Children now own more shoes than parents
Children are stepping up to the mark as many under 10s now have more footwear than their mums and dads.
On average girls own a whopping 17 pairs of shoes, boys own an even more impressive 20 pairs, while mum and dad own 15 and 10 respectively.
With celeb mini-me’s like Harper Beckham and Suri Cruise continuing to grace the fashion pages, British children appear to be stepping up their style game with a different shoe for every occasion.
In addition to school shoes, trainers, willies and summer sandals, both boys and girls each own at least three pairs of shoes that are too big for them, waiting for their feet to grow to the next size.
Adam Rose, a spokesperson for Debenhams, said: “It’s not just the Harper Beckham’s of the world with a wardrobe full of shoes.
“With little feet growing so quickly and different shoes needed for school, sport, hobbies, parties and holidays, mums across the UK are often buying three or four pairs of shoes at a time for their children.”
Boys lead the way in the shoe stakes with no less than nine pairs of sports shoes. Trainers, running shoes, football boots, rugby boots, basketball boots, Astroturf shoes and plimsolls, all feature on the list along with a larger sized pair of trainers and football boots waiting on the side-lines.
Girls have a more rounded selection of footwear including jelly shoes for the beach and ballet/dancing shoes for after-school lessons. School shoes, smart shoes and trainers are the three styles most young ladies have in a larger size.
Despite owning a shoe for every occasion, two thirds of parents surveyed said the stylish sneaker e.g. Converse, was their child’s favourite shoe (girls and boys), with many wanting to wear them even on smart occasions like as a bridesmaid or page-boy, and to school.
From high street to high end, Converse sneakers are a staple in many children’s wardrobes and have been spotted on celebrity children including Willow Smith, Harper Beckham and the Jolie-Pitt clan.
Adam added: “As well as the practical need for so many pairs of shoes, the celebrity mini-me trend has led to parents making more fashion-conscious decisions when buying for their children.
“We’ve seen a bigger demand for coordinating shoes and accessories than ever before.”
There is currently 20% off all children’s footwear at Debenhams and Debenhams.com until 24 February.
Take a look at our favourite shoe picks from Debenhams here.
How many pairs of shoes do you and your little one own? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
FemaleFirst