Liverpool school bans slip-on ballet slipper shoes

Apr 29 2008

A LIVERPOOL school is banning slip-on shoes to stop playground accidents.

Broadgreen primary insists girls wearing the ballet-style footwear are risking injury and breaching uniform policy.

Today the no-nonsense approach was backed up by The Royal Society For the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), which said parents should choose their children’s shoes carefully.

Head at the 326-pupil Old Swan school, Carol Machell, has outlawed all slip-ons but is particularly going to war over “ballerina flat shoes”.

The often glittery footwear, made trendy by stars such as Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse and Sienna Miller, can be picked up for as little as £5, a fifth of the price of sturdier school shoes.

While having sympathy with parents, Mrs Machell said the smooth-soled pumps were a health and safety risk, and more expensive shoes were not only safer but would last longer.

She has written to parents warning shoes must be black lace-ups, buckles or Velcro.

She said: “Some children are wearing shoes that not only are not part of school uniform but also are highly dangerous when running around in a school playground.

“We cannot take any responsibility for accidents that may happen when children are wearing unsuitable shoes.”

Her stance follows an accident in the school yard two years ago when a 10-year-old girl wearing the pumps slipped and broke her leg.

Ms Machell said: “We want to encourage pupils to run on the playground and we want to make the message clear to parents that these types of shoes for children are dangerous.

“They are fine for going to a party but not school.

“You wouldn’t do sport in stilettos.”

Today a RoSPA spokesman stressed wearing the right shoes was important.

He said: “Slips and falls are the most common accidents we have throughout our lives and this is something parents need to bear in mind when buying shoes.”

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