Children own more shoes than their parents

Surprisingly children under ten own more pairs of shoes than their parents, according to a survey revealed by Debenhams.

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, wellies, summer sandals and many more, 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.

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, plimsolls all feature on the list along with a larger sized pair of trainers and football boots waiting on the sidelines.

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.

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.”

Despite owning a shoe for every occasion – 64% 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 e.g. bridesmaid or page-boy duty, 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.

“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 24th February.

*20% off all children’s shoes: full price only, excludes babywear