About Shoes

I think a uniform gives children pride in themselves and their school.  They have something to identify with.  All the top fee-paying schools have a uniform and it gives the students something to have pride in.

A uniform and smart school shoes also makes children come to school - ready to work.  This is a good preparation for life.  Dress standards are necessary in many walks of life.  You wouldn’t go to a wedding in jeans, T-shirt and scruffy hair - there is an acceptable dress code.

It also saves parents the problem of how to dress the children every day for school.  And children will not be competing with each other over who has the best jeans or T-shirt or trainers.  It is a level playing field - everyone is the same.  Most parents like the idea of uniform and school shoes, providing they can obtain the items at a reasonable price.

On the sports field children readily accept a uniform if they are playing football, rugby, cricket, netball or hockey.  They feel part of their team.  It is the same with school uniform - they feel they belong to the school.

I don’t think that children should be allowed to wear any shoes to school, rather than particular school shoes. At school, it is a good idea to have a uniform, and this should include rules on the type of shoes that should be worn by pupils. Children are at school to learn. It is not the place to be wearing different fashions. There will be time for that outside of school and when they grow older. I do not think that school uniform shoes should be exactly the same for all pupils, though some schools do have a very strict and particular uniform policy, but they should be similar to those worn by others. Sensible, flat shoes, in a dark colour, that are well fitting and a decent quality, are the main requirements for children’s school shoes.

Another reason for children to all wear school shoes that look similar, is that it will reduce jealousy and bullying if there is anyone who has expensive shoes that may be the latest fashion, or cheaper shoes that may have been handed down from an older sibling and are therefore second hand. If everyone is dressed and wearing shoes that look vaguely similar, hopefully they will get on with their education and not be thinking about what others are wearing. There is too much emphasis on materialism these days and keeping up with the latest trends. This can prove to be very costly for many families, and it is not a good message to send to children. Children should be given the opportunity to choose which school shoes they would like, from a selection of appropriate options.

In my opinion, closed shoes are far more practical to wear than open toe shoes when hiking and climbing, purely from a safety point of view if nothing else.

If you wear open toe shoes and you stub your toe on a rock, or trip up then you could be in all kinds of trouble, causing yourself a cut or an injury of some sort to your toes, or possibly falling over if you get your open toe shoes caught up in anything as you are climbing or hiking. A toe injury alone can cause a great deal of pain, and can make it very uncomfortable to walk with. It is much more sensible to cover your toes and have them protected if possible by Craghoppers UK hiking boots, but if this is not an option, then a sensible pair of flat boots or sturdy shoes.

Closed shoes are more likely to withstand the environment of countryside walking and climbing as they are more robust. Open toe shoes could easily split or get damaged, therefore exposing your feet to the same dangers. On the whole, most open toe shoes do not offer the same standard of grip on the bottom that many closed shoes do either, as they are designed for casual use and are not intended for walking or climbing in. It is common sense to know that you do need some kind of grip on shoes for hiking and climbing in.

Closed shoes are more practical as far as the weather goes too. If it is raining while you are out on your hike or climb, then it would be very uncomfortable to continue with wet toes. Even if it is not raining, there are often places out in the countryside that are wet, such as puddles and dewy grass areas and you may come across small streams that you need to cross. It is not a practical idea to walk through water with open toe shoes on.

Keep your open toe shoes for casual use at home or on holiday and stick to sensible closed shoes for hiking and climbing. It makes good sense.