This time of year can feel surprisingly complicated; everyone's still in holiday mode, but you're busy preparing for September, ordering schoolwear and trawling the shops for the perfect pencil case.
Between school uniform rules, growth spurts over the summer, and the fast-paced world of what's cool and not, it's no wonder we see a huge increase in customer questions in August.
We've spent years helping families find school shoes that work for real children and real school days. Every summer we talk to hundreds of parents who are trying to balance their kids' comfort with a real need for practicality, durability, and what their child will actually agree to wear.
Some questions come up year after year, so we've pulled together ten of the most common ones, along with our honest answers. Whether you're sending your little one off to school for the first time, replacing worn-out or grown-out shoes, or just looking for THE shoe your child will be happy to wear all day long, we hope this guide helps make the decision a little easier.
My child has been wearing barefoot shoes all summer. Why do school shoes suddenly feel wrong?
Be Lenka Kids Canvi Sneakers Comics Colour | Textile Summer Shoes
Getting back into school shoes can feel very different after a summer of near-freedom. There's too much shoe around their foot, and like school clothes, they can feel a bit restrictive after six weeks in T-shirts and shorts. Even if the fit is spot on, a child who's spent August barefoot in the garden or on a beach may need a moment to remember shoes exist.
Our honest answer: If they say their new school shoes feel weird on day one, that's probably to be expected. If they are still saying it a week later, it's worth taking a closer look. This is why we've doubled our returns period to sixty days for school shoes, because issues don't always show up straightaway.
Do I buy shoes to fit now, or the ones that will still fit in winter?
Boys' Barefoot School Shoes | Happy Little Soles
The truth is, school shoes will probably be the most worn shoes your child has. Walking to and from school each day, lining up outside classrooms, and tearing around in the yard works out to around 30 hours of wear a week. All children's shoes need a bit of growing room to allow toes to splay, but today's comfort matters just as much as next term's. Keep a foot measurer like this handy for easy at-home tracking.
HLS Foot Measuring Device - Accurate Sizing for Perfect Fit | Happy Little Soles
Our honest answer: buy the shoes for the child standing in front of you, not the child you think you'll have in December. Future you can deal with the future growth spurts, current you has enough on your plate already.
They say their shoes 'feel weird'. What could actually be causing that?
Bobux Alpha Hula Black | Barefoot Mary Jane School Shoes
The challenge we have as parents is that weird can mean almost anything. It might mean the shoes feel different after a summer spent in sandals. It might mean they don't have room to wriggle their toes. Or it might be a way your little one is communicating a worry about starting school.
One thing we've learnt over the years is that if a shoe is the right size but still doesn't want to be worn, it's often more about shape than size. Feet are wonderfully individual. Some are wide at the toes, some are narrow at the heel, some are higher volume, and some children are just much more aware of how a shoe feels than others.
Our honest answer: 'Don't get too hung up on the word weird. Ask a few detective-like questions instead. Is it rubbing? Squashing their toes? Tight across the top? Does it just feel different to their other shoes? For little ones, drawing a picture of their foot and getting them to point to where it's uncomfy may help. The more specific the answer, the easier it is to work out what's really going on.
FYI, "I don't know, they just feel weird" is a fine and not unusual reason to return a pair of school shoes😄 We've doubled our returns period until the end of August for precisely this reason.
Returns Policy | Hassle-Free Returns on Barefoot Shoes
My child's shoes always look smart, except for the toes. Why?
Primigi Taylor School Shoes | Kids Barefoot Black
What do I do about stinky shoes?
Barefoot School Shoes | Smart Barefoot School Shoes for Kids
School shoes have a tough life. They are worn for hours every day, often with the same pair of feet, the same socks, and very little chance to air out in between. Add a warm classroom, a busy playground, a PE lesson or two, and the magic that is emerging puberty, and you've got the perfect recipe for that unmistakable school shoe aroma.
A bit of a pong doesn't mean the shoe needs replacing. Natural fibre socks, changed daily of course, letting shoes air out overnight, choosing odour-absorbing insoles and having a few pairs on rotation can all help.
It's also worth remembering that kids can be very active at school. If your child spends every break time charging around the playground and comes home looking like they've completed an assault course, their shoes are probably working just as hard.
Famaco Stop Odour Spray | Deodorise & Refresh Shoes
Our honest answer: If you have to hold your breath when helping with shoes after school, you're probably dealing with a perfectly normal school shoe situation. If the smell enters the room before your child does, it might be time to step up the shoe care routine. We've got an accessories section full of products to keep shoes in tip-top condition and smelling fresh.
What school shoe mistakes do other parents make?
Barefoot School Shoes | Smart Barefoot School Shoes for Kids
We don't like to call them mistakes because we're all just doing our best with the daily juggling act of growing kids, a school uniform list and a rapidly dwindling summer holiday.
However, there are a few things we'd like to share that we've all done and have learned from.
Assuming last year's favourite shoe will be this year's. Feet change, preferences change, and sometimes a shoe that, up to now, has worked brilliantly is met with outright refusal.
Another common one is shopping for siblings as though they're identical. They may share a surname and an alarming ability to lose their PE kit, but that doesn't mean they'll suit the same shoes.
But of course, the biggest is leaving everything until the last minute before school starts. We've all done it, but unfortunately, that's usually when choice is at its lowest and stress levels are at their highest.
Camper Kids Peu Path School Shoes Black | All Black School Shoes
Our honest answer: the parents who get the best results aren't necessarily the organised ones. They're the ones who are flexible with choice and stay open-minded. Measure for the feet they have, listen to your child, and don't be too surprised if they end up choosing something completely different to what you had in mind for them.
My child wants shoes just like their friend, is this okay?
Barefoot School Shoes | Smart Barefoot School Shoes for Kids
This one is completely understandable, and it's one of those subjects that will rear its head a lot when you've got new school friendship groups and rivalries.
Feet are like personalities. What suits one child can be completely wrong for another. We've seen siblings who wear different brands, twins whose feet are wildly different, and children who get on brilliantly with a shoe their bff wouldn't be seen wearing.
Recommendations can be incredibly helpful as a starting point. If another parent says a shoe has lasted well, been easy to clean, or survived a whole year of playground wear, we'd absolutely take note. It may still not be right for your child.
Froddo Alexandra School Shoes | Patent Barefoot Fit
Our honest answer: Wanting to be like their new friend, or fitting in with peers, is a really important aspect of growing up and socialising and very normal. The trick is finding a shoe that keeps your child happy and suits their feet. Our range of healthy school shoes has plenty of choice to please every child.
When is the right time to allow my child to choose their own school shoes?
PaperKrane Footwear | Fun & Colourful Barefoot Shoes
Probably earlier than most parents think. When children are very young, we make the decisions for them, but as they get older, what they think about their shoes starts to matter a lot more. After all, they're the ones wearing them all day, every day.
That doesn't mean handing over complete control and hoping for the best. We like to think of it as offering sensible choices. Rather than asking, What do you want to wear? It can be more successful to ask, Which of these three do you prefer?
We've also found that children who feel involved in decision-making are often much more enthusiastic about wearing their shoes once term starts. Funny that. 🤔
PaperKrane Vegan Atlas | Kids Mary Jane School Shoes
Our honest answer: School shoes are one of the few parts of a school uniform where children can express a little personality. The goal isn't for them to choose the shoes entirely on their own; it's to find a pair that works for their feet and feels nice to wear. That's a win for everyone.
If you could give parents just one piece of school shoe advice, what would it be?
Don't worry quite so much about getting it perfect. We know school shoes are a big purchase - children seem to grow overnight, and there's always that little voice wondering whether you've chosen the right pair.
But through our years of helping families find school shoes, we've learnt that growing is what children do. The shoes that fit beautifully today won't fit forever; someday in the future, they are going to be gangly teens with adult-sized feet.
One of the best things about barefoot shoes is that they allow feet the space to develop and grow naturally. As children move, play, run, and explore, they are shaping their world through how their feet connect with the ground. We want to make this movement as natural as possible so they can get on with the important stuff.
Our honest answer: Feet grow, shoes get scuffed, and at some point you'll find yourself measuring again when you could have sworn you only bought the last pair five minutes ago. That's not a problem to solve, it's a vital part of the job.
Find shoes that fit well, let their feet do what they are designed to do, and don't forget that we're here to help you when you need the next pair.
More Help
We’ve created a space filled with advice to help you get the very best from your barefoot shoe shopping. From detailed sizing guides, resources and blogs, to tips on making the most of our delivery options, you’ll find it all in The Advice Hub.
If you’d like a little more tailored support, do get in touch. Our Customer Service team love talking all things barefoot and are always happy to help.
We hope you love your purchase, but if something isn’t quite right, we offer free returns for our UK customers. And it's extended for school shoes to a huge 60 days! For full details, please see our Returns Policy.
