So I just got an email from Schuh…

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/if-its-social-justice-companies-want-they-should-start-with-their-workers-pj8m86jb3

Sorry I don't have a share token. Have posted on another thread but thought some might want a read on here. James Kirkup is pretty good on the whole trans debate but this is the first time I've seen anything in the Times business section. I didn't find it until last night. He puts the point that we do, sell us stuff but not your opinions and if your going to do anything, look after the poor and the local communities. Nicely written article, M & S get a good mention

So many people with various mobility disabilities need one shoe, or very expensive, shoes in different sizes so have to buy 2 pairs. Only one company gives a (small) discount for this.

I really dislike corporate rainbow-washing, but it’s even more cynical and vacuous when it’s a shoe shop trying it on. There’s gonna be some right pinchy feet and blisters and Schuh will have quite a few returns to deal with, if they are trying to say that mens and women’s sizing of shoes in the UK is just a matter of politics, or how their customers personally ‘identify’.

By all means everyone should feel free to choose whatever style they feel comfortable with. And manufacturers should be prepared to make a choice of styles in different sizes for each sex to facilitate this because gender is a load of nonsense… but that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening here. This seems less about smashing gender norms and more about corporately changing nothing while trying to get woke points by being sanctimonious about words.

In UK sizing, shoes for infants, children, teens, men and women shoes are all still typically made up on different lathes to accommodate typical (biologically-determined) size and shape differences. A size eleven is obviously not going to be the same shoe across all these different categories. I don’t see how it helps customers to be encouraged to think that ‘identifying as’ whoever is relevant, rather than biology and age for finding shoes that fit.

Out of interest, if you happen to only have one foot, will Schuh sell you one shoe rather than making you buy a pair?

Surely that would be an actual measure of inclusion of marginalised people they could take which would actually be relevant to their business.

Oh zchno! What Zchoes shall I buy now for my zchfeet?

Zschuch a zschame!

Take a wild guess

Do that have heels and pretty sandals up to size 12 then?

I got it too.

Thank you for the link to the ICO NotLizzie, complained and unsubscribed.

I’m a scheh

They are-

Upholding the idea that shoe styles are gendered (no heels in the men's section)
Making non inclusive assumptions about general foot size of male / female and worse directly linking what sounds like biological essentialism to the words man/ woman.

I mean all of it results in a very invalidating experience for eg a male non binary person with a femme presentation at the weekends.

Just leaving this here...

Did you unsubscribe and say #nothankyou ?

Thank you - I hadn't opened it. Now I have and have unsubscribed

Oh god really? That shit gets everywhere.

It's linked with "The Proud Trust" of sex-ed dice game fame.

Nice strategy.

Also reported to ICO. Thanks for the link

Unsubscribed, thank you

When they offered the option to sign up for marketing emails I don’t suppose they said you were also signing up for political/ideological emails? Assuming they didn’t this is a misuse of your personal information in relation to direct marketing and they should be reported to the ICO.

Here’s the link for reporting spam mail which this is closest to ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-emails/

The more complaints made the better in terms of whether they will do anything

Again these things sound all lovely in writing but it's never explained how it works in real life.

'It's important to ask how a person identifies and respect their answer'

What, everyone?
Just in some situations?
Only in ones where you might refer to them when not there?
Genderfluid etc means you should check every time you see someone in case has changed?
What if they have no idea what you're talking about?
Age range? Toddlers up? Your elderly grandparent?
People who don't live here and it's not s thing where they're from?

I mean it can't be just people who look like they may have a,.. diverse identity? Because that's oppressive to trans folx, they're supposed to look a certain way?

Etc etc.

Thanks bonfire. what a lecturing message to customers! I guess they're declaring their religion and that non-believers are not welcome. well ok then.

As a woman who's worn size 9 shoes since age 10 and has wider feet than are normally accommodated by the few size 9 women's shoes that shops manage to stock (I've been basically buying "men's" shoes for years) .... I would actually consider it to be a good thing if shoe shops started stocking more styles aimed at women in bigger sizes to cater for all types of "women".

Or we could just do away with men's and women's shoes and sell them based on length and width?