Start-Rite shoes are available in hundreds of shops on the high-street and you can also find the full collection on our website or in our very own Start-Rite shop in Norwich, Norfolk. For the best offers, feel free to browse our discounted styles.
Shopping for your child’s shoes has never been easier, with a variety of high street shops available. From the highly personalised experience at an independent specialist shoe retailer, to the browsing experience in high street chains and supermarkets, to the wealth of choice at your fingertips online, there are so many options to choose from to suit your needs!
In this blog, we explore the pros and cons of shopping online versus instore to help you find the best experience for your family and lifestyle.
There’s no right or wrong way to shop for your child’s shoes - both instore and online have their merits. Depending on what you value most from the buying experience, you may find one or the other suits you better. It’s all about finding the best method for you.
In fact, some parents even choose to do both!
This option involves first experiencing an instore fitting and consultation with a children’s shoe expert, allowing you to gather tips, tricks and advice about finding the best shoe for your child. Once you have this information, it might be more convenient for you to shop online - ticking shoe-shopping off your to-do list without even needing to leave your home.
Finding the best deal is often a big driver when it comes to your choice of shoe shop - but how does instore compare to online?
Well, here at Start-Rite, we guide our retail partners on pricing for our shoes - but we don’t control it. This can sometimes mean that our shoes are available on sale in certain stockists, but not online - or vice versa!
Because of this, we can’t guarantee you can get a better price by shopping instore or online, as it all depends on the sales and discounts available when you choose to shop. However, shoes bought at full price should cost the same whether you shop with one of our stockists or on our website.
When shopping online for shoes, it’s important to take into account delivery costs, as this can be a differentiator between instore and online prices. On the other hand, getting your child’s shoes delivered may be less expensive and more convenient than travelling to your nearest stockist and paying for parking and fuel. It’s important to weigh up all the factors when looking for the most cost-effective option.
The key to getting the right fit online is first to understand the shape of your child’s foot, so you can whittle down the best style options for them. Styles that aren’t suited to your child’s foot shape can wear more quickly, cause discomfort or even lead to problems like corns or blisters.
Getting your child’s feet measured instore by a fitting expert is a sure-fire way to ensure that the shoes fit the foot and your child is comfortable. There is also something fun and rewarding about the personalised experience your child receives when visiting a shoe fitting professional.
Once you’re confident in the styles that will suit your child best, then online shopping can be a quick and simple experience. Keep on top of your child’s current size using an easy digital measuring tool, SizeWise. You can get more advice in our measuring help section.
There will always be a larger choice of shoes to select from online, as most independent shoe shops simply don’t have the space to accommodate all the stock required to offer multiple sizes across many different styles. As a result, shops will often prioritise the styles they think will suit their local customers.
For example, Start-Rite’s most popular styles such as the school shoe Rhino Warrior are likely to be stocked in most of our independent retailers, but newer styles such as Cadet might not be. However, once you know the right size and style of shoe to look for, you can explore the wider variety available in our extensive online collection of boys and girls shoes.
Sometimes, shopping for children’s shoes isn’t as simple as picking out the right style and size. The advice of a professional fitter can be really helpful - especially if your child has specific needs such as wide feet, high insteps or sensory needs.
Shopping instore can give you the benefit of a professional fitter’s full attention, giving you advice that is tailored to your situation and your child’s feet. However, you can also find a lot of great information online to help you learn more about your child’s developing feet and footwear needs.
Another important point to consider is that, just like clothes sizes, there is no standard sizing in shoes. You might know that a dress size 10 will fit you in one shop, but in another you might need a 12. The same principle can apply to shoes, making it vital to check the manufacturer’s size guidelines before you buy.
At the end of the day, it’s not as simple as either instore or online shoe shopping being better for you and your child. Both methods have their pros and cons, and it’s up to you to decide which is the most convenient and cost-effective choice for your circumstances. The good news is that our Start-Rite styles are available both online and instore through a range of high street stockists, so you never have to miss out.
Author: Click, published 17-04-2026.
