THESE SCHOOL SHOES ARE NOT UNIFORM, THEY ARE START-RITE

There is nothing uniform about a Start-Rite school shoe and Start-Rite is on a mission to help every parent understand the supporting role of footwear in their child’s development during the school days.

No one size fits all and each pair of feet has a set of requirements that shoes should meet. Drawing out a range of different needs, here is a round-up of which, podiatrist approved, Start-Rite school shoe styles are considered to be the ‘Best’ for a variety of needs.

Best all-round superstar school shoes

Our stand-out heroes featuring Start-Rite’s latest technology, great for feet of all shapes and won’t let you down. Loved by children, and parents. NEW Charlotte black leather and patent shoes in a timeless T-bar, with multi-width fittings, secure rip-tape fastening and padded collars, Hope a T-Bar available in leather and patent with star punch detailing and specially designed rubber sole for flexibility and support, NEW Quad, a double rip-tape trainer style with 360º bumpers that wrap around the entire foot, providing all-round scuff protection, removable insoles and reflective details, Brogue a smart and stylish classic brogue detailing with lace-up, Strike a hardwearing style with double rip-tape fastening and reflective features, Rhino Warrior the robust, reliable and great-looking double rip-tape trainer style for primary and secondary, and Impulsive a chunky sole lace-up shoe with brogue detailing, a padded ankle and cushioned insole for all-day comfort and style.

Best school shoes for durability

For children who put their shoes to the ultimate test of daily destruction, these robust styles are packed with the best Start-Rite intelligence, including toe and heel bumpers, padded ankles, and dyed-through leather for extra scuff resistance. Active feet need innovative details for all-day comfort. NEW Bella, a Mary Jane style with statement bow, super flexible soles and the breathable air flow technology, Air-Rite, to keep active feet comfortable all day long, Rocket a double rip-tape design with reflective space-themed details, enhanced toe bumper and Air-Rite technology, Tickle offering unrivalled durability from this trainer style with rugged toe bumper, double rip tape and bug detailing, Luke a double rip-tape trainer style with reflective features and Sherman from the RHINO collection is a popular lace-up trainer style.

Best school shoes for square or wide feet

For children with wide feet, look for a G or an H width. These are the widest fittings in children’s school shoes, with H being extra wide. Wide feet often also have high insteps. Look for adjustable straps and shoes with more depth in the design to accommodate the extra depth of the foot. NEW Charlotte, black leather and patent shoes in a timeless T-bar, with secure rip-tape fastening and padded collars, and NEW Locket, a T-bar style on a new super lightweight PU sole unit, featuring glitter footbeds and heart detailing are best for square or wide feet. Glitch part of the RHINO brand, is a great option for senior boys with wide feet who prefer a smarter lace-up shoe.

Best school shoes for narrow/slim feet

Narrow / slim feet are characterised not only by the width of the foot but also by the relation of the measurement to the length of the foot. Generally, if you have a narrow heel, you will have a narrow foot. In addition, the height of the instep will have an impact on the shape of the shoe required. Shallow styles with more foot coverage are often the best for narrow feet, to ensure shoes offer adequate support, fit the narrow width and stay snugly on the foot. NEW Emily, a Mary Jane style available in black leather and patent and a choice of four width fittings, with a delicate floral punched detail, unicorn themed footbed and durable, non-marking sole, Twizzle a patent first school shoe with a bow to the side and decorative stitching, Explore, a casual trainer-inspired first school shoe with breathable linings and durability assured, Zigzag, with its fun bug detailing, unrivalled durability and scuff-resistant heel and toe bumpers Engineer a classic cut, double rip-tape smart school shoe in black or brown leather and vegan options, and Samba a refined Mary Jane with a central rip-tape strap and comfort assured. All these styles are ideal for narrow feat, featuring secure rip-tape fastenings to ensure an adaptable fit.

Best school shoes for a high instep

Your instep is defined as the arched middle portion of your foot, in front of the ankle joint. Children with high insteps, require much wider fitting shoes (so also consider the styles; Charlotte, Locket, Glitch and Strike). In extreme cases, you might need to go up half a size (the extra length will not impact the fit of the shoe). Styles with lots of depth work well providing plenty of room inside the shoe from the base of the inner sole to the top of the upper. Glint from the RHINO brand, offering breathable linings and a wide rip-tape style, Cadet also part of the RHINO brand, a lace-up moccasin style with antibacterial, breathable linings, Brogue a smart and stylish classic lace-up with brogue detailing. NEW Hermione, another timeless classic Oxford-style brogue that is designed for growing feet.

Best school shoes for flat feet

Flat feet demonstrate a less defined arch on the sole of the foot. For more support, flatter feet benefit from more depth in the shoe around the arch area of the foot. Shoes to select for a flatter foot include Samba a refined Mary Jane with a central rip-tape strap, elongated comfortable leather upper, and a padded ankle. Engineer the classic cut, double rip-tape smart school shoe (available in black and brown leather and Vegan) and Wish a Mary Jane style available in black leather, patent and navy, embossed with flower details, with padded ankles, flexible soles and Air-Rite technology for all day comfort.

Best school shoes for under £50 

Luke, a black leather double rip-tape with toe bumper and reflective details and Origin a black leather double rip-tape lead the selection of highly popular, high quality premium primary styles at just £48. These are top-quality pairs to withstand the rigours of the playground that support healthy physical development at an unbeatable price.  NEW Study Mary Jane style with subtle punch detailing, and NEW Novel Leather and patent with non-marking sole and Dual-Fit insoles to adjust the width and find the perfect fit, in a much-loved T-bar style.

Best school shoes on a budget - £40

Grade a Mary Jane with removable Dual-Fit insoles, with soft dyed-through leather and Topic a solid double rip-tape with breathable textile linings featuring an abrasion toe are part of the 'Simply by Start-Rite' limited collection of timeless styles from the Start-Rite archive. These pared-back pairs of tried and tested designs provide assurances of durability and comfort. Priced at just £40, the collection gives more families the opportunity to purchase quality-fitted footwear. 

Best for secondary school shoes

Looking for a more grown-up style, that doubles as an excellent option for special occasions or evenings out? Academy a straight lace-up style, great for narrow feet, offering intelligent biomechanics, Brogue Snr a formal lace-up with classic brogue detailing, Embrace a chunky soled, rugged Mary Jane style in black or patent, NEW Milan a slip on loafer with elongated upper and raised heel and Eclipse a closed shoe, one strap buckle style with durable chunky sole.

Best school shoes that double for occasions

Looking for a flexible style that doubles as an excellent option for special occasions or evenings out? Then look at Tailor a straight style lace-up, with intelligent biomechanics and premium dyed-through leather, Debut an all-black patent, girls first school shoe in a classic Mary Jane silhouette with floral inspired faux buckle, NEW Luxe a first school shoe T-bar in patent with delicate punch detailing, NEW London a chunky, contemporary Chelsea style boot and Glitch a sturdy but sleek lace-up style.

Best vegan school shoes

Impact Vegan is a chunky sole girls lace-up and Engineer Vegan, is a classic cut, double rip-tape smart school shoe. Both crafted with a black vegan synthetic material, a breathable and durable non-leather alternative for school shoes. These styles will stand the test of the school day and protect your children's feet, with a guarantee of comfort throughout.

Best school shoes for children with additional needs

Rocket a style with adjustable, strong, resilience-tested rip-tape fastenings, enhanced toe and heel bumpers, dyed-through leather for scuff-resistant colour, and a comfortable sole unit so children can be independent, confident, and comfortable all day long. Rocket comes in a large size run and appealing designs for children with super imaginations and the added benefit of Rocket’s glow-in-the-dark features adds a touch of safety in the darker months, and a sense of fun to this sturdy and durable children’s shoe. And, NEW Emily a classic Mary Jane style with strong rip-tape fastening, available in black leather and patent and four width fittings. A great fit, true to size and long size run.

Best school shoes for fashion styling

New primary styles enter the collection featuring chunky, yet lightweight PU sole units, in leather and patent options. NEW Cosmos Chunky Mary Jane style with understated brogue detailing and a rip-tape fastening featuring lightweight PU sole units. NEW Locket Chunky T-bar style featuring glitter footbeds and heart detailing featuring chunky, yet lightweight PU sole units. NEW Luna Black patent closed lace-up featuring chunky, yet lightweight PU sole units. For older girls, NEW Barcelona is a closed lace-up with chunky heel in 90’s styling featuring chunky, yet lightweight sole unit and NEW Paris Loafer style in lightweight materials with accentuated heel featuring a chunky, yet lightweight sole unit. For older boys, College is a narrow slip-on style with an upper that covers the top arch.

For more information and to shop, visit Start-Rite's School Shoe collection here. 

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Editors notes

About Start-Rite Shoes

A British family business for eight generations, Start-Rite Shoes has helped children explore in comfort and confidence for over 230 years. Proudly specialist in little feet, Start-Rite shoes are carefully crafted to support every movement with stability. Its shoes are endorsed by podiatrists, and informed by the biomechanics of how uniquely children’s feet move, giving reassurance of knowing you can trust and totally depend on every pair.

For more information contact:

Meg Cookes at mgc@vistapublicrelations.com