The summer holidays have flown by and now it’s getting to time to start thinking about Back to School! The house is going to be so quiet without them all at home once term time starts, but Mr Z is getting excited about starting year 1 which is nice.
Probably the most important thing for me in getting ready for back to school is the shoes! Even if some of the uniform may still fit from the previous year, they always need new school shoes! It is important to me to get properly fitted shoes to make sure they don’t damage the kids feet and that they are comfy.
I took Mr Z to our local Brantano so that we could try out and review their fitting service for back to school.
Our Brantano store is really handy for me, in a retail park only 5 minutes away so this is not the first time I have been in there for kids shoes. I did notice that there were a lot more fitters available at the moment, ready for back to school time. There were posters up to let you know that you can have your child’s feet measured and fitted, and plenty of staff around to help.
In the past I have sometimes fitted the boys shoes myself in Brantano but when getting a pair of school shoes that they will be wearing all day for the whole week, it is much more reassuring to have their feet measured and have the fit of the shoes checked by someone with a bit more experience.
Mr Z’s feet were measured and he was coming out at a size 11.5 with a width of between an F and G. As he is in a half size, I was advised that it’s best to go for the Clarks branded shoes. Brantano stock a mixture of brands, including Clarks, Hush Puppies, Sketchers and loads more.
Mr Z tried on quite a few pairs of shoes, as he wanted to make sure they were really comfy for him. In the end he actually ended up going back to the first pair he had tried on, but the fitter was patient with him and understood that he needs to make sure they are comfortable. As he was in between sizes, he had to try a mixture of F and G to see which was better, and we opted for the G. The fitter checked the feel of the shoes on his feet to make sure they were not rubbing anywhere and had enough space at the toes, and watched him walking in the shoes to make sure everything was right.
What I liked most about getting the shoes fitted at Brantano is that it is so convenient. The store is really big and we did not have to queue up at all. I have been in other shoes stores in the high street which can be so crowded during back to school time, and the waiting around gets too much for the children.
What Mr Z loved about getting his shoes from Brantano is that they have made a new Wow Toys play area! This was something new since we had last been in, so I was surprised to see so many Wow toys when we entered the store (I love Wow Toys – Brilliant brand!) and there are some out on a table for the children to play with. If you did end up having to wait for shoe fittings, then this would at least make life so much easier as the children would be occupied.
I am really happy with Mr Z’s new school shoes from Brantano. Clarks is a very decent brand so I am hoping they will last him well through the school year. I also decided to buy him some new plimsoles while I was in store – so that is his feet all sorted for back to school. Now just everything else to get organised!
To see where your nearest Brantano store is, have a look here.
Competition!
I know you all love a competition and this one is even better because it also helps to support a really worthwhile cause.
Brantano is calling for parents to share their back to school photos to help raise money for charity as well as being in with a chance of winning free school shoes for a year. All they have to do is simply email their back to school photos to backtoschool@brantano.co.uk and for every photo received Brantano will donate 10p to children’s charity Tommy’s, to help raise vital funds towards their lifesaving research into stillbirth, premature births and miscarriage.
Disclaimer: I was given the pair of school shoes free in return for writing about our experience, but all thoughts and words are my own.
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
I love Brantano for shoes. Lots of choice!
brantano shoes are so affordable.
OOo not somewhere I have thought about looking for school shoes, I will now though!
Wish we had a Brantano near us – it looks great.
They look like good shoes. Great having a play area, I always find mine get so bored if they have to wait too long to be seen too. Will think about giving them a try next time they need new shoes!
They look like good shoes. Great having a play area, I always find mine get so bored if they have to wait too long to be seen too. Will think about giving them a try next time they need new shoes!
I have never bought shoes for school from Brantano, I’ll keep them in mind next time
I’ve never thought to get Monkey’s shoes from Brantano – never thought of them doing Clarks – will have to visit nearest shop soon. One of Monkey’s friends (same age) is the same size as your Mr Z! and Money is nearly out of a 10
I wish we had one more local to us. I think I would consider having a look if we did!
I had no ides Brantano sold Clarks! It’s so important to get children’s feet measured properly 🙂