At the start of July we unboxed a brand-new pair of Engineer school shoes from Start-Rite, ready to put them through the wringer over the final term of school. If you missed it, you can catch our first impressions and why we chose this style in our unboxing post here.
Now that the school year has officially wrapped, it’s time to report back because these shoes have been thoroughly tested.
From Sports Days to Storms: A Wild Term
Arlo wore these shoes to the absolute max. In the final few weeks of term alone, we had the end-of-year sports day, daily outdoor play at his OPAL school, and his big rock band performance as the lead singer, no less! We also had a proper British combo of heatwave followed by flash storms, which meant lots of on and off changes, playground puddle jumping, post-school park visits, and even climbing trees and sliding down backwards all in the name of “testing”.
Let’s just say… these shoes have seen things.
So, How Did They Hold Up?
Honestly? They still look great. I was fully expecting to need to scrub them down for this blog post (I even bought polish in advance), but I genuinely haven’t needed to use it. I’m especially impressed by the soles and toe tips the areas that usually show the first signs of wear in Arlo’s shoes. The Engineer has this clever design where the sole curves up and over the toe, giving it extra protection without squishing the shape. Arlo usually complains that shoes like that pinch, but not these.
He took them for a tree-climbing session and even tested the grip by climbing up a slide and zooming down backwards. (We did check no one else was on it, promise). The grip strength was excellent, and for a kid like Arlo who loves to run, leap, and generally live like he’s Mowgli it’s a big deal that his shoes can actually keep up. I’ve included pictures of the soles and the toes close up exactly as they are today compared to day one.
The Real Test: Will He Actually Wear Them?
This is where the Engineer really wins. Arlo has additional needs and can be incredibly particular about footwear. Some mornings we face total refusal over clothes that feel too lumpy or itchy and shoes that feel “off” in some undefinable way. He’s also the kind of child who won’t speak up at school if something is bothering him he’ll just silently cope and then collapse in a heap the second we get in the car, stripping off shoes and his tie as a way to decompress.
But with these? No complaints. He actually wanted to wear them. Not only that, he got really into the idea of “testing them for the blog” and kept coming up with his own challenges, puddle jumping, taking the long way home, climbing playground obstacles, just to see how they’d hold up. You name it, he’s done it! He’s even commented (more than once) about how comfy his toes feel, which might seem small, but it’s huge in our world.
Being able to buy a shoe in the correct width fitting has made all the difference. His feet are wider than average and prone to rubbing in narrow shoes, but the Start-Rite measuring gauge always helps us get the perfect size at home and it paid off.
Value for Money?
Absolutely. These shoes are worth every penny. We’ve made the mistake of buying supermarket shoes before in an attempt to save money, only to have them fall apart by Christmas (and end up spending more having to replace them mid-year). The Engineer shoes still look smart, feel comfortable, and more importantly they’re built to last.
I already know we’ll be passing these down once Arlo grows out of them, which is more than I can say for most of his shoes.
They meet the school uniform policy, look smart enough for classroom settings, and still perform brilliantly on the playground. That balance is hard to find. The only other footwear that usually holds up like this is a sturdy pair of boots but they’re not exactly school code compliant.
Our overall impression
Start-Rite promised performance, comfort, and durability and that’s exactly what we’ve experienced. I think the Engineer is the perfect style for active kids who need independence (thanks to the rip-tape fastening), support (padded ankle and wider fittings), and a shoe that can handle whatever the day throws at them.
We haven’t even had to touch the polish yet, but it’s nice knowing we’ve got it if we want to give them a quick shine ahead of the new term. But to be honest, they’ve stayed in such good condition, I doubt we’ll need it anytime soon.
If you’re looking for a back-to-school shoe that works as hard as your kid does this is it! The only visible sign of wear is the horizontal crease across the leather at the front which is to be expected from usual wear.
This review is part of a paid collaboration with Start-Rite Shoes. All views, anecdotes, and stormy puddle tests are entirely our own.
