The shoes you fussed over, moaned about, “accidentally” ruined, rolled your eyes every time you were forced to wear them are finallychic. This season, sensible school-appropriate footwear deserves to be worn way passed 3pm. No detention involved.

It all started at the Burberry show in September. In Riccardo Tisci’s take on British classicism was the beige trench, the signature check, sharp tailoring and then traditional T-bar buckle-up flats. In keeping with the spirit of these Startrite-inspired shoes, the Italian designer had them styled with sweet cotton socks and looks that hinted at the ironic anarchy shoes like these can offer.

They’re not teacher’s-pet sweet, they’re more of a Pink Floyd ’80s punkish attitude-packed approach. She’s the girls that’s bunked off school, enjoys their practicality, but totally rejects the usual insistence of how and when they should be worn. Jourdan Dunn’s look – comprised of a studded trench and buttoned-up shirt – was the one that made this message loud and clear.

Over in Milan, Queen of (everything tbh) a chunky shoe, Miuccia Prada had the shoes storming down the Prada catwalk paired with silky baby doll dresses and those collect-them-all hairbands. Here, knee-high socks only added to the school-ish appeal of these chunky-soled shoes but note how the rest of the ensemble is miles away from Monday to Friday uniforms. Instead, a blazer is replaced with a satin bowed-at-the-neck jacket and a kilt swapped in for a tie-dye printed and embellished baby doll party dress. Gigi Hadid and Anok Yai have already taken the look out on the town, sticking true to the catwalk origins. Miuccia always knows best, students.

And so, with these shoes not really being anything new – just a classic style with a fresh purpose – there are plenty of options available to buy now. While the catwalk versions by Burberry and Prada are ready to snap up for three figures (in shoes like these you’ll find your best cost-per-wear argument), the high street has plenty of options and then so do brands like Dr Martens who have this chunky style in their DNA.

From festivals to parties, job interviews to easy Saturdays, shoes have never been so sorted. We give this trend an A+.