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So DD need black shoes for school next year (eep!). Where do you buy yours? What sort? We had a quick look at Clarks the other day and the ones she liked were $125!! I was a bit :o "Let's keep looking shall we?"
She can't tie laces yet, so something that is slip on or with Velcro would suit. She liked a Mary Jane style one that had Velcro.
Suggestions?
I got DD1 some from Betts when she started school. They were Mary Janes with Velcro even though should could tie laces as I wanted everything to be as easy as possible for her. They were about $90 on sale. I nearly had a heart attack, but knowing how much she grew I wanted her to be in the best shoes possible as it was a long time for her to be in them.
However, In true Darcy style she had worn through the toes and grown clear out of them before the end of first term :O She is not having expensive shoes again until she evens out. Since she's now in ladies shoes the cost is hideous.
Bear in mind that she'll be wearing those shoes 5 days a week for a year so at that price, they really are good value. I have always bought Clark school shoes and found they wear incredibly well and they are super comfortable. A friend of mine has to buy new school shoes for her DD every term because she buys a cheaper brand so when you look at it that way, your original outlay might be more but it'll be cheaper in the long run.
I saw some really nice shoes in Williams but can't remember the brand or price.
In a few weeks when the back to school sales start the prices come down. Maybe shop around then.
Spend the money and buy the expensive ones. They will be so much better for her feet in the long run and they will last longer too. I have been buying the Athlete's Foot Ascent brand of shoes for DS1 and DD1 purely because they both have custom orthotics and they need the support for their feet and they have been worth every penny. With DD2 I can get her the Roc brand of shoes which are really good as well and not as expensive. Honestly, I would avoid the kmart/bigw cheapies because they seem cheap at the time, but when you are replacing them several times a year they aren't that cheap anymore. If she can't tie laces, the Roc, Grosby and Clarks brands are all really good for either velcro or buckle shoes for girls. Avoid slip ones as they can come off during play and most schools don't like them. The other alternative is black riding boots - one of my girls wore boots for a few years because she found them really comfy and they are easy to pull on and off.
I bought velcro clark ones for dd1 for $64 last yr at taylor shoes when they had back to school sale.
I bought lynx velcro and a pair of clarks a few months ago at mathers for $35 and $50 respectively.
Join up to the fusion club which gives you discounts at mathers williams and some other brands. They had 40% off everything a few months back which is when i stocked up lol
We've had the full range of shoes from terrible through to pretty good. TBH I can't afford to be paying > $100 for a pair of shoes at a time of year when there are so many other expenses, but if I could, I would, because your kid wears them every single day, so it doesn't make sense to economise on them. Having said that, we've had mid-priced shoes from places like Williams (ie shoe shop) & even the Grosby's from Target that have fit well & lasted well through the year. But you need to be a savvy shopper because in the mid-price range, the quality varies a lot. I look for leather, evidence of good seams, & the extra inserts (for better fit). I would steer clear of the very cheap, we bought some in a desperation one year (DD's size was sold out everywhere else) and they didn't last the term even.
And good soles. The cheap ones have plasticky soles - it's a dead giveaway even when the rest of the shoe looks ok.
And word to the wise - make sure your kid understands the relationship between dragging their feet/kicking the ground and how shoes get holes in them!!!
My DH lives in sneakers, so he was picky when it came to DD's school shoes for next year. We ended up buying her a pair of Asics for around $80. DD can't tie laces yet either, but these ones have the elastic laces that you can tighten/loosen but can't be undone IYKWIM. They also have a Velcro strap across the top.
Will be watching as we need to do this soon tooo
I always get my kids Clarks as they actually last the whole year on my boys. That's what makes paying the extra $$ worth it and not to mention they are more comfortable.
DFO South Warf in the City has a store that sells the Clark shoes at around $70-80. Not as many styles to choose from, I do remember seeing the Mary Jane Velcro style though.
Other brands to try are ROC and Airflex.
For the first time last year my boys wore different brand shoes as my DS1 found the Airflex more comfortable than the Clarks.
We use betts shoes they have lasted all year which is great for dd1 as she is really hard on her shoes we have to get sneakers every term regardless if what brand. She outgrew the first pair which will fit dd2 and the second pair dd1 can keep for next year they just need a bit of a polish. We use Velcro ones as well as the girls can't tie laces too well yet.
I grew up wearing Clarkes, but when I got DD1 her first pair they cost $100 and she barely wore them 3 weeks. Not sure if her feet suddenly grew or if they were poorly fitted in the first place (next time I will take them back)
So I go mid range these days from Payless. Some are quite good and have removable inner soles, which means they can wear them for a bit longer. I have found that DD1 prefers to wear sneakers, which the school has no issue with and even seems to encourage.
Hmm I hadn't thought of black Asics. She's wearing Asics now because she is pigeon toed :( Possibly I will need to invest in good ones for the same reason I don't want her wearing el cheapo sneaker type things - not good for her feet. Gah. The Asics have lasted her a while... Maybe the Clarkes would last her a while... Pity we don't have another DD to hand things down to!
H thanks for the DFO suggestion! Good thought!
Myer also had a buy one get 50% of second pair sale in Clark's last year in the back to school sale.
Handy if you know someone with a child who needs school shoes also ;)
Sweet. Shopping with my sister it is :)
Myer have 25% off when you purchase 2 pairs of school or sports shoes
Went back to the shops today and shoes n sox at Doncaster (for the locals) had 20% off school shoes. So we bought a good pair - not the $125 Clarks but a $100 that came down to $80. So that's not so bad. Fingers crossed they last longer than a term...!
Myer have some Clarks for $80 too, taking DD soon, she only had one pair last year but two pairs in prep due to growing feet :/
We seemed to only make it to September each year and dd would have outgrown or worn them out. She even managed to wear out the Clarks. I could be wrong but it seems to me that the Clarks vary in quality too. By grade 3 we were just buying runners as our school does not mind runners and school has 2 sports sessions in 7 day timetable so much easier to wear runners every day.
Myer had doc marten Mary Jane school shoes!
Blight both girls the lynx Mary Jane style today at Williams - glad it was 50% off the second pair as DP nearly had a heart attack :p
Sports shoes she chose between an Adidas & an Asics, both fit well but she decided on the Asics - of course they are purple and bright colors but with a school if 17 kids total I'm hoping runners aren't an issue.
I figure she will be wearing her black shoes every day & runners for sports days or after school to gymnastics.
We bought black Velcro Clark's at mathers they have sale on school shoes. They also had lynx on sale but didn't have DS1 size and lady said Clark's were better made! She still gave both bits the lynx flashy ball even thought bought Clark's!
I think were $64