Childrens designer shoes

I am dedicating this page to the parents who are under constant nagging from their children for children’s designer shoes. There are plenty out there and some eventually give in but when I was in school we had a pair of shiny black shoes (started off shiny and lasted 2 days) and we were happy with that. I’m 38 now and in primary school I had the old black daps for PE etc so I know that times have changed but still can’t understand why children can’t be happy with plain old black shoes.

At the moment I am quite lucky, between the wife and I we have five boys and no girls and mostly the boys are happy with Heelies (still not cheap but cheaper than designer shoes) but they are all under twelve and I daresay that will change.

I know I am from an older generation but it used to be the girls asking for designer clothes or shoes, all the boys cared about was having something on their feet to kick a football around. I can only assume its another way to impress girls or something but it’s an expensive way, especially for the parents. I know one thing for definite, if one of mine has designer shoes within a few minutes they will all want them. I also know that within a week of having them they will have scuff marks down the front from school then within two weeks they’ll be allowed to use them to play in. One of mine, the youngest will definitely use them as brakes for his bike, same as he does with all shoes and within two months they will all want another pair.

It’s an expensive hobby, having children, but has now got to the point where they wear better clothes than the parents who are quite happy to go out in a £15 pair of shoes, a shirt and jeans. My brother in law quite happily brags that his shoes cost nearly a hundred pounds but he’s still in school so I am assuming it’s not quite as new a thing as I thought, just the first I’ve heard of it.

I would dearly love to see things go back to the way they were ten years ago as far as children’s clothes and shoes are concerned. You could buy them shoes for £10 that would last 3 months and wouldn’t mind paying it again every 3 months, though 6 would be better. I am not a miser with money but do think there should be spending limits when it comes to children’s clothes especially when they don’t last.

For all you rich parents out there who are buying designer shoes for you children beware, it will just be the start. Prices will go up, their friends will have a more expensive pair than them and then they’ll want to keep up with them. I’m not against children looking good, I just think that at that age you get things bought for you and don’t learn to be careful with it. I know that with my boys they just think that if they wreck their shoes we will have to get them a new pair. My youngest used his to stop his bike and left some scratches on them and decided he wanted a new pair. I told him no and later that week I caught him ripping the front of them with his hands knowing that I would get him a new pair out of shame. Won’t happen next time because I made him pay for them out of his pocket money and these have already lasted longer than most of his other pairs.