Lara starts back at school in Year 1 this Wednesday and, like families up and down the country, we have had Lara's feet measured for a new pair of fitted school shoes as part of a trial for Start-rite shoes. Start-rite interviewed us ealier this year to find out about some of the issues that we face with shoe-buying for school shoes for Lara. You can read my interview here but in summary, Lara is incredibly fussy when it comes to shoes and she is at an age when she is just beginning to take notice of fashion and will express her own tastes. Lara goes to a very outdoorsy school so her school shoes need to be up to the challenge of lots of outdoor time, especially as she spends her early evenings in the playground at after school club which can lead to scratches a-plenty.
Start-rite sent us a foot measuring gague which came with detailed instructions of how to measure Lara's feet at home, including the width fitting. This is the important part for us because Lara really likes girlt styles of shoe which usually strap over the feet, it is really important that we get a shoe that is neither too narrow or too baggy. I found the width measurement fairly stressful despite the printed and online instructions - because it isn't something I do regularly, I found it hard to be confident that I had measured from the right points on the foot.
Lara's feet measured at 13E which is a half-size larger than she had previously been wearing. Start-rite sent Lara a pair of shoes in her size - these Princess Serena black leather shoes with a riptape opening. Lara only learned to tie her own laces in the last couple of weeks so I don't think she would be ready for a pair of lace-up shoes for school just yet but it is important that she isn't simply wearing slip-ons; these are a good middle ground and are easy for her to put on.
We were sent a link to a video from Start-rite that helped us to ensure that the shoes that arrived through mail-order were indeed a good fit. I'd say that Lara's shoes are a bit longer than I would have bought for her if I was just buying based on the feel of the shoes but, having measured them with the tool I'll admit that maybe I don't normally allow enough space at the end of the shoe. The fit of the shoe around the main part of the foot is perfect though.
Lara, being Lara was wowed by the princess pictures on the shoebox and by the very cool clip-on charms on each buckle (a crown on one side, a heart of the other but any clip-on charm would work well). I did warn you though that she was a fusspost and on her first outing in the shoes she had a tantrum about them being too big (this is the story of my life... too big, too small, too thin) but then inside a clothes shop on the same trip she complained about a pair of trousers being too "shmoosh" around the legs. Sigh. I'm hoping its just a stage.
Over the coming weeks I expect Lara to wear her new school shoes to primary school; I've a few day's left to talk her into it! Come back soon to find out how we get on (and how the shoes stand-up to the school test).
You can find out more about fitted shoes and foot measuring from Start-rite on facebook and twitter.
Start-rite sent us a foot measuring gague which came with detailed instructions of how to measure Lara's feet at home, including the width fitting. This is the important part for us because Lara really likes girlt styles of shoe which usually strap over the feet, it is really important that we get a shoe that is neither too narrow or too baggy. I found the width measurement fairly stressful despite the printed and online instructions - because it isn't something I do regularly, I found it hard to be confident that I had measured from the right points on the foot.
Lara's feet measured at 13E which is a half-size larger than she had previously been wearing. Start-rite sent Lara a pair of shoes in her size - these Princess Serena black leather shoes with a riptape opening. Lara only learned to tie her own laces in the last couple of weeks so I don't think she would be ready for a pair of lace-up shoes for school just yet but it is important that she isn't simply wearing slip-ons; these are a good middle ground and are easy for her to put on.
We were sent a link to a video from Start-rite that helped us to ensure that the shoes that arrived through mail-order were indeed a good fit. I'd say that Lara's shoes are a bit longer than I would have bought for her if I was just buying based on the feel of the shoes but, having measured them with the tool I'll admit that maybe I don't normally allow enough space at the end of the shoe. The fit of the shoe around the main part of the foot is perfect though.
Lara, being Lara was wowed by the princess pictures on the shoebox and by the very cool clip-on charms on each buckle (a crown on one side, a heart of the other but any clip-on charm would work well). I did warn you though that she was a fusspost and on her first outing in the shoes she had a tantrum about them being too big (this is the story of my life... too big, too small, too thin) but then inside a clothes shop on the same trip she complained about a pair of trousers being too "shmoosh" around the legs. Sigh. I'm hoping its just a stage.
Over the coming weeks I expect Lara to wear her new school shoes to primary school; I've a few day's left to talk her into it! Come back soon to find out how we get on (and how the shoes stand-up to the school test).
You can find out more about fitted shoes and foot measuring from Start-rite on facebook and twitter.
