Gearing up to search for your child’s newest pair of school shoes? Find out everything you need to know about the buying process in this comprehensive guide, including why, how and what to buy as your little one heads back to school. Below, we cover:
With this guide, school shoe shopping doesn’t have to be an end-of-summer panic, trying to find the best price in whatever’s left on the shelves. We’ll help you to shop more intentionally and find a pair that’s right for your child and your wallet.
Here at Start-Rite, we talk a lot about the importance of choosing supportive shoes for your child. Put simply, a shoe that helps to protect little feet also encourages healthy development – which in turns helps to reduce the risk of related health problems later in life.
This is important to consider for any shoe, but when it comes to school shoes, it’s even more crucial. Why? Because your child will typically wear their school shoes for around 190 days a year – that’s more than 50% of the time.
On top of that, their time in other shoes during evenings, weekends and holidays will often be split between several different pairs, so each individual shoe takes less of the burden. Whereas with school shoes, it’s common for children to wear the same pair five days a week for as long as they last.
That’s the part that’s important for your child’s health – but your choice of school shoes can also have a big impact financially.
With Start-Rite, you can be certain you’re paying for a pair of shoes that support your child’s feet throughout their use, right up until your child grows out of them. You’ll reap the benefits of increased durability and protection, so the shoes won’t fall apart halfway through the new term.
In contrast, others school shoes wear out more quickly, so they need to be replaced more often – and when that happens, they’re not supporting your child’s feet as well as they should. Plus, having to replace school shoes repeatedly throughout the school year can be costly and time-consuming.
So how can you ensure that the school shoes you choose are fit for purpose?
1. Measure correctly.
It might seem obvious, but measuring your child’s feet before shopping for their new school shoes is one of the best ways to ensure you’ll find the right fit for them.
With busy schedules and hectic lifestyles, it can be easy to bypass taking the time to measure every time you shop – but it really is essential. Children’s feet grow faster than you might think, and that means you can’t simply rely on choosing the size they had last time.
Fortunately, there are lots of different ways to measure, ranging from a professional fitting instore to digital measuring tools and gauges so you can measure for school shoes at home. You’re sure to find a method that works for your family.
2. Check brand-specific size guides. Contrary to popular belief, there’s no strict standardised sizing across all shoe brands. Like clothing sizes, your shoe size can vary slightly from brand to brand. In some brands, you may be advised to size up from your usual size, or to size down instead.
Here at Start-Rite, our shoes are designed to fit the shape of children’s feet, helping them to feel supported and protected. We include 'growing room' in all of our shoes, which allows little toes that extra space to stretch and flex.
Because of this, there’s no need to size up or down with our school shoes. Just measure your child’s feet, find the measurements on our size charts, and browse for shoes in that particular size. And remember, this applies to width fittings as well!
3. Look for protective and supportive features.
Not all school shoes are made the same, and that means not all school shoes will suit your child perfectly. Often, it can be the added features that separate the best shoes from the ones that are just 'okay'.
4. Learn from past purchases
Generalised shoe shopping tips can be helpful, but sometimes the best tips can come from your own experience.
Think about the last pair of school shoes you bought for your little one. Were they comfortable? Did they last the full term, or begin to fall apart midway through? How expensive were they? What was the cost-per-wear?
Cost-per-wear is a way to understand the real cost of a pair of shoes based not only on price but on longevity. For example:
A £30 pair of school shoes that lasts five weeks → Cost-per-wear = £6/week or £1.20 per wear
A £50 pair of school shoes that lasts 13 weeks → Cost-per-wear = £3.84/week or 77p per wear
This is just an example, but it illustrates how prices can sometimes be deceptive. Buy better, buy once. And some of our Start-Rite school shoes have been proved to last four times longer than high street brands.
You can also use past experiences to make other choices, such as which materials to look for or which styles to browse. If there’s something about their old school shoes your child liked, that’s often a good starting point for your search.
5. Ask for your child's input
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a few options, it’s a great idea to get your child involved with the final decision. After all, they’re the ones who’ll be wearing them!
Children like to feel they look smart, especially if they’re starting a new year or school. But they also like to feel independent and like an adult, able to make their own decisions about what they wear.
As an added bonus, with a choice they like, they might even be more interested in looking after their school shoes throughout the term – another opportunity to teach them valuable skills and independence.
With different schools having different uniform requirements, it can sometimes be difficult to know which shoes your child needs. These days, there’s more variety available than ever – but it pays to check in advance which kinds of shoes your child’s school allows.
For instance, there are:
Learn more about the shoe vs trainer debate.
A similar consideration applies to colours – while black is a safe choice, other colours like navy blue are available for those wanting a little extra individuality.
Don’t forget PE! If your child needs new school shoes, they might need new PE trainers or plimsolls as well – and these can be just as important for their growth and development.
All of our school shoes are designed to be supportive to children’s feet, but some styles are tailored towards specific needs. Here, we spotlight some of our best styles across the board.
Best school shoes for durability
Cadet and Star Jump are top of the range durable styles, offering stylish designs that are neither too rugged nor too preppy. These robust styles are packed with the best Start-Rite intelligence, from Air-Rite technology to biomechanical soles, padded ankles and dyed-through leather.
Parents can rest assured that in these hard wearing styles, their children are receiving the very best all-round protection.
Best school shoes for unbeatable value
Yo Yo and Talent are in a selection of highly popular premium styles that have dropped in price to just £15, making these high quality fitted shoes accessible to more families feeling the pinch this summer. These are top-quality, durable shoes for school that support healthy physical development at an unbeatable price.
Best school shoes on a budget
Topic and Study are part of the celebrated 'Simply by Start-Rite' limited collection of timeless styles from the Start-Rite archive. These pared back pairs of tried and tested designs provide assurances of durability and comfort. Priced at just £40 to £45, the collection gives more families the opportunity to purchase quality-fitted footwear.
Best school shoes for flat feet
Glitch and Samba (also available in navy) have a slightly raised heel, elongated comfortable leather upper and padded ankle. These styles are a great option for secondary age children with flat feet. For primary age children with flat feet, Wish and Quad with their fun, appealing designs are a good choice.
Best school shoes for a high instep
Rocket and Dazzle are the go-to fit for children with a high instep. With a notably deeper upper to secure the foot and a highly flexible sole unit, the shapes is are protective and comfortable, while the surrounds is are durable and scuff-resistant. Parents can feel assured their child’s healthy development is being protected.
Best school shoes for active children
Action and Imagine will hold up to even the most active child's day. The appropriately named Action for primary boys is designed with a wraparound toe and additional heel protection.
Looking for a secondary style that is the toughest shoe in the larger range? Try Rhino Sherman, which comes in sizes large 1 through to large 11 and four width fittings and features a direct mould injection onto the sole for maximum durability, and Impact - these shoes will protect your children no matter how hard the test.
Best school shoes for narrow feet
Engineer is a classic shaped, robust style with a narrow width option and adjustable rip-tape fastening that ensures all round comfort. Hermioneis a smart style inherently designed with a narrower profile, that provides secure comfort for a narrow foot.
While narrow in shape, these shoes still provide the assurances of durable quality fitted footwear.
Best school shoes for wide feet
Looking for the best wide fit school shoes? You’ll need a G or H width. These are the widest fittings in children’s school shoes, with H being extra wide.
Styles that are fantastic for wide feet are Rocket and Charlotte, both of which are stacked with Start-Rite intelligence, from flex grooves in the sole to Air-Rite technology for enhanced breathability.
For senior boys with wide feet go for Trooper and for senior girls, Samba which is available in navy and black.
Want more options? Explore our full collection of wide fit school shoes.
Best school shoes for secondary school
Brogue and Impulsive are designed for older children taking a more mature approach to styling their school uniform. Suitable for many occasions, these shoes still promise Start-Rite intelligence, comfort and durability throughout.
Best school shoes for different occasions
Looking for a flexible style that doubles as an excellent option for special occasions or evenings out? Then Academy and Brogue Pri (also available in vegan) fit the bill. This duo of formal lace-ups look sharp with any outfit. Academy is also perfect for younger boys not looking for a trainer style, who still require the intelligent biomechanics.
For younger children starting school, Twizzle is an ideal cross-over style as a classic Mary Jane. With bow detailing, it’s perfect for special occasions and all day comfort.
Best school shoes for vegan
Bliss vegan and Engineer vegan are both crafted with a black vegan synthetic material, a breathable and durable non-leather alternative for school shoes. These styles will stand the test of the school day and protect your children's feet, with a guarantee of comfort throughout.
Best school shoes for children with additional needs
Locket are two styles with adjustable, strong, resilience-tested rip-tape fastenings, enhanced toe and heel bumpers, dyed-through leather for scuff-resistant colour and a comfortable sole unit so children can be independent, confident and comfortable all day long.
Both styles come in a large range of sizes and appealing designs for children with super imaginations, and the added benefit of Rocket’s glow in the dark features adds a touch of safety in the darker months.
Need more information before you buy? We’ve got you covered. Head on over to our school shoes hub to find all of our resources on school matters, including fitting advice, care and protection, uniform worries and tips for the back to school period.
Author: Click, published 15-08-2026.
