The Best School Shoes
When it comes to buying kids shoes especially for school the choices can be difficult. The team at Begg Shoes have put together a series of blogs to help our customers make the right purchase. Whether you’re looking for Hard Wearing School Shoes for kids who are really tough on their shoes or need to know How to Measure your Kids Feet at Home we’ve got the answers for you in our advisory blogs.
Keep reading for our top picks of the best school shoes for boys and girls for 2020, which aims to highlight important features that will help make the difference for the school term ahead. Above all, the most important thing with school shoes it ensuring a good fit and fastening. Even the very best school shoes must be selected in the right size, before you can enjoy the benefits and clever features and materials. When kids feet grow quickly, don’t be tempted to buy one pair to last the full year, it won’t
First up, are the girls.
Best Girls School Shoes
1. primigi emy
£39.00
The Primigi girl’s school shoes are fantastic value for money, thanks to the high-performance PU sole construction. Lightweight, hard-wearing, shock-absorbent, flexible and long-lasting are all fantastic features of PU sole units. The girls’ velcro school shoes are easy to wear and will look smart and stylish with schoolwear. A pretty heart detail on the strap keeps them looking cute, whilst the padded collar and cushioned footbed ensure comfort with every step. Take a look at all our Primigi girl’s shoes for a style that she’ll love.
2. Clarks sea shimmer
£44.00 * E – H Fit Available
These girls school shoes are pretty, smart and comfy and sure to be a top seller in 2020 thanks to mermaid-inspired features and embellishments. Sea Shimmer comes in patent and plain leather and offers a beautifully padded topline for fitting comfort, a secure fastening, as well as a grippy and functional sole. This is by no means the only style we have which offers this, but it does come at a reasonable price. Check out full our range of Clarks school shoes for girls which includes a huge range of sizes and width fittings for all ages.
3. Geox shadow
£50.00
Geox is a popular brand for high-quality school shoes and we love this style. Made in a full leather upper and non-marking outsole these are an excellent premium school shoe choice. The Shadow offers breathability, both through the leather upper but also directly through the outsole, using a patented Geox technology. There are literally breathing holes on the bottom of the shoe – very cool stuff.
There is also a removable insole which can provide roomier fit or upgraded footbed if you wish, however, most will find this is handy for getting shoes dry out after a rainy walk home. We like the combination of high-quality materials and technology from Geox in general. This style has excellent fitting properties and while not the cheapest, this is a top shoe for everyday wear.
4. Clarks Scooter jump
£44 * f & g fit available
These Clarks girls school shoes are a simple Mary Jane shoe with a gemstone flower detail on the top and is made with durable yet elegant patent leather upper. There is additional protection against abrasions with a durable toe bumper making these perfect hardwearing school shoes. The leather footbed is breathable and creates a personalised fit over time. This style is also available in a wide range of sizes from little ones just starting school to older girls.
5. converse chuck Taylor all star – unisex
from £37 – £60 depending on size
A fantastic unisex fashion choice, for those in high school or who prefer a casual school. This is the leather version of a classic Chuck Taylor from Converse, though the canvas option is equally good and more breathable for warmer months. Available all the way from size 13 up to bigger sizes, they’re a great option for teens and due to the breadth of lacing adjustment, they can actually fit and fasten really nicely and securely too. The rubber toe bumper makes for a mega hard-wearing style, which shrugs off the bumps and scrapes but still looks good.
Keeping the laces tied and that is really important for healthy foot growth and development. For rebellious teens, try keeping a shoehorn near the front door for super-fast slip-on comfort. While not best practice for properly fitting shoes, it does actually provide a relatively good firm fastening.
6. Clarks Scala
£40 –> £44
Scala Hope * Scala Gem * Scala Bright
When it comes to the older girls then the Clarks Scala range is a must-see. From a Mary Jane to a slip-on pump style, the choices are varied. As you can expect with a pair of Clarks school shoes this range is made using premium leathers and durable rubber sole units that is flexible and lightweight. These styles are a great choice for slightly more mature and potentially fashion-conscious girls, but the presence of fastenings is really helpful to avoid overly compromising on proper fitting and comfort.
Best Boys School Shoes
1. GEOX STORM SHOE GTX
£65
One of our most popular boys’ school shoes, the Geox Storm is hard-wearing and waterproof. The black leather upper is breathable and flexible, whilst mesh fabric panels offer increased airflow and ventilation. The Gore-Tex membrane is 100% waterproof and breathable, helping to keep little feet dry and comfortable whatever the weather. The hard-wearing sole unit extends up the toe for improved durability whilst grooving on the outsole offers increased traction. Two velcro straps ensure a quick and easy fastening for boys on the move.
2. Superfit bill – high-quality indoor Plimsole
£18.00
Ask yourself the question – How long does my child spend wearing (properly fitted) school shoes, compared to time wearing plimsolls or “gymie” style shoes? In a lot of primary schools, uniform policies dictate this and it means that money and effort spent source excellent quality school shoes, can be in vain when relatively poor quality (and poorly fitted) plimsolls are worn for most of the time. For that reason, Begg Shoes set out to source this little beauty, called Bill, from European shoemaking experts Superfit.
Bill deploys high-quality materials and technical shoe design including a super soft, but also hard wearing injection moulded sole. This is the level of shoemaking technology you would find on premium footwear brands, Ecco or Legero. We feel that for the price, this little add on purchase is actually well worth the added investment if your child spends a lot of the day in plimsolls instead of their lovely school shoes.
3. Clark scape flare
£40 – £42 * E – H Fit
Designed on the natural shape of the foot for enhanced movement, these are perfect for an active day at school. With a sporty feel these boys schools shoes are made with a leather upper for a comfortable fit. The rubber sole unit is flexible and lightweight, producing all day protection and comfort.
4. Vans seldan
£37.00
A new style from Vans for this back to school season. The simple black on black design from Vans is right on trend and would suit any teen as part of their school wardrobe. If you prefer the Vans with a white sole and the iconic which stripe on the sign check out our range of Kids Vans online.
5. Geox Savage
£52.00 – £55.00
New Savage * Savage Bungee * Savage Low Cut
The Geox Savage boys school shoes are one of the most talked-about styles when it comes to back to school season. A real tough nut, this style is cleverly designed for superb comfort and flexibility too – after all its very easy to make a shoe very hard, but very difficult to make a shoe that is also flexible, comfortable and supportive with it. These style has consistently been recommended by our guide on hardwearing school shoes and has been manufactured using premium materials and construction methods.
Now available in bungee laces and a lower cut there is something to suit everyone. We find this style fits fairly wide, so a narrower foot may need an insole to get the best fit from this style. Take care when checking the fitting and you’ll find this style is a great investment and provides lasting quality.
6. Clarks Award swift
£40.00 * F & G Fit
other colours available
The Award Blaze has had an update for this year and is a great pair of school shoes for an active boy. These boys school shoes are inspired by football shoes for those who love sports. Made from a super flexible upper, these shoes have lace fastenings allowing for an adjustable fit. Plus, the Air Spring FX technology offers amazing cushioning and there is an Agion lining to help keep odours at bay. These Clarks boys school shoes come in F Fit and G Fit.
School Shoes on a Budget
At Begg Shoes we understand that Back to School season is a difficult one for some families and so have the option of offering affordable footwear for our customers with still being able to offer the professional fitting service. There is nothing wrong with wearing a pair of plimsolls but you should always remember that your children’s foot health should be your main priority.
Often teachers may insist on kids wearing plimsolls to protect the carpets, however, your child’s health is more important than floors. A few points to remember when buying plimsolls is that they are only available in an average fitting, and surveys show that only 28% of children have average fitting feet (according to the Society of Shoe Fitters). The sole of plimsolls is not as strong as other shoe options which would mean less protection for your kid’s feet if they wear them on the playground.
Healthy feet = happy feet and well-fitting shoes should be worn all day while plimsolls, trainers and wellies to be worn for sport or occasional wear.
Best school shoes brands
Clarks School Shoes
Our selection of Clarks Kids shoes come in a range of width fittings as well as whole and half sizes. Perhaps best known as the classic school shoemaker, there are actually some fantastic and innovative styles coming from the best-known brand in the business these days. We like the huge selection of styles on offer and our customers appreciate the quality materials on offer for relatively modest prices.
In the school shoe market, Clarks is also well known for their very thorough size and width fitting system. We always advise our customers to approach this with caution, as Begg Shoes have always found that any shape or style of shoe can fit differently to what you may expect. When every child has differently shaped feet, and sometimes the size of shoes is not very accurate (in our opinion). Rather than focusing on very precise sizes and measurement, it is more important to thoroughly check the fitting of a shoe, rather than blindly trust the number or the width fitting marked on the box. There are lots of excellent alternative brands which don’t use width fittings – so if you love Clarks Kids Shoes then it is worth keeping an open mind.
You’ll find that there is a pair of Clarks Shoes for everyone and the company claims they have been put through 60 wear tests. We find that most of the styles will stand up well to normal wear and if there are any issues, we can rectify this very quickly for our customers. Check out our Hard Wearing School Shoes blog, for the best of the tough wearing Clarks range this season. Our full collection is available online and we recommend you visit one of our stores to get your kids professionally fitted for their new school shoes.
Geox School Shoes
Geox school shoes offer your child comfort throughout the school day, in a high-quality package with a mix of technology and premium materials. They use a mix of leather uppers and high-quality man-made materials for some of their tougher wearing styles. The range has non-marking rubber tread throughout and there is a mix of fashion-inspired lacing styles as well as a great range with a double Velcro fastening or buckle which are great for adjustable fitting and easy everyday wear.
All Geox shoes feature the patented breathable outsole technology, with a honeycomb of air holes on the bottom of the foot. This is a fantastic piece of shoe making technology and helps keep feet healthy and warm, with reduced perspiration build-up on highly active little toes.
Vans School Shoes
Vans are becoming an increasingly popular choice for school shoes especially in high school and older kids. Their range is based on skatewear from the 80s and 90s, though fashion is the main driver for their range today. The all-black Atwood and Ward are our most sought after styles for the teenage group. Thanks to the Vans signature waffle outsoles feature they also offer excellent grip, even in wet conditions.
With the toe bumper shape of Vans they offer great protection against bumps and scrapes, making them an excellent hard-wearing choice for bigger kids.
For the best fitting shoe technology, and for high-quality materials and craftsmanship, we recommend you look at other brands however we know very well that a lot of kids today want to “wear the look.” Take care with selecting the right size and tie the lacing properly (even if hidden down one side, to try to avoid compromise on healthy foot development.
Converse School Shoes
If your kids or teens are past wearing classic school shoes, we find that Converse kids shoes are a great choice. The classic Chuck Taylor All Star Ox comes in many colours however its likely to be the canvas or leather monochrome styles that are best for school. They start from size 13 and run all the way to adults 12 in our range.
You can tell the classic All Star from its iconic design features; the branded heel patch, name-plate branded tongue, vulcanised rubber sole, brushed metal eyelets, reinforced rubber toe cap and padded footbed. These Classic Converse trainers have been scaled down in size for the little ones but still remain true to the iconic original with classic details on a comfortable canvas upper.
Superfit School Shoes
Superfit takes responsibility for children’s feet and their healthy development. 40 years ago together with paediatricians, they developed their shoes which have been optimally designed for children’s feet. We’ve already highlighted little Bill, which is a perfect indoor school shoe. They are lightweight and have a velcro fastening ensuring this style is easy for your little one to put on and off themselves.
If you’re looking for a pair of good quality waterproof school shoes, then consider the Sport 4 boot or the Joe school shoe which are manufactured with GORE-TEX lining. When GORE-TEX is used in their shoes, it is incorporated between the upper and the lining which offers excellent properties. So even if your kids love to jump in puddles, walk in the rain or play in the snow then you can rest assured that their feet will stay dry and comfortable.
