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Original poster

"Boys' shoes" and "girls' shoes".... ffs!

38 replies

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 30/08/2018 20:24

Just a minor rant.

Took DD to get measured yesterday. There was a wait to be seen. We amused ourselves looking at the different shoes and she looked at some with sparkles on, some with dinos and some with sharks.

Assistant then came up, measured her, asked what we were looking for. I said sensible shoes for walking to preschool in the cold weather and running around outside.

Assistant came back with 3 pairs of Mary Janes Hmm

I said politely that I wanted something sturdy with a leather upper. "We only have 1 pair like that for girls. All these" indicating the dino etc shoes "are for boys, so you can't put her in those."

Ffs what is wrong with people? She is three and a bloody half Angry

OP posts:
SandettieLightVesselAutomatic · 30/08/2018 20:52

"You can't put her in those" ... hahaha. Of course you can. DD wears shoes designed for boys sometimes, because they're just more practical than the 'girls shoes' that are marketed. Mary Janes are pointless if they want to jump in puddles.

MaryandMichael · 30/08/2018 20:56

You certainly can. If anyone objects, tell them MaryandMichael is currently wearing men's walking shoes and they can take it up with me if they want to.
I have men's shoes for all but very special occasions, because they are firmer and provide more support than women's silly shoes.
It's time society took a more sensible approach to footwear. All children (and most women) need sensible, supportive shoes for everyday wear.

FacelikeaBagofHammers · 30/08/2018 21:01

Let me guess, was this Clark's?

This drives me insane! Talk about reinforcing gender stereotypes and soon as your kids can walk.

Boys have comfortable, soft, sturdy shoes, girls have pink plastic crap to 'look pretty'.

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Pascha · 30/08/2018 21:02

I saw 3 girls choosing school shoes from the boys section in the local Clarks outlet yesterday.

SilkeOvesen · 30/08/2018 21:02

If you put her in dinosaur shoes something terrible might happen! Girls aren’t allowed to wear things with dinosaurs on! Grin

Cherrysherbet · 30/08/2018 21:07

Well, you do get "boys shoes" and "girls shoes". My Dd wears "girls shoes", and I wouldn't dress her in "boys shoes". It's personal choice.
If you want to dress your Dd in shark shoes, go ahead, no one is stopping you.
When you shop for your own shoes, would you expect the sales assistant to show you blokes shoes? Hmmmm they'd look great with your new dress 🤔

YBR · 30/08/2018 21:09

In my family we refer to "sturdy school shoes" or "proper school shoes" and both my DDs wear them - that's boy's school shoes according to Clarks. They don't bat an eyelid if we ask for "those ones" which are labelled as boys'.

As I generally buy men's trousers the household is already primed to pick the item that works best and ignore gender labling.

starzig · 30/08/2018 21:11

Are they a different fit perhaps? I know older kids shoes are. I often buy boys rather than girls as they are broader. I am also a 2 in boys yet a 3 in girls.

Pascha · 30/08/2018 21:11

Although,

I've just searched "girls school shoes" on the Clarks website and of the 96 listed, 37 different styles were what I would consider full foot coverage sensible useful school shoes.

Admittedly, a fair few when I looked in were then listed as boys shoes but they came up in the girls search which suggests to me that Clarks know some girls want them.

I quite liked so e of the girls range.

Stephisaur · 30/08/2018 21:11

I remember going for school shoes in year 11. The shoes on the uniform list for my school (all girls) only went up to a size 8, so I had to get a pair of shoes off the list for the boys school over the road for my size 9 boat feet. I had to take a note to school.

I wouldn’t have minded, but they were just black leather school shoes. There wasn’t a huge amount of difference between pairs Hmm

Shoes are shoes. I’d have bought the dinosaur ones in protest 😂

Lolly86 · 30/08/2018 21:11

I bought my 4 year old DD 'boys shoes ' to start school with because the 'girls' shoes' were too flimsy and not supportive enough. Although they were very pretty and did light upHmmGrin

BossWitch · 30/08/2018 21:12

If you want to dress your Dd in shark shoes, go ahead, no one is stopping you.
When you shop for your own shoes, would you expect the sales assistant to show you blokes shoes?

So much what the fuck....

  1. What makes sharks = boy in your head? It clearly does, as you gave the example. So please explain clearly why shark must equal boy but cannot equal girl?
  1. These are shoes for children. Children at the age this thread is dealing with have no biological difference in their feet depending on their sex. So there is no parallel to be drawn to fully grown, adult male vs adult female shoes. Men and women have (slightly) differently shaped feet. Little boys and girls do not.
swampytiggaa · 30/08/2018 21:13

My two youngest girls are in boys shoes again this year aged 10 and 12. Tbh a brogue is a brogue but the boys ones have thicker grippier soles.

EnidButton · 30/08/2018 21:14

I'd have loved dinosaur shoes as a child!

SilkeOvesen · 30/08/2018 21:15

What makes sharks = boy in your head? It clearly does, as you gave the example. So please explain clearly why shark must equal boy but cannot equal girl?

Yes do tell, I’m intrigued. Are there no female sharks then?

swampytiggaa · 30/08/2018 21:16

Plus last time a sales assistant questioned me on the shoes we chose I asked if you needed a penis to fasten them. If not they were just shoes 😉

My girls are very happy with them and wear them with skirts and thick tights.

shoelaces · 30/08/2018 21:20

Totally agree it is shit that girls shoes are generally flimsy Mary Jane styles.

The only problem you may have with putting a girl's foot in to a shoe designed for boys is width. They are wider, so ok if your girl has standard to wide fit herself. But if she has narrow feet then it would be really difficult to get a good fit for her.

Shoes need to be labelled according to the biological sex of the feet. Shoes don't have to be designed with such a gender divide. Perfectly good, sturdy shoes should be available for all.

In adult sizes, there are ranges of shoes that are feminine looking but cut for a male foot and vice versa.

Nothisispatrick · 30/08/2018 21:31

Cherrysherbet

What exactly about sharks means they’re only for boys? That makes no sense! Or dinosaurs for that matter? There are both males and female sharks and dinosaurs.

ALemonyPea · 30/08/2018 21:38

In the school I work at, half the reception girls wear boys shoes in the winter if they’re not wearing boots.

I can remember wearing boys Kickers (remember when they were trendy) in Y10/11 when all the other girls wore the heeled ones. I wanted to be comfortable at school.

Ds2s first pair of shoes were girls shoes as he has such skinny feet, boys shoes didn’t go that thin.

Cherrysherbet · 30/08/2018 21:38
  1. What makes sharks = boy in your head? It clearly does, as you gave the example. So please explain clearly why shark must equal boy but cannot equal girl?

My point is, if the op wants to dress her dd in shark shoes, then noone is stopping her. Why does she need to make an issue of it?
I think of certain designs as either boys or girls, as many people do. I wouldn't stop my dd from choosing them if she wanted them, but she is usually drawn more towards pretty styles, and I don't discourage it. It's her choice.

It's ok to be a girl and like pretty shoes, just as it's ok if a girl likes dinosaurs on her shoes. Both types of shoes are widely available, and we all have choice, so why not just get on with it and choose without judging each other?

Original poster
JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 31/08/2018 06:17

Glad to see it's not just me,!

Cherry the problem is saying in front of a little girl who has just been admiring dinosaur shoes you can't put her in those as they're boys' shoes

She used to have the shark shoes and loved them so much we are still not allowed to get rid of the old pair!

Slightly to my annoyance the only pair that was a good fit was a pair of sparkly light up shoes but they have s good tread so okay.....

OP posts:
Original poster
JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 31/08/2018 06:18

Although I was very proud of DD who tactlessly referred to the Mary Janes as "those slippery shoes" the whole time. "I cannot run around with my friends in slippery shoes, can I?"

OP posts:
YeTalkShiteHen · 31/08/2018 06:28

My favourite pair of shoes ever as a kid were “boys” ghostbusters trainers from Clarks. They had Slimer on the front!

DD has wee Lelli Kelly Mary Janes because that’s what she asked for, but she also has boots for the winter/wet days.

I hate, hate, hate the frilly fluffy shit that is all that is available for girls. Or rather marketed at girls.

Fatted · 31/08/2018 06:36

Am I the only person thinking take your kids to another shoe shop then that does sell proper kids shoes then?! Supply and demand and all that.

coolwalking · 31/08/2018 06:47

Completely agree with you OP.
Where we are most kids just wear trainers. Girls wearing those slipper type shoes don't join in with the other kids as much running around and playing on the playground at our school. We don't have a school uniform which is annoying but I'd rather the kids be comfortable in decent shoes.