Buying school shoes is the one thing you absolutely have to get right. Your children wear these shoes all day every day, so they need to be comfortable, flexible, durable and stylish enough for your kids to want to wear them. That’s why reading school shoes reviews like this is important – you want another mum’s opinion.
Our Start Rite school shoes review comes from a place of experience. I usually buy my son Start Rite shoes, and now my littlest daughter is starting school in September, I knew I had to get her a pretty pair too. Basically, we have a few years of experience with Start Rite school shoes and we were really excited to be involved with this review.

Start Rite School Shoes Review
With Orlaith starting school in September, we knew her first pair of school shoes needed to be extra special. We’ve always loved Start Rite shoes for Greg, so we wanted both of them to have some high quality shoes.

In our experience, Start Rite shoes are the most durable for school. We’ve tried a few brands, but nothing compares to Start Rite when you’re hoping for them to last. What we love about them is that they somehow seem to be soft and comfy, alongside being very sturdy.
Most styles on the Start Rite website have the option for wide shoes and narrow shoes alongside regular fit. The range also has a removable insole to allow for a little growth throughout the school year. This means almost every shape or size of school shoe that you could possibly need is catered for.
Start Rite Girls Shoes Review
Orlaith was hoping for some pretty school shoes, so we opted for the Dazzle shoe. It’s a black T-bar shoe with a soft leather upper and patent patches. It also has a very pretty silver star on the top of the shoe.

We chose these shoes because they were described as lightweight and flexible. Orlaith needs that flexibility as one of her feet turns in a little. The GP said it’s probably just that her muscles need to be built up a little more, but flexible shoes are a must.
We’re happy to report that these shoes are flexible. The hold their shape well but the leather is soft and allows for movement.
These school shoes are a fantastic pair of first school shoes. The T-bar opens and closes on a rip-tape fastening, which means she can get her shoes on and off without help. She’s an age where independence really needs to be pushed so I’m glad these shoes allow for it.
She’s given them a good try and find them comfortable to walk and run in. I’m really pleased with these shoes for her and don’t think we could have chosen a better first pair of school shoes if we’d tried.
Start Rite Boys Shoes Review
Greg has had Start Rite school shoes previously and we were very happy with them. This time he chose Rhino Warrior, which I think sounds suitably strong and sturdy.

These boys school shoes have scuff resistant toe protection, which is pretty essential for my son’s shoes. I don’t know what my son gets up to at school, but if he doesn’t have a scuff guard, he will instantly trash the front of his shoes. I think he plays football, and he definitely runs around with his friends, but I’m not quite sure specifically what he does to demolish shoes.
Luckily, we know that this type of shoe will last him well throughout the school year because it’s made for kids just like him.
These shoes have a padded ankle for extra comfort and rip-tape fastening for ease of getting the shoes on and off again. For whatever reason, he always seems to be in a rush, so this us much handier than lace-ups.
Greg can confirm these shoes are very comfy to wear and feel flexible while he runs around.
Final Thoughts on Start Rite School Shoes

If you’re after some high quality shoes that are comfy and flexible, then Start Rite should be your go-to brand (it’s mine). The shoes are priced right for what you’d expect to pay for good quality, but I think they’re much better than others in this price range. They’re long-lasting and not easy to trash like similarly priced school shoes I’ve bought in the past.
I whole-heartedly recommend Start Rite for your child’s school shoes – for me, there’s no other brand that does durability and comfort so well.

