to become tight or they no longer have any wiggle room, it’s time for a change. Unfortunately there is no mathematical equation that will dictate when these growth spurts might happen, so check regularly for signs of change.

With this in mind, it’s advisable not to buy school shoes at the beginning of the summer holidays. As children's feet can suddenly grow, always consider buying them last, ideally no more than two weeks before they’re due to go back.

Choice & Range

When it comes to choosing school shoes for your little one, it’s likely they’ll want a pair that will express their own sense of style, so finding a decent range is important. The best time for buying new school shoes is towards the end of the summer holidays. Affectionately known as “back to school” season, this is when most people will opt to start buying new school items for their children.

We would always recommend choosing a pair of school shoes that are suitable for most weather conditions as well as being fully supportive. Leather shoes are likely to be the most hardwearing too which reduces the need to buy more because they’re falling apart.

Beat The Crowds

It’s standard practice for shoe stores to release a new range of school footwear during August and September, some may even opt for later in July. Though we would recommend waiting as late as possible to buy new school shoes to avoid any growth spurts, if a particular style is required it maybe that you need to get in there a little earlier to avoid disappointment.

If your little one has found the absolute must-have pair but the right size isn’t available, don’t be afraid to ask the shoe store if they can order the correct size. This might just save you lots of time and hassle searching for an alternative pair.

Offers, Discounts & Buying Online

Picking up a bargain when it comes to school uniform is every parent's dream, especially when it’s shoes, possibly one of the most expensive components of the uniform. Finding offers when it comes to school shoes can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but they are out there. There are a number of independent websites/magazines that will offer vouchers for certain retailers. Some retailers, like us here at shoezone may also offer a discount for your loyalty by encouraging you to sign up for newsletters for example. If you’re in a shoe store, don’t be afraid to ask if there is a discount available that you can take advantage of, you’ll more than likely find there is!

Of course here at shoezone we try to keep our prices low all year round without compromising on quality. You can be assured of affordable school shoes both in our stores and online. From time to time you might also find suitable school shoes in our Offers section so be sure to keep a look out!

If you’re looking to buy school shoes online, there are a few precautions you need to take when doing this. Firstly, you need to ensure your child's feet have been properly measured and sized before choosing a pair, make sure the width fitting is correct too.

Once you have all of this information, buying online can mean you’re able to pick up some real bargains, there are numerous websites that offer shoes at discounted prices, which can mean a quality pair at a fraction of the standard price. Once the shoes are delivered, ensure your little one wears them around the house for at least twenty minutes, this will make sure they’re comfortable and won’t cause any issues. If there are problems, the best thing to do would be return them for a different size if possible.

Though savings can be made online, it can be a little more time consuming if your first choice isn’t suitable, so do bear this in mind when the time comes for your little one goes back to school.

Conclusion

Buying childrens school shoes is one of those things that may seem like an impossible task, especially when you have a little one that knows exactly what they want. Our advice would be to ensure that you fully measure their feet, shop around as much as possible and keep a lookout for any growth spurts… They’ll thank you for it in the long run!