Vans? or Sperry's? or Toms?

Have you two checked out what the other girls wear? Sounds like a penny loafers place to me, on knee high or tights days, and ballet flats for anklet days.

She didn't noticed when she visited, and I don't see many feet in the brochure. I guess I could try stalking.

But you make a good point. I am sure there are a few shoes that everybody wears ... But my DD wouldn't mind being different as long as she thought it was stylish/chic/cute etc.

Gosh, she's actually pretty lucky. My two girls have to wear a black polishable leather shoe with their school uniform. We start looking at the end of July and it is always a ridiculous struggle with me holding up adorable and comfortable mary janes and my girls rolling their eyes. Then, of course, they grow out of them by February when you can't find a pair of school shoes to save your life. I've seen some adorable flats from Born that are out just now. Sort of a ballet flat with a wide elastic over the instep. Maybe your dd would like, mine would probably just roll their eyes :-)

I'm probably dating myself (which, if I knew I could do when I was younger, I would have never had a lonely saturday night) but I remember when mother (and I vicariously) worked at Georgia Curtis which provided school uniforms to private schools including Marymount, and mahogany penny loafers with navy knee hi's were de rigueur, of course with shiny new pennies in them.

Bass weejuns, rockport....

Have her look at the site zappos.com
I have heard nothing but favorable reports
about quality and service.

I was going to suggest Sperry's, TOMS, or loafers of
which I am a wearer of all three and/or ballet flat type
shoe. Many, many years ago I had to wear gray suede
Hush Puppies with our uniform which included a beannie
for church which was a step up from our original maroon
leather with yellow laces oxfords...I also wear a 9.5/10

I would definitely try to find out what the other girls wear. Unfortunately eleven is the beginning of the mean girl stage. Uniforms seem to make children particularly label conscious about the few things they have a choice in wearing

My girls wore Sperry's with their uniform clothes. But, they couldn't be just any old Sperry's. They had to be a particular color and style.

Definitely do some stalking. :)

All my 12 yo and her friends wear are Sperrys and Toms. And for next year she's saying she wants Doc Martens!

I will say that it took a few weeks of blisters for the Sperrys to wear in. I was ready to toss them, but finally they softened up, or her heels toughened up!

Thanks everyone, this is very helpful..

daisy, don't you love the eye rolling? I love MAryjanes too and my girls are a no go!

Deee, You make a great point about how uniforms drive label consciousness. DD right away wanted an Hermes belt, for example! At 11. She has very good taste and willowy, so she looks great in anything ((albeit she looks 16) But she gravitates to very sophisticated understated stuff. I think Sperries will appeal, just hope she doesn't notice that it's almost the only shoe DH ever wears!

SueB, Good point about breaking in Sperries!

Thanks again everyone....

I'm probably dating myself (which, if I knew I could do when I was younger, I would have never had a lonely saturday night) but . . .

Annie, LOL with coffee in my mouth!

I wonder whether the girls ever dress up their shoes with bows and ribbons.

Bluchers with socks, flats with tights. And so it ever was, and shall be, amen.

AnnieDeighnaugh, OMG! Your comment surprised me into my first out-loud laugh in days.

My kids go to a private school and have the exact same rule for shoes. Here in MD, what seems to be "in" are Sperry Top Siders. There are so many different styles/choices so they each decide what color,etc based on personal preference. My 14y/o just wore the basic one, but my 8 y/o liked the ones with the pastel plaid. Our school isn't strict about them since they are mostly beige, but you might want to double check how strict they are about the shoes. My 14 y/o is heading off to private high school in the fall, which is an extension of the grammar school, and frm what I've seen, they don't wear sperrys but instead wear bucks.

If she wants to be a conformist, I'd ask parents of current kids what is popular but perhaps she doesn't care as much and would prefer to pick her own style.

Oops, didn't mean to make it sound as if it is a negative thing to want to fit in (conformist sounded negative to me when I re-read my response), I just meant that if she is the type to blend in with the crowd then best to find out what most girls wear.

So glad I could share a laugh...never enough laughter in the world, and it's good for your health too!