Shoes, Bag Brands You Must Know For Your First-Time Schooler

The school year 2024-2025 has dawned upon us, and whether we like it or not, as parents, we should equip our children with quality school shoes, bags, and supplies that we hope will last long.

At the Smart Parenting Village, a Facebook community for parents, an anonymous mom started a thread asking for recommendations on good quality school shoes and bags for her preschooler.

Parents were quick to share their favorite brands, and while some were the classics that we grew up with, new brands of school shoes and bags emerged. We thought first-time school parents, like me, should know these brands that members of the Smart Parenting community love.

Parent-approved brands that first-time school parents must know:

1. School bags: Smiggle

When it comes to our kids' school bags, parents hope to buy one that is sturdy and comfortable enough for kids to bring to school every day. 

Among the highly recommended brands of parents is the classic Hawk bags that some of us also used as students, but majority in the thread voted for Smiggle bags.

Smiggle is an Australian brand of school, lifestyle, and stationery products like bags, lunch boxes, and accessories. It has stores in United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. 

Mommy Jos, who has been a member of Smart Parenting Village since 2018, shared that her son uses Smiggle and says it's sturdy and still looks brand new. Work-from-home mom Rin said she can attest to Smiggle, "Sobrang bago tingnan. Di kinakapitan ng dumi. Aside from that, tama lang sa built ng kids in that age. Di natatanggal ang straps pag sinusuot or the bag itself. Sobrang akma for Kindergarten."

Based on the Smiggle website, a Teeny Tiny Backpack costs around $45 (Php 2,620), while a Junior Backpack costs around $54 (Php 3,151). 

Smiggle bags can be bought in select SM Malls, and in Hamleys store in Taguig. Some parents opt to pre-order from friends and relatives coming from abroad, as it's much cheaper there compared to resellers here. Others also cautioned about buying fake Smiggle bags online. 

2. School shoes: Mini Melissa, EasySoft, and Dr. Kong

Moms were quick to recommend these brands, aside from the classic Gibi and Florsheim shoes that have been proven and tested to last long. 

Mini Melissa, a brand from Brazil, is more on the pricey side, with its back-to-school pairs ranging from Php 2,495 to Php 3,995 on its website. 

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Dr. Kong Kids' shoes ranges also from Php 3,300 to Php 4,500, but moms at the Smart Parenting Village swear by this brand, which was established in Hong Kong. As mom of three Kathrine said, Dr. Kong Kids' shoes are "Matibay, comfy, and worth it." Check out its website here for its back-to-school promo.

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EasySoft by World Balance, meanwhile, takes pride in making shoes that are waterproof, flexible, and durable at an affordable price of Php 599 per pair. On-sale items in its website can go as low as Php 399 for boys' shoes! 

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3. Water bottle: Aquaflask and TYESO

In anticipation of the hot, hot summer weather, more parents are keen on investing on insulated water bottles than the usual plastic ones. This way, it keeps their kids' water colder longer, enough to last the day.

Some brands that are worth trying out are Aquaflask and TYESO, which are readily available on Shopee and Lazada. For preschoolers, an Aquaflask Mallows Bottle (12oz) can be bought for Php 690.

TYESO Portable Flasks, meanwhile, are priced at Php 992.98 (18oz) on Lazada.

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4. Lunch box: b.box

For lunch boxes, parents at the Smart Parenting Village prefer those that have easy-to-open and leak-proof features for their first-time schoolers. Mommy Hazel swears by the brand b.box, saying that her son used it last school year. "Hindi nanilaw and good as new pa din. We also love b.box insulated bottles."

The brand b.box was also voted as the preferred Lunch Box and Water Bottle during the Smart Parenting Awards in 2022. Its 4-compartment lunch box starts at Php 1,205.28 on Lazada.

Another new player to watch out for is French brand Beaba that offers an Insulated Lunch Box made of stainless steel and comes with a silicone lid, ensuring your child's meal fresh, nutritious, and fun. It retails for Php 2,150 on Lazada, but Beaba also offers it with an insulated lunch bag for only Php 3,399. That's up to Php 651 in savings!

5. Tracking devices: Apple AirTag

As a first-time school parent myself, it's valid to feel anxious when sending our little ones outside our homes and under the care of teachers. For parents at the Smart Parenting Village, they have been vouching about using Apple AirTag to track the whereabouts of their kids, giving them another layer of protection. It retails at Php 1,670, and parents recommend putting it in your child's pocket or bag.

If you prefer Android or smart watch as tracking devices, check out our list here.

6. Mini fan: Goojodoq

Aside from an insulated tumbler, a mini fan has become an essential school item for young learners. The Goojodoq brand is making waves as a portable handheld turbo fan, for its cooling capacity at an affordable price of Php 548.10 on Lazada.

Other brands like Jisulife offer neck fans at Php 899. Dowell meanwhile offers buy 1, take 1 rechargeable fans at Php 1,125 when you buy at Robinson's Department Store in-store or on Lazada. Check out the catalog here.

See more portable fan recommendations here.

7. Stationery: Niimbot Label Maker 

Worried that your little preschooler will lose their stuff? It's valid, too. Em Cruz, mom of two and Smart Parenting section editor, recommends putting labels on everything. Her top recommendations for label makers are Niimbot for big kids and Brother for little learners. 

Niimbot can help you create labels without ink and can be connected using Bluetooth. It retails at Php 1,084.71 on Lazada. 

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A Brother Label Maker meanwhile costs Php 3,840 on Lazada, and comes with two packs of laminated tapes.

Robinsons Department Store has back-to-school deals too! Check out its product offers on its Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok shops.

What other brands can you recommend to first-time schoolers? Comment below or join the Smart Parenting Village here.