CONSUMER EXPERT AND LEADING CHILDREN’S SHOE BRAND OFFER MONEY SAVING ADVICE AS PEAK SCHOOL UNIFORM SHOPPING DAY LOOMS

30th August is predicted to be peak school uniform shopping day as new data reveals, three quarters of parents choose to buy new rather than make do and mend and cautious families wait till after payday to make final purchases.

Start-Rite Shoes, who commissioned the research, with retail expert Kate Hardcastle ‘The Consumer Whisperer’ MBE are urging parents to cast off fast fashion thinking when it comes to school uniform, embrace a ‘prepare and protect’ approach and check before you invest to save money on uniform throughout the school year.

Kate, who is about to start her 28th school term as a parent of three is an advocate of reducing waste and maximising the shelf-life of everything we buy, assessing every purchase with a ‘cost per wear’ estimate. She also educates her young children to value what they own and to look after it. 

As the research revealed 79 percent of parents are not confident to repair school uniform to extend its life, Kate explains:

“One of the biggest improvements we can make to help our family’s finances is to

reduce waste and maximise the shelf life of everything we buy and with three kids there had to be a way to spend much less on uniform yet ensure that we have everything the children need.

“In Yorkshire we often say, “buy cheap, buy twice” and whilst it doesn’t always apply, we have certainly noticed that to be the case with uniforms. Fast fashion has really taught us to think with short-term views about clothing but taking care of uniform is the key to ensuring your money serves you well and the garments last much longer.

We have enjoyed white polo shirts that have lasted all school year and shoes that still have life in them after nine months. It has been quite a revelation.”

In collaboration with Start-Rite, Kate Hardcastle has created advisory ‘How To Guides’ on a variety of subjects with insights and ideas to help parents spend wisely and save money. A selection of her top tips include:

How to save money when buying school uniform.

1.    Shop like a pro – visit stores during mid-week sales where you can pick up reductions at up to 70 percent that are not matched online

2.    Take advantage of email marketing for sales alerts and offers but use a unique email account just for these and make a note for next year when your favourite brand’s discounts happen

3.    Calculate the cost per wear to understand the true value of an item – quality doesn’t mean more expensive in the long run

4.    Embed make do and mend behaviours early, by including children in protecting their clothes. For example, polish shoes as a weekly ritual and use small stationary items you picked up in the sale, or use pocket money as an incentive

How to shop efficiently for children’s shoes.

1.    Just like clothes, there is no industry norm for shoe sizing so always check the fit on the feet for every pair you buy. The better the shoes fit the foot, the longer they will last and the more wears the more value for money.

2.    Fast fashion in children’s shoes is a false economy, for your purse and the planet. School age children’s feet should be measured every six months, so a good quality pair of shoes will last at least half a school year. For every one pair of quality shoes you buy, you can expect to need four low quality pairs and as those shoes erode, they will be damaging the child’s development

3.    Buy shoes in the correct size with ‘growing room built in’ and don’t be embarrassed to ask about this!

Start-Rite Shoes Technical Development and Fitting expert, Wayne Lubbock, has devised a Five-Point Check Before You Invest guide to see if shoes are still fit for purpose before you invest in a new pair. As Wayne puts it:

“The most important thing is that the child’s shoes are providing the correct support to enable the child to grow healthily.”

Wayne’s checklist covers the contact points of the shoe that must provide the correct flexibility, support and protection and walks families through how to run the check.

For more information on how to look after school shoes and to read Kate’s advice and personal experience visit: https://www.startriteshoes.com/blog/kate-hardcastle

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Editors notes

Survey undertaken via Meta during July 2022 with 1,116 responses, participants were not Start-Rite social media followers.