8 of the best vegan school shoes

It's that time of year (again) when you need to get started on your back to school shopping. When it comes to shoes, vegan school shoes are an eco friendlier and more sustainable option that you may want to consider.

By school age children's feet grow around one whole size each year, so when choosing school shoes, just like their school uniform you have to consider the fit, style, comfort and cost. You may also need to think about the school's dress code.

Best vegan school shoes at a glance 2024:

• Engineer Vegan Black Synthetic Boys Riptape Shoes: Buy here at Start Rite Shoes.
• Kickers Black T Bar Toddler Shoes: Buy here at Schuh.
• Kids Riptape Plimsolls: Buy here at M&S.

School shoes need to be comfortable and easy to fasten but also durable and survive a long school day. For instance, your child’s shoes need to endure those playground games, rainy days and lunchtime sports. Also, they need to be suitable for as long as they can be.

While there are supermarket uniform shoes available that offer more variety of choices, vegan school shoes might be more coherent with your schools uniform policy and are more durable.

Vegan school shoes: all you need to know

How do you measure your child’s feet?

Ideally, children’s feet should be measured every six weeks to ensure that the shoes still fit. According to Shoezone, a good thing to remember: “the younger the foot, the faster it grows.”

Though it’s true that children should have room to wiggle their toes, you should avoid buying shoes to ‘grow into’ because shoes that are too big can cause just as many problems as small ones.

Each foot can be different sizes and the difference in length can be up to half an inch, so we recommend using the longer foot as a guide to choosing the right shoe.

Step by step guide

1. Find a flat surface and place a piece of paper with the edge against the wall

2. Stand on it with your heel also against the wall

3. Make a mark on the paper where the longest point of your foot is (the tip of your toe)

4. Repeat this process with both feet as they may be slightly different sizes

5. Measure the length (which is heel to toe)

6. Use an online guide to find your shoe size

How can you tell if your child is wearing the wrong size shoe?

There are some signs that your child may be wearing the wrong shoe size:

Foot pain and your child complaining

Check in with your little one and how their feet feel. If they are experiencing pain that persists, they could be wearing the wrong size.

Damaged toenails

Ill-fitting shoes can lead to in-grown toenails, so it's important to check your little ones toes. It's also worth regularly trimming their toenails to prevent irritation.

Changes in foot appearance and how they walk

Foot deformities and changes in appearance are often caused from wrongly fitted shoes, as well as effecting the way your child walks.

What are vegan shoes like?

In general, vegan clothing isn’t that much different from normal clothing, except it’s made ethically without any animal products. For instance, vegan clothing would not allow fur, leather, silk, feathers, and some wool. Instead, it’s usually made from acrylic or other synthetic fibre.

As for shoes, there would be no suede or leather. For your little ones shoes for school, typically smart, black leather shoes are worn. So, what is the replacement? Well, the patent, faux or vegan leather is made from plastic and then is treated with products to create the same colour and texture.

How do I care for vegan leather?

Unlike leather made from cowhide, you can use water on vegan leather. As faux leather is not made from any animal products, it won’t absorb any water or be damaged by it. All you need to clean faux leather is some soapy water and a cloth.

For vegan leather shoe shine, use polishing cream sparingly. Don’t go overboard and make sure to use colourless polish – or one that is the same colour as the shoes.

Once you’ve given them a gentle wipe down, wait a day to ensure your shoes are fully dried out before you leave the house in them. You can machine-wash the shoes, but it’s recommended to hand wash them. If you insist on using a washing machine, make sure the water is cold or lukewarm and that you’re using a gentle detergent.

They’re only suitable for airdrying.

Are vegan shoes better than leather?

Each has advantages and disadvantages. If you're looking for an eco-friendly material, then vegan is the way to go. Leather shoes are often considered more durable, longer-lasting and therefore more superior and as a result, often more expensive. However, the production of leather raises its own ethical concerns about animal exploitation and can have a higher environmental impact.

Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.