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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask you all to contact Brantano regarding these shoes?

153 replies

IsSamNormansDad · 10/09/2011 20:15

Here
Was buying wellies for DS in Brantano today, and those hideous shoes caught my eye. I asked the duty manager if they were dressing up shoes as I had assumed, she replied 'No. They are for general wear.' She also mentioned that this style was extremely popular.
My DD is only 6m, so this kind of thing doesn't really affect me yet, but surely shoes like this worn regularly would damage a childs feet?
I also think that they are highly inappropriate for small children (available from kids size 9) as high heels are seen as 'sexy' shoes by many people.
I do NOT think that high heels for children neccessarily encourage inappropriate behaviour, but surely Mumsnets' campaign 'Let Girls Be Girls' is against this?
I am quite prepared to be flamed and told that it's none of my business, but if you feel the same, let Brantano know.

OP posts:

Rowena8482 · 10/09/2011 23:59

Who was who said if we had a boy who wanted those shoes they'd buy them for him? Cos my no3 son loves them and is a size 2 - ta very much He was looking when I showed DD and asked if he can have some too. I said he would have to ask his sister if he could borrow hers (they're the same size) but since someone is offering, they can have a pair each...

BeerTricksPotter · 11/09/2011 00:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BikeRunSki · 11/09/2011 00:03

There are an awful lot worse kid's shoes out there...

BeerTricksPotter · 11/09/2011 00:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

scottishmummy · 11/09/2011 00:07

stores respond to consumer demand,parents buy them
no one is compelled to buy shoes like those

kipperandtiger · 11/09/2011 00:13

The heel is a bit too narrow at the bottom (more a problem with stability and falling than premature sexualisation) and they are a bit overdone with glitter but they are not too bad - I was expecting to see stiletto sandals! Lelli Kelly sparkly ones are just as bad - but I guess that's the problem if one has daughters, having to be discerning about frivolous shoes and clothes. They would be ok for dressing up or the odd tea party, though not for active wear.

MULLYPEEP · 11/09/2011 00:15

Na, I wont complain. I'm pretty particular about the kind of nonsense I let them wear but my girls would love them for dressing up and would love love love them. My wee ones would be told they were not too practical for parties cause they want to jump about and that would superceed their desire to be princesses. I'm not threatened by a bit of glitter.

MULLYPEEP · 11/09/2011 00:23

You know, surely wee kids are responding to the types of women they see around them. The glitter draws them in, and they may see you wear high heels occasionally but ultimately its the every day women around them who will inspire them, so for me, these are not a problem.

clopper · 11/09/2011 00:40

My daughter has a similar pair (she is 9) and loves them, however, she doesn't wear them to school, just going to parties, out for a meal or dressing up games. I don't consider them inappropriate, I cannot imagine a grown woman ever wearing something like these!

Rowena8482 · 11/09/2011 00:54

No, BeerTricks so they can both prance about in sparkly shoes for the approximate half hour their shoes stay on at a time around the house. And they aren't "dictated" by anything - if Gok Wan came round and forced them onto their feet, or we were punished if they didn't wear them, THAT would be being dictated to, and I hardly think pink sparkles are de rigeur on the couture scene just now tell me that sounded like I know something fashionable when I see it cos I don't really, shhhhh they just like sparkly princess shoes and dressing up. Maybe I should tell my DD she has to only wear plain ugly clothes that aren't pretty or shock horror pink, and tell DS he can't either because it will deform them and stereotype them and make them into worse people WHEN they grow up... or, here's a novel idea, I could let them wear pink sparkly shoes once in a while and tell them they look lovely and the woman tutting over there is just a silly lady whose mam never bought her pink sparkly shoes so now she's so repressed and determined not to be stereotyped and not to conform to what she THINKS other people's ideals are, that she has no fun at all, and her shoes are flat and drab, just like her life. As it happens, my DD has "stuff" wrong with her feet, and for the vast majority of the time has to wear the most revolting black support shoes with inner wedges fitted so she couldn't actually WEAR the sparkly ones properly anyway. That doesn't mean I won't buy her some and let her put them on, and hold her hands while she wobbles, and pick her up if she happens to fall over, and we will laugh and try again. And her brother can wear some too if that's what he wants, and bollocks to whatever sad pathetic sterotype THAT gives you issues with! What they will remember will be the day they had pink sparkly shoes - they have the rest of their life to listen to moaning complaining whining miserable people say "you can't" and "you shouldn't" and "don't" and "how can you even think of".

grumplestilskin · 11/09/2011 01:06

ooh I used to LOOOVE tacky sparkley heels , IMO those linked are not a sign of the times or anything sinister, it's not about sex! (yuck to jump to that conclusion!) I loved Dorothy from wizard of oz shoes (VERY similar to the linked shoes) but was only allowed to wear them around the house as fancy dress because my mum said that heels were bad for children's backs/feet. Was very jealous of the girls who were allowed to wear their dorothy shoes into town! Wasn't about growing up too fast, almost the opposite because I liked them when I was still into kids movies and musicals.

If you really wanna put your DD off them do what my mum did, get her REAL tap shoes and make allow her take bloodyboring tap and jazz classes , didn't wanna be dorothy any more when I found out how many hours of boring practice it involved

CardyMow · 11/09/2011 01:50

OMG! I only started letting DD wear heels like that once she was 12yo - and in an adult size 4 shoe. My dc have all been in a size 9 in Reception - so age 4/5. Ye GODS who wants their 4 or 5yo to look like a hooker??!!

CardyMow · 11/09/2011 01:51

In fact, the largest size being a size 2, my DS2 who is 7yo is in a size 2 - so they are being marketed at 4-7yo's. EEeeeeewwww.

grumplestilskin · 11/09/2011 02:06

you see a small child's heeled shoe and think hooker, I see a small child's heeled shoe and think Annie/Wizard of Oz. I think 4-7 is about right to market play at being a dancer / in a musical stuff to. I had one of those ribbons on the end of a baton thingies and tap shoes and ballet stuff and a glitter baton and play heels at that age, and I was mostly a tomboy but 4-7 is the pracey aroundey pretending to be a fairy/dancer age and even I loved my bangles and bop set

grumplestilskin · 11/09/2011 02:09

PRANCEY not pracey, not even a real word and I spell it wrong!

CardyMow · 11/09/2011 03:15

But, you can buy glittery shoes that don't have heels on - young children don't need them, and they are bad for their developing bones.

LoveBeingAMummyAgain · 11/09/2011 03:49

Yabu if you want too get the campaigners onto it post on the thread rather than aibu

Mitmoo · 11/09/2011 06:34

Nice bit of free advertising for Brantano Shoes, I'm sure they'll be delighted.

I'm in the nothing wrong with them camp.

DelGirl · 11/09/2011 06:58

I hate them and have told dd when she earns her own money then she can buy them. She would love a pair but when she tried some on, when I wasn't looking and teetered over I felt quite sick actually. That's just my opinion, don't care what anyone else thinks.

SkiBumMum · 11/09/2011 07:04

OP I agree with you. They are gross and unsuitable in a size 9. DD is 2.7 and a size 6.5, some of her peers are size 7. That's not too far off 9 is it. No one can say a heels should be available for 3yos surely (although vile LellyKelly prob do them with free lip gloss). I had the same reaction when I saw the Monsoon ones. Bluergh.

Sirzy · 11/09/2011 07:29

I am not sure how a pair of kiddies glittery shoes can be deemed sexual or making children grow up in anyway. Part of the wonderful innocence of being a little girl is dressing up in glittering things and playing princesses/farires nothing inappropriate with that

Catslikehats · 11/09/2011 07:46

DD would love a pair of these. She is 6 and is not allowed heels, partly because I "don't approve" and partly because I have yet to see an appropriately childish pair - if that is not a misnomer.

I would actually buy here these - they are clearly kids shoes and look a lot like her tap shoes that she would wear if I didn't care about her trashing the floor. I think for parties they are quite sweet and far better than those horrid strappy sandles that were linked to earlier on the thread.

KittyFane · 11/09/2011 08:00

they are the Hannah Montana version of these from Monsoon and these from selfridges
I think general wear means that they are not dance shoes.
They are party shoes surely.

OP, I wonder if you have the horrified reaction to the monsoon/ selfridges ones?!

MissTinaTeaspoon · 11/09/2011 08:05

I'm going to go against the grain here and agree with the op. My dd is 3 and a size 8.5, I would expect her to be in a 9 by the time she is 4. It's not the sparkles that bother me so much as the heel! Little girls need flat shoes when their little feet are still growing.

Yanbu

LynetteScavo · 11/09/2011 09:29

[[http://www.disneystore.co.uk/sharpay-boots/mp/37237/1000231/ Sharpay boots in kids size 2-3. That's a baby, isn't it? PMSL.

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