When Should You Buy School Shoes? Timing Your Back-to-School Fitting (

Is it better to buy school shoes early in the summer holidays, or wait until the last possible moment?

It’s a question we hear every year. Parents understandably worry that buying too soon will mean their child’s feet have grown before September arrives. But leaving it until the final days of the holidays can mean fewer styles and sizes to choose from - and a last-minute rush nobody particularly enjoys.

Our advice? Come in as early as possible during the summer holidays. We’ll make sure there’s suitable growing room.

At North Shoes, we’re a small, family-run business with over 150 years of shoe-fitting experience. Here’s why we recommend getting ahead, and how to feel confident about the fit before term begins.

Why earlier shopping gives us the best choice for your child

A good fitting isn’t simply about finding a shoe in the right size. It’s about matching the width, depth and shape of the shoe to the foot in front of us.

There’s nothing more frustrating for a fitter than looking at a child’s feet and thinking, “Perfect - I know which shoes will work for these feet!” Then we head to the stockroom and discover that the size they need has sold out.

Shopping early gives us the best opportunity to choose from the available range, rather than having to work around gaps in stock. That means more choice when finding the right combination of fit, style and fastening for your child.

The same applies online: order early for the best choice of sizes and styles. Waiting until the end of the holidays may mean your preferred pair is no longer available.

What about growing room?

We understand the concern: “If I buy them now, will they still fit when school starts?”

When we fit school shoes in store, we allow suitable growing room while checking that the shoes remain secure and comfortable. We don’t expect your child’s toes to be right at the end on the day you buy them.

But growing room doesn’t mean buying an oversized pair. Shoes still need to fit properly around the heel and across the foot, without slipping or making walking awkward.

When ordering online, allow a little room beyond your child’s current measurement - but don’t go huge. Use our measuring and fitting guidance rather than automatically jumping up a whole size. If you’re unsure, please ask us.

Buying a couple of weeks earlier doesn’t automatically mean the shoes will be outgrown before school begins. Equally, no fitting can guarantee that a pair will last the whole school year: children’s feet don’t follow a timetable.

Our top tip: buy early, then check again

If you’re shopping at the beginning of August, try this:

Try the shoes on when your order arrives. Use the socks or tights your child will wear to school, fasten both shoes properly and check the fit.
Keep them unworn in their box until the end of August. Resist the temptation to give them an outdoor outing before term starts.
Try them on again before school begins. Check that they still fit comfortably and that your child is happy walking in them.

You have 30 days to return shoes to us if they’re unworn. Keep that deadline in mind when planning your second try-on, so you have time to act if something isn’t right.

The aim is to enjoy the choice that comes with shopping early, while giving yourself another opportunity to check before September.

Coming into store? Book ahead - and bring school socks

You’re welcome to visit our shops in Bourne or Stamford for a children’s shoe fitting.

Booking an appointment helps save waiting time, and you can tell us about any special requirements before you arrive. That gives us a chance to understand what your child needs and helps make the visit feel more relaxed.

And one small but important reminder: please bring your child’s school socks or tights. They can affect the fit, so it’s worth trying shoes with what your child will actually wear.

Book a children’s shoe-fitting appointment

Ordering online? Start with a measurement

Our website has a downloadable guide explaining how to measure your child’s feet at home. There’s also a conversion chart if you already know their UK size or foot length and need help finding the corresponding EU Ricosta size.

These are useful starting points, but the size label isn’t the final verdict. Once the shoes arrive, check their width, depth, heel fit and toe room, and watch your child walk in both shoes.

Ordering early gives you time to do this without the pressure of needing them for school the next morning.

What if they need another pair in October or February?

It’s not unusual for a child to need two pairs of school shoes during the school year.

Children’s feet don’t all grow at the same rate. Just because one pair lasted your child through last year doesn’t mean the same will happen this year - or that their sibling will have the same experience.

We recommend checking the fit every two to three months, and sooner if your child complains of discomfort or you notice a change. If their shoes stop fitting partway through term, don’t wait for the next holiday to have them checked.

A fitting check doesn’t automatically mean a purchase. If their current shoes still fit comfortably and remain suitable, we’ll happily tell you.

Remember how much work school shoes do

School shoes are worn for much of the day, throughout the school week. Add special occasions, weekend outings and occasional holiday wear, and those days soon add up.

How they’re used also affects how long they last. Excessive wear, dragging toes, using shoes as scooter brakes or playing sports in them can mean they need replacing before they’re outgrown.

As we sometimes remind families, shoes aren’t designed to be worn upside down! Crawling or dragging the tops of the toes across rough surfaces puts wear on parts of the shoe that aren’t designed to act as soles.

Choosing a style suited to your child’s activities, switching to appropriate footwear for sport and keeping up with cleaning and care all matter. Buying early isn’t the deciding factor in how long a pair will last.