Our Team’s Top School Start-rite Picks for Back to School 2026
Our team has over a century of combined fitting experience. Here are the four Start-Rite school shoes they’ve chosen for 2026 and why they love them.
When it comes to school shoes, nobody knows them quite like the people who fit them every day. Between our team at W.J. French & Son, we have well over a hundred years of fitting experience — some of our staff have been helping families find the right shoes for 20, 30, even 60 years. So when we asked them to put together their top school shoe picks for this year, we knew the recommendations would be ones you could really trust.
Here’s what they chose.
For older boys & girls
Start-Rite Impact — Girls’ School Shoe | £65
Getting older girls to like their school shoes is a challenge most parents know well. The Start-Rite Impact, from the brand’s Angry Angels collection, meets it head-on. With its on-trend chunky sole, fashion laces and smart black leather upper, it looks more like a shoe a teenager would actually choose — while still ticking every practical box a parent needs it to.
The lace-up fastening with fashion laces allows for a precise, personalised fit — and it’s the kind of detail that older girls actually notice and appreciate. Inside, a breathable mesh lining keeps feet fresh from registration to last bell, and the soft padded collar at the ankle prevents rubbing during more active wear.
Start-Rite Rhino Sherman — Boys’ School Shoe | From £65
The name says it all. The Rhino Sherman is a properly robust lace-up school shoe with a leather upper and leather lining — built for boys who are hard on their shoes. It’s a more traditional style that suits older boys well, and the lace fastening makes it a good option for those moving away from rip-tape. If you’re after a school shoe that will genuinely stand up to daily wear, this one is a firm favourite with our team.
Junior boys & girls
Start-Rite Star Jump — Girls’ Infant School Shoe | £52
This is the one our team reaches for when a parent comes in with a little girl starting school for the first time. The Star Jump is a classic T-bar style made from black leather with sweet star detailing and a glittery footbed — just enough fun to get excited about putting them on. Underneath all that charm is some really clever technology: Start-Rite’s Air Rite system allows air to circulate around the foot, keeping little feet comfortable and fresh all day, while the biomechanically engineered sole is designed specifically for the age range to support natural movement. The removable footbed and rip-tape fastening make fitting adjustments easy too.
Start-Rite Strike — Boys’ Infant & Junior School Shoe | £60
The Strike is consistently one of our most popular boys’ school shoes, year after year — and it’s not hard to see why. It has a sporty, trainer-style look that boys genuinely want to wear, combined with the durability parents need from a school shoe. The double rip-tape fastening makes it easy for younger children to manage independently, the breathable mesh lining helps keep feet fresh during active days, and the scuff-resistant toe bumper is a real workhorse feature. Available in multiple widths with carefully designed growing room, this is a shoe our team recommends with real confidence.
Need help finding the right fit?
All four of these styles are available in multiple width fittings including wide and narrow — something that really does make a difference to a child’s comfort and development. If you’re not sure which size or width is right for your child, you’re very welcome to visit us in store in Southampton for a professional fitting, or take a look at our size guide online.
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