School starts up next week for my kids, and I’m getting things organised for another school term. I buffed the children’s shoes (note: I realisticlaly only do this about once every 3 months) and thought I would report on how the shoes have gone at the half-year mark. Take a look.
The brands: Clarks, Clarks, Lynx, Clarks.
Notes
- 2 x Clarks Daytona (expensive $) – Lace Ups: They have lasted well. My two older girls find them comfortable and, apart from the scuffing at the front, they are still in good nick. They just need a bit of polish.
- Lynx Jupiter (middle $) – Mary Jane Style Velcro Strap: These will need replacing in the next month or so I think. They are quite worn now, and some of the stitching is just beginning to come apart. Still, I’m happy with how they have held up. The velcro still works okay so that’s a plus.
- Clarks Ventura (middle $, although expensive for sneakers) – Velcro Sneakers: These are totally trashed. Ha-ha. My son is SO hard on his school shoes. This holidays, I purchased him new shoes and discovered he has grown TWO SIZES in the last 6 months. I wanted to try another brand with him this time, so I went with Sketches. Haven’t purchased this brand before so it will be interesting to see how they hold up to the very vigorous testing my son will inflict on them.
In my experience with school shoes, and how long they last really depends on the child and the quality of shoe. My children who are into sport-type games at lunch time are the hardest on their shoes.
I’ve tried cheap shoes before ($20-$50) and they only usually last a couple of months max, so it’s not worth it in the long run (I end up paying more by the end of the year). The next bracket up ($50-$80) tend to last quite well in my experience (often just as well as the higher bracket) so these are a good option for my children who are hard on shoes, and I often need to buy two pairs for them during the school year. The expensive school shoes ($90-$130) are sturdy (especially the traditional-style shoes) and tend to fit my children’s feet well. For my older kids, I am happy to invest in these because they usually last the year.
4 Comments
Melissa
July 16, 2015 at 9:07 pmHaha – your son’s velcro sneakers look EXACTLY like my 8yo’s. It doesn’t matter if I buy the most or least expensive shoes as they’ll still end up like that within a term. I’ve seen the way he scrapes his toes as he runs on the asphalt at school so its no wonder, but it drivers me bonkers. My 6yo’s shoes are still pristine. I think they’re cheaper ones based on my experiences with his older brother, but he aces much better care of them 🙂
Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
July 17, 2015 at 6:05 amAfter reading this, maybe I should try a cheap pair of shoes on him again. Seems like i’m just throwing money away on shoes for him sometimes! haha.
Brigitte
July 17, 2015 at 11:07 amWhat a GREAT post you’ve done!!! Now I can justify the money spent on Clarks I can see … I bought some shoes – $5 from Target for myself a few months back (fake Converse) and they’re already cracked along the bottom … Along with my slippers which lasted a month!! Not a good look (or feel – when they seep water) in Winter!!! Now I’m a Mum, I dress a lot more for comfort – running and play – so my shoe style has definitely changed from the working days!!! Looking at the shoes above has made me even more grateful for having a girl, not a boy … Although I’m sure I’d love them just as much anyway!!! Thank goodness for good quality hand me downs from others!!
Deb @ Bright and Precious
July 27, 2015 at 4:35 pmOh this is a hot topic for me! Interesting to see your roadtest result! I still haven’t found the perfect shoe. I had to laugh at those sneakers your son wore out – it reminds me a lot of my daughter. She’s so hard on shoes! I would dearly love to buy her the more expensive good quality shoes (because I agree with your theory) but getting her to like any styles is also a battle. She’s very particular about comfort and look!