To think that if your feet are small enough to wear these shoes you are too young for high heels?

[unrulysun]

I saw these shoes in a branch of Monsoon today. I see plenty of things for little girls which make me roll my eyes but these actually made me stop and stare and then a few minutes later go back into the shop to talk to someone.

The heel on these is a good inch high. My DD is 3 and her feet are size 9. The ones I saw were in a size 7 which I think DD last had when she was 2. She’s not particularly enormous for her age so I think these shoes are definitely for 2 – 3 year olds. I don’t know what size they go down to. AIBU to think that a 2 or 3 year old shouldn’t be walking around in high heels? This isn’t wearing your mum’s high heels this is ‘these are your new shoes’.

And yy I know ‘you don’t need to buy them if you don’t want to’ and I won’t buy them. But I care about the little girls who they are bought for. I don’t think any little girl should be put into shoes like this. Frankly I’d be worried DD would twist an ankle in heels this high. She certainly wouldn’t be able to run or play. And I’m sad that these are on sale for little girls. Not in some weird online place but in a high street shop.

I’m going to complain to Monsoon. I would have liked to have given them the feedback instore today but the sales assistant shrugged and said ‘I’m just a sales assistant’ and the manager was ‘too busy’ to talk to –annoying people who think girls should be allowed to be children-- me.

doesn't affect your oldfashioned and incomprehensible measurements.

Not incomprehensible at all. Educate yourself. It would take about 5 seconds. Instead of being ridiculous and rude about it.

ok - clarification - the flowergirls were wearing Monsoon-a-likes, not turn-your-3-yr-old-into-a-barbie pageant shoes.

OP if you don't want to put much stock in your appearance or looks fine, don't do it. But stop dictating to others what they should do.
You don't like the shoes, fine, don't buy them. But let others make their own decisions.

"... oldfashioned and incomprehensible measurements."

ie the ones in current use in USA?

Chill, these are occasion shoes for bridesmaids of flower girls, not stilletoes. They go up to a size 4, many ladies are of smaller sizes. J

That we should not, as women and girls, be overly concerned with our appearance or looks.

Agreed.

And as an extension of that that clothes that prioritise being pretty over being comfy encourage us to do just that. And that putting a heel on a pair of shoes for a little girl is the epitome of that attitude.

I feel like we're cross communicating.

I have no problem with someone wearing a comfy shoe if they want to. I have no problem wearing pants instead of a dress if they want to. I also have no problem with someone wearing a high heeled shoe if they want to. I am not for putting people in any article of clothing they don't want to be in. But if they want to be in uncomfy shoes or clothes that is their right, and they should be allowed to do that without judgement.

What you're saying is that it's ok to wear shoe A, but not shoe B. I'm saying it's just fine to wear both and that neither should get judgement. I'm for allowing people to choose whatever shoe they want to wear regardless of that reason. You don't want people to judge so you wear shoe A and get rid of shoe B, I'm saying don't judge either shoes and keep both options for people that may want them

No one is forcing anyone to buy high heel shoes for their daughters. It is simply an option. Removing it and getting upset about someone else's choice to wear a shoe because you think they should wear a different type of shoe is just silly.

I never wanted a pair of boots with a heel as a child because i thought id be pretty, i just thought they were cool and they made a cool sound.
I was still able to run around and climb trees.

I clicked on this expecting high tarty stilletos. I don't see anything wrong with them as one off special event shoes.

The comments from the OP and one or two others really annoy me. Banging on about not judging women by their appearance and then doing just that. Making snooty judgemements about pretty clothes. The handwringing about just letting children play and expressing incomprehension that a little girl might get enormous fun out of wearing a pretty dress and these shoes.

Well, no, but I doubt they are made to be worn the whole day, maybe just to walk up the aisle as a flower girl. YABU.

I agree op. I can see why say, 5+ would want to wear them ( as a one off) but for a 3yr old?

No, it isn't suitable.

Not only are they not suitable, but they even bloody necessary!! Little girls look lovely in flats. We don't get heeled shoes for boys so they can be 'page boys' do we?

They're occasion shoes...bridesmaid/flowergirl, First Holy Communion that kind of thing. In which case Id think nothing of it, they are very clearly not for daily wear. Nice shoes, too.

Wow, over 200 posts about what are clearly bridesmaid shoes!

OP you are VVU. My (now 16) DD had a pair like this when she was 4 and my sisters flowergirl. She had to walk very carefully in them and took them off immediately after the photos but she still treasures them as her first "posh" shoes! DSis actually wanted her to wear ballet pumps but didnt have the heart to say no when DD fell in love with what she called her "grown up lady shoes"!

I honestly thought this thread would be about some nasty heeled "school" shoes, which I have seen in shops, or even worse, those baby high heels www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3526511/Baby-high-heels-collection-launched.html

OMG

Google "Heelarious" and go to Images.

I wont post a link but there is a picture a couple of rows down that made my stomach turn. THAT is what you should be complaining about OP. It is sick.

I should add, it is nothing illegal or pornographic, but it is all types of wrong :(

I used to be a bit like you, OP. I used to think that boys' stuff was intrinsically "better" than girls stuff. I'd secretly applaud my DD for choosing a Nerf gun over a doll, I liked that her fave colour was blue and she'd rather be a knight than a princess.

And then I thought, what exactly does this say about my attitude to women? That the stuff marked as female/girly/pink n' sparkly is somehow worthless because... well, because it's for girls and women and therefore is automatically inferior? Why is that? What's wrong with a bit of glitter and prettiness and why is it considered somehow morally 'less' than the practical and dull? Why when put on a boy does it somehow become better? Because it's a boy wearing it? Why isn't stuff just... stuff? (obviously because, well, Patriarchy, but hey, it's conditioned into us from birth and it's hard to fight!) There's nothing intrinsically wrong with pink n' sparkly and there's nothing wrong with those shoes either - they're not going to damage growing feet and that heel is small and supportive.

If they were the ONLY shoes available for girls and girls were not allowed to do anything that might possibly get them messy whilst wearing them, you would have a point. As most of us on this thread have said that those shoes would not stop our DDs from running, jumping, climbing or dancing I fail to see what the problem is here.

Occasionally I feel sorrier for boys for not having the opportunity to buy sparkly shoes without their masculinity being called into question. Boys' shoes are generally quite grim, aesthetically.

And yes, your DD has big feet. While she could fit into those shoes, they are not aimed at her age and that's kind of down to you as a parent to make that call, rather than throw your toys out of the pram and berate the shop workers.

That's a bit of a leap lovecat. I can't speak for the OP, but I have no problem with my girls enjoying pink and sparkly things. My problem is with a culture that tells little girls that an aspirational part of being a 'grown up lady' is wearing painful and damaging shoes that are difficult to walk in.

Didn't see the shoes but yabu. Your dd does have big feet for her age. Ds is nearly 4 and in a size 7. Dd had bigger feet at the same age and continues to do so.

There are many, many things I see which I wouldn't buy for my dc. But these appear to be shoes for a special occasion, which could go into the fancy dress box to be worn later in play.

Heels like that wouldn't be hard to walk in. They aren't stilettos. Pretty easy to run in as well.

They are pretty. And frivolous. Grief, life is grim enough, can't we let kids be pretty and frivolous sometimes? OP you sound like my mum. She didn't 'get' pretty and frivolously pink stuff. When I was 17 she threw a hissy fit because I varnished my nails, and it was years before she realised I'd had my ears pierced.

Excellent post Lovecat
If anyone is making a leap it's Posthoc with the assumption the shoes will be painful and damaging.It's a low, block heel which is very easy to walk in.

I clicked on the link and waited to be horrified. I saw... a pretty pair of bridal shoes. What's your problem? Sheesh - chill out!

I'm not talking about those shoes, I'm talking about high heels for adult women, which are the inspiration for these shoes.

I concede that these particular shoes may be ok to walk/run in. I'm not convinced, but it's possible (I don't like wearing heels of any kind). I don't like the idea that little girls want to wear high heels to look 'grown up' as if high heels were an essential part of looking grown up.

My DD was 6 when she had size 7 feet. She is small for her age but not weirdly so. At 6 i would and did let her have a little heel for a special occasion. She is 10 now and isnt overly girly, likes a bit of everything and isnt old for her age at all judging by some i have seen. I think you are overthinking it a tad.