AN ongoing flash sale of white school shoes by shoemaker and retailer Bata is an annual stock clearance sale and has nothing to do with the implementation of the black shoe policy for public schools beginning next year, the company said today.

Online photographs showing heaps of white school shoes being sold at a mere RM5 per pair at the Bata warehouse in Klang had sparked rumours that the shoe company was desperate to clear its stock ahead of the new academic year.

However, Bata’s head of corporate business James Selvaraj said the warehouse sale was an annual event, aimed at getting rid of old stocks of all shoes.

“That one (in the photo) is very old stock; it’s yellow in colour. Nice white shoes have a short shelf life.

“These shoes are about a year old, so when it turns yellow, we cannot sell this as normal stock. We have to sell them at a clearance sale,” James told The Malaysian Insight.

The Education Ministry recently announced that schoolchildren will be required to wear black shoes and socks in a new policy that will be implemented in stages from next year and made fully compulsory in 2021.

The Bata shoe sale has been ongoing since November 23, and will last until January 6. James said sales so far have been brisk.

He reminded parents that they still had the option of buying white shoes for their children, adding that new white shoes were also being sold at retail price, with 10% to 20% discount, depending on the season.

“The problem is parents are confused, and are unsure about whether to buy white shoes or black,” he said.

James urged parents not to be too quick to discard their children’s white shoes as they could still be used until 2021.

“Everyone should follow the government’s circular that black shoes will only be fully implemented in 2021, which means next year and in 2020, pupils can still wear white shoes and socks.” – December 6, 2018.