We brought DD (3.10) and DS (2.2) shoe shopping today in the shop with the biggest range of kids' shoes within 60km of us.
DD looked at loads of shoes, pink or purple or yellow or white or blue or orange, with sparkles, sequins, embroidery, patterns, lights, all sorts of decorations. Or even naice black patent ones, though she didn't waste much time looking at those ones. She picked out a pink and yellow glittery pair which for some reason stood out for her against all the other pink and yellow glittery ones, put them on, and was immediately so madly in love with them that we couldn't take them off. She came home ecstatically happy with her shoes and is delighted with life.
For DS, we were shown all the boys' shoes available in his size. They were all brown or navy. The styles varied very little and there were no sequins, glitter or interest. One pair had a picture of a dinosaur on the side but that was as interesting as it got.
He had actively taken part in picking out shoes for DD (he knew exactly what she would like and picked up the pair she went for in the end, saying 'Roro like this one!') and was really interested in the whole thing, and was baffled when he was only offered boring navy and brown ones. He kept asking for the pink glittery ones he had chosen for himself, and (awful mammy that I am), I went along with the shop assistant who said he couldn't have them. He ended up with a boring navy pair which he refused to wear, and cried to have his old shoes back because the new ones weren't what he wanted (he wasn't tantrumming, just very, very sad).
AIBU to be sad at how little choice boys have? And also for despising myself a little for not going with my gut and just buying the poor little guy his beloved pink sparkly shoes?