Investing in quality school shoes can feel quite daunting for many parents when, in a matter of hours, their little one comes home with scuffs and marks.
We’re proud of our mantra – ‘Never Outworn, Only Outgrown’, and we encourage children to wear our shoes as hard as they wish! They are designed for the rough and tumble of school life and prepared for all the challenges little ones put them through. From dyed-through leather to super strong stitching and moulded soles, our school shoes won’t give up. Given the right care, our school shoes can last the test of the whole school year and protect little ones’ healthy development for the duration.
We know that parents want to do the best to protect their investment and for their little ones to look smart and feel confident as they enter the school gates. Here, we have put together our five top tips for keeping shoes looking like new and lasting longer.
This sounds like an obvious point from fitted footwear specialist! However ill-fitting shoes will show signs of wear sooner and any misshapen shoe will put undue pressure on the integrity of the material and will cause discomfort. It’s a good idea to know the right shape of shoe for the shape of your child’s foot, as purchasing will be a lot easier. For a wide foot for example, look for styles with a rounder toe and flexible fastening that can be loosened to fit the foot.
During the winter months, dry them out when they get wet – moisture on the inside might mis-shape the inside of the shoe, damage the fabric or encourage an odour to develop. Insert a ball shaped piece of newspaper into the shoe and wrap the outside in newspaper too. Avoid placing them in direct heat, such as a radiator, heater or fire, as the excess heat can over dry the shoes and cause damage to the leather or shrink it.
Believe it or not, children can easily misplace a shoe at school or come home wearing someone else’s shoes. And there is nothing more frustrating than unknowingly swapping your investment with another pair that hasn’t been as well looked after! Shop our Start-Rite Shoe Name Labels to ensure that your child’s shoes always make it home safely.
Get your children to take their shoes off when they come home to enable them to air overnight and top tip – cover the insole with bicarbonate of soda to stay ahead of odour developing. Just tip the powder out in the morning.
Remove excess mud and grit to prevent build up and wear on the leather.
Polishing shoes frequently will always provide a good level of protection from splashes and stains and will keep the shoes looking newer for longer. Polishing keeps leather supple and conceals scuffs and scratches. Add a sheen finish to your polished shoes, using a lint free cloth and buff rigorously to achieve the desired level of shine. Apply a Waterproof Protector weekly for extra protection. Our Waterproof Protector Spray repels water, mud and oil. If you buy a pair of shoes, it can be disappointing when you head out in the rain and they start to leak or when sun damage ruins a pair of shoes. These can be avoided with weekly use of a waterproof protector. Read more detail on how to clean shoes here and shop our shop our Start-Rite Shoe Care Range here.
We cannot stress more that a good quality pair of school shoes is a wise investment and will pay dividends in the long run. Catering for growth spurts, you can expect to need two pairs of Start-Rite school shoes to last the school year, and while they are not eroding around the child’s foot, they will protect their healthy development.
On average, a fewer quality pair of shoes will only be suitable for four weeks’ wear, before the outer erodes and the inside of the shoe is not supporting the child effectively. Given the school year includes 25 full weeks, you can expect to purchase at least six pairs of shoes at this lower cost. The overall spend across the year, will be greater than purchasing quality shoes.
Look for quality shoes made of leather because it is more hardwearing than canvas or synthetic materials. And Start-Rite shoes also include leading technology to protect the healthy development of the child and to maximise comfort throughout the school day.
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Author: Vista, published 20-06-2022.
