Are you fed up of buying new shoes for your children? What with their little feet rapidly growing, and them continuously tripping over(!) – we know that the costs of kids’ shoes can quickly add up.
Kids can also be pretty fussy about the types of shoes they wear which doesn’t help the situation. But with a few savvy money-saving skills, you’ll be able to buy them the shoes they want without breaking the bank.
It’s essential that we look after the pennies as much as we can at the moment! So read on to find out more.
1) Make the Most of Deals
If they’re adamant about getting branded trainers from stores like Tower London, for example, then this is often the best way to buy them what they’re after without the hefty price tag.
If a new release of a trainer has come out, then you’ll almost definitely be able to bag a discount on the older version.
You should also take advantage of any annual deal days such as Black Friday which most shoe stores like UGG have every year and stock up on any bargains you can find! Even if they don’t have them in their current size, they’ll always be able to grow into them in the future.
2) Shop Out of Season
Similarly to the above, shopping out of season is a fabulous way to get discounts on your new footwear purchase from stores like Vans.
It may feel pretty weird getting your kids to try on some new sandals in December, or trying on some new leather boots in May. But trust us, this is always where you’ll get the best deals!
High street fashion retailers and footwear stores have to sell of their old stock ahead of the new seasons coming in. So if you shop around at shoe stores like Pavers, then we can assure you that you’ll find a bargain. Just make sure to be careful about what size you buy, and give them plenty of room to grow into them.
3) Buy Second-Hand
With kids’ feet growing so quickly, there is always a parent looking to sell their children’s shoes that they’ve grown out of. And there are always some great bargains to be had by you!
There’s a good chance that kids' shoes will only be very lightly worn, so you could likely bag yourself some nearly new footwear by buying second-hand.
It could be from eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or even just chatting to some of the other parents in the school playground. If that doesn’t prove successful check out stores like Shoeaholics combined with our discounts you should find something within your budget.
4) Snap Up Ex-Display Shoes
Did you know that some high-street shoe stores such as Schuh actually sell their ex-display items at a fraction of the price?
This is an absolutely amazing way to get some of the top footwear on the market, without the hefty price tag attached.
Ex-display items aren’t able to be sold within the shop as normal so this is a great way for retailers to get rid of any unwanted or old stock.
You’ll sometimes find very slight faults with the shoes such as discolouring or slight marks and scratches from where people have tried them on, but these will always be stated in the description. And let’s be fair – if you’re buying shoes for your kid then they definitely won’t be perfect for very long anyway! Don’t forget to check out stores like Timberland to see if you can snap up a bargain pair of shoes.
5) Make Sure They Always Try Them On
Was there anything worse than when your mum made you walk up and down in Clarks to the point where you felt like you were going dizzy? Well, it was all for a good reason!
Of course, you can’t get the full effect of how shoes will fit just from trying them on in the shop. But a good walk around in them will seriously help you buy the correct size. Make sure to visit stores in person such as Office Shoes where your children can try shoes on and you can make sure they fit properly.
Don’t forget to do the all-important test that every parent does, and see how the sizing really feels by seeing how far their toes come to the front of their shoes and whether or not your finger will fit down the back of their shoe.
6) Decide When Quality Is Best
It’s true that quality is best the majority of the time. But when buying shoes for your kids, this may not always be the case!
Sure, it’s so important to choose good quality materials for shoes they’re going to wear frequently such as some nice leather shoes for school.
However, if it’s a pair of trainers that they’re just going to run around a field in or jump in puddles with then you may decide it’s not the best idea to fork out on something expensive. So why not check out stores like SIZE where you are bound to bag a bargain.
7) Size Up
For toddlers, especially, it’s so important to get a perfect fit on their shoes to help their feet grow properly and ensure they’re easy to walk in and not in any discomfort.
However, as your kids get older, it’s worth considering going up slightly in size if they’re feeling a little snug. If you want your child to have the trendiest Dr Martens then buying half a shoe size bigger may mean they last a little longer.
Due to their quickly growing feet, most kid’s shoes luckily come in half sizes which should allow you to get an extra few months out of your purchase before they need replacing. And when it comes to things like winter boots, an extra pair of socks won’t do any harm in the interim.
