The Summer holiday is well on the way and my attention is turning to my Back to School Shopping List. The part I hate most is buying shoes and especially with things as they are at the moment going to a shoe shop is the last thing I want to do at the moment. Luckily I took part in a School Shoes Twin Challenge with TREADS in the Spring term so I now have a brilliant online retailer to use for buying shoes.
The Twin School Shoe Project was really simple we were sent two similar pairs of shoes for the twins to wear, one from TREADS and one from high street store. At the end of term we were to report back our findings. Of course that is when lockdown happened and schools closed, however we were back at school for the last six weeks in the year so the shoes were put through their paces for even longer.
The shoes we tried were two super smart pairs of brogues. The twins are ten now and really want more grown up styles and these really fit the bill. Both pairs look fantastic with smart black leather and attractive styling. What I was most interested in was whether the shoes would last. The twins are heavy on shoes and we seem to have to buy new ones before they grow out of them. The TREADS shoes come with a 12 month indestructible guarantee which is an expression of their confidence in the material and workmanship of our shoes. If the shoe you buy falls short of these high standards, you may return it to us within 12 months from the day of purchase.
The Treads shoes we were sent were the Dakota Brogues. The ordering process was really simple and there were lots of instructions for how to measure your child’s feet. The shoes arrived within a couple of days and were delivered well packaged in a strong shoe box. They come with free delivery and free returns. Our first impressions comparing the shoes were definitely in favour of the TREADS. Although at first it was hard to see any difference on closer inspection the leather in the TREADS shoes was softer and more supple. The twins tried bother pairs on without knowing which was which and both said they found the TREADS pair more comfortable and that they looked more expensive.
Both shoes looked so smart with a school uniform and were easy to keep clean. After the first day the high street pair was rubbing a little and needed a few plasters. The TREADS shoes are made with permair leather that is soft enough to allow easy flexible movement, offering unrivalled comfort and engineered to cope with all the bashes and knocks they will take during playtime. The sole is tough and strong but also flexible and lightweight.
After three months and more of very heavy usage the shoes still look in good condition. The only slight problem with the TREADS shoes is that the shoe lace got a bit threadbare on the end. They have remained remarkably scuff free. Unfortunately we can’t say the same for the high street pair. The sole of the shoe came off when the twins were messing around on the field. Unfortunately they were thrown away at school so I don’t have a photo to show you how the two compare. Here is a photo of the Dakota Oxford shoes after three months of heavy use. I haven’t cleaned them since the last day of term so they look a little muddy, but as you can see they just need a bit of a scrub and they will be ready for September. They definitely seem to be living up to the 12 month guarantee. Now let’s just hope the twins’ feet haven’t grown since then!
Disclaimer: I was sent the shoes for the purposes of this review.