A new illustration shows the ultimate school shoes according to children – complete with disco lights and a secret snack compartment
Designers have brought to life children’s dream school shoes with new illustrations. The new designs capture the imagination of youngsters who spend their days in school shoes, featuring disco lights in the soles, mood-changing laces, and a secret compartment for sweets.
It follows a survey of 1,000 six- to 11 year olds which revealed that almost half would love built-in trackers to prevent getting lost, while others desired a camera feature to take photos with friends. Over half wished their shoes could also give them the speed of a cheetah, and 47 per cent wanted the power to teleport anywhere.
Simon Wilson, managing director at Deichmann, which commissioned the research and is offering Buy One Get One Half Price across all kids’ school shoes, said: “The imagination of children should always be celebrated.
“They have some many fantastic ideas, which we’ve really enjoyed seeing brought to life in this illustration. There are plenty of times when we’ve all probably needed a built-in tracking function to help us get around…or even a bit of extra speed to get us to where we need to go.”
Other inventive features included voice activated laces and magnetic clasps which snap. Springs in the soles were a must-have for 38 per cent to aid in jumping higher, while 37 per cent fancied wheels to skate to school each morning.
When it came to colour, 31 per cent were in favour of keeping the traditional black – although many girls expressed a desire for floral or starry embellishments to add a bit of sparkle.
Boys, conversely, largely preferred a single colour, with some suggesting camouflage or bold shapes as decorative elements. Despite their differences on patterns, over half of both boys and girls believed their ideal school shoe would outshine anything currently available in stores.
For two-thirds, aesthetics were important, but not paramount when it came to their footwear choices, as the majority (80 per cent) prioritised comfort above all else.
Parents agreed, ranking comfort as their top priority, followed by quality and durability. Interestingly, half of parents identified purchasing school shoes as the most irksome part of back-to-school preparation – yet nearly half allowed their children significant input in the decision-making process.
They also prioritised good value (61 per cent), a wide range of sizes (55 per cent), and convenient store locations (54 per cent), according to data from OnePoll.com.
Simon Wilson, at Deichmann, added: “We know getting kids ready for Back to School can be a tricky time for parents and offering the best value school shoes is top of our priority list too.
“Although the summer holidays have just started, thinking about this now could help avoid the last-minute rush in the weeks before the new term starts.
“It’s important the shopping process is as efficient as possible – parents want to know they can select from a wide range of styles and sizes and find footwear that is great quality and durable.”