Best Leather School Shoes for Kids – Top 5 Most Supportive, Comfortable, and Durable Styles

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated and revised for accuracy on May 2022 and reflects an up-to-date selection of the best leather school shoes for kids.

Are you looking for a pair of leather school shoes that are supportive, durable, and affordable? Some schools have stricter uniform policies when it comes to which types of shoes children can wear in terms of material, color and style.

Some schools only allow children to wear full black leather shoes, whilst others allow children to wear nearly any type of enclosed shoe. Parents have a lot to consider between complying with the school dress codes, budgets and their children’s growth spurts.

Keep in mind that children wear school shoes for 35 to 40 hours per week, so it should be your top priority to find shoes that are supportive, comfortable, and fit the shape of your child’s feet perfectly.

My Experiencing Fitting Children in School Shoes

I have been working at a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years, where we focus on helping children with “complicated” foot shapes, foot conditions, and leg conditions.

As a shoe fitter, I handle approximately 100 shoe fittings/try-ons per week and have become very familiar with the best leather school shoes for kids.

There is only a small selection of leather school shoes for kids since nowadays most kids’ shoes are made from synthetic materials. The good news is that I know exactly which kids’ shoes are made out of leather, and I will help you find them.

What Makes the Leather Shoes I Recommend a Good Choice for School?

• Durability: Leather shoes last longer than shoes made of synthetic materials.

• Breathability: Leather allows airflow to pass through the shoes, allowing your kids’ feet to breathe and keeping them healthy by preventing bacteria from building up inside the shoe.

• Water-Friendly: Leather shoes help keep your kids’ feet dry when walking through on surfaces.

• Better Fit: Shoes made out of leather will mold to your kids’ foot shape, providing your child with extra comfort and support.

• Easy to Clean: Leather shoes are very easy to clean compared to shoes made of other types of materials.

Before I show you a list of the best leather school shoes for kids I want to make sure that you know your child’s exact foot length and shape.

How to Order the Correct Shoe Size?

If you have a good-fitting children’s shoe store in your area I suggest that you take your child there to be properly measured and fitted for shoes. However, most specialized children’s shoe stores have been closing down lately (even before the pandemic), so parents are increasingly ordering their children’s shoes online.

If you are unsure of your child’s exact foot length and shape I suggest that you follow the instructions in the article below:

How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width

Below you can find a selection of the best leather school shoes for kids. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Best Leather School Shoes for Kids

Take a look at the description below the image of each shoe to check if that specific shoe can fit your child’s foot shape (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide). All of the shoes below are made out of leather.

Number 1: New Balance Uniform Shoe

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Number 2: Stride Rite Claire

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Number 3: Geox

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Number 4: Stride Rite

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Number 5: Naturino

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Unsure About What Shoe Size You Should Order?

In each of the descriptions of the shoes I indicate whether you need to order a half a size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

*A half a size bigger translates to 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

*A whole size bigger translates to 3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

Are There Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

If you are looking for a different shoe style or a different color don’t hesitate to contact me with your child’s foot shape and country location so that I can provide you with different shoe recommendations based on this information:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

How Long Should Your Kids’ School Shoes Last?

It’s highly likely that your kids’ shoes won’t last the whole school year, they usually last anywhere between five to six months.

Depending on your child’s age your child might outgrow the shoes anywhere between five to six months.

How Fast Do Kids’ Feet Grow? – Let’s Find Out!

Keep in mind that the rate of growth depends on the age of the child, so I break it down by age. These guidelines should be taken as an estimate since every child grows at a different rate.

✅ Children between the ages of 4 to 6 should have their shoes replaced every 4 ½ to 5 months. Your child’s feet will grow ½ size to a whole size every 4 to 5 months.

✅ Children between the ages of 7 to 10 should have their shoes replaced every 5 months. Your child’s feet will grow ½ size to a whole size every 5 to 6 months.

✅ Children between the ages of 11 to 17 should have their shoes replaced every 5 ½ to 6 months. Your child’s feet will grow ½ size to a whole size every 6 months.

In addition, there are some factors that can contribute to your child’s shoes wearing down before the school year such as the quality of the shoes, the amount of wear they get from your child, and your child’s activities while wearing them.

Let us know in the comment section below if you have found specific pair of leather back to school shoes that have worked well for your child’s feet. I am sure other families will benefit from reading about your experiences.