Review: Start-Rite Girls Black Patent Riptape School Shoes, worth £44.99

Reviewed by Tim Freed at Toddle About HQ.

We were sent a pair of StartRite's size 3 Black Patent Girls Riptape School Shoes (RRP. £44.99) for our daughter to try out for her start at school this September. And I'm pleased to say that they also received a very warm welcome in our house!

As a parent, it is immediately apparent that these shoes are well-made and high quality. Just holding them, they feel solid, sturdy but comfortable. The insole, or foot bed of the shoe, feels bouncy but supportively firm, so I can imagine they'd be very comfy. They're also very attractive shoes - shiny to the extreme, they have a beautiful butterfly decoration that looks really lovely. They have a clever 'toe bumper' too, where the rubbery sole comes up higher than you would normally expect at the front - though in truth, I wouldn't have noticed it had I not read the product description! This bumper means that the inevitable bangs, bumps and scrapes that the toe of the shoe will receive won't affect the shiny finish of the shoe, as the bumper will take the brunt of any impact. There is also a fabric strip at the back to protect from similar scuffs at the rear as heels are trod in queues and such like.

 

 

All this is well and good... but what really matters is what the child says when they try them on. And, I've got to be honest here, my daughter is SUPER fussy when it comes to how shoes feel... so I was really quite nervous when she tried them on. I really wanted to be able to write a good review! I needn't have worried though. She loved the look of the shoes as soon as they came out of the box, and her face lit up when she tried them on and she exclaimed how much she liked them - she says they are really comfy and very pretty. In particular, she likes that they are wide at the toe end, so her toes don't get squished.

We're really pleased with the shoes. An enthusiastic 10/10 from us!

See these shoes and more at www.startriteshoes.com