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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to boycott Clarks over their lame and sexist response about girls wanting to wear dino shoes?

47 replies

AmberLav · 06/03/2015 08:28

I've just been reading the Metro this morning, and saw a story about an 8 year old girl who wrote to Clarks after she was refused dinosaur shoes on the basis that "they are not suitable for girls' bones"!

The reply from the Clarks spokesman was "We are sorry to hear our product range didn't suit Sophia's tastes. We offer a wide range of children's shoes to meet varied tastes and needs."

So somehow, little Sophia has been turned a fussy sod who is just unable to accept that having XX chromosomes means that she must wear pink and flowery shoes! WTF!!!!!!

An I being unreasonable to be outraged by the response from Clarks?

OP posts:

ClumsyNinja · 06/03/2015 08:32

Wow, are they made from real dinosaurs then?

No, YANBU.

EponasWildDaughter · 06/03/2015 08:32

"they are not suitable for girls' bones"!

Who said that? Sounds like a misguided sales person. The response from Clarks should have been a simple apology and a promise to look into it's staff training.

meglet · 06/03/2015 08:33

yanbu. I had a pathetic response from Clarks when I e-mailed them about all the girls shoes being Mary-Jane style and therefore letting all the rain in.

so we buy start rite now.

MavisG · 06/03/2015 08:35

Because girls have very different bones to boys. Except they don't.

FenellaFellorick · 06/03/2015 08:36

Who told her she couldn't have the shoes? A salesperson refused to sell her the shoes? Surely not. Would the adult with her not have said actually, she wants these so we're buying them.

I'd really like to know the exact conversation.

Kid - I want these
Shop assistant - these are boys shoes. I will not sell them to you because you are a girl - or these are boys shoes, haha wouldn't you prefer these pretty ones with flowers on haha - or something in between?

Messygirl · 06/03/2015 08:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FenellaFellorick · 06/03/2015 08:38

I thought the bone thing was so ridiculous I've done a bit of a google to see if there actually is a difference between girls and boys feet.

Original poster

AmberLav · 06/03/2015 08:39

I also was incredulous about the not being suitable for girls' bones part, but I figure that there may be subtle differences (thought they were unlikley to kick in before puberty, as I know our hips make a slight difference to the way we move etc from the male of the species).

And yes, if Clarks have given a more sensible response, I would have thought it a useless member of staff...

meglet - where do you buy startright from?

OP posts:

Goldmandra · 06/03/2015 08:41

My DD2 has worn boys shoes since she was about 4, so 8 years now and nobody has ever made any suggestion of bones baing different or boys shoes being unsuitable. They would have got short shrift from me if they had.

Clarke have let themselves down with that response.

londonrach · 06/03/2015 08:41

I didnt understand why her parents didnt just buy her 'boys shoes'. Seemed a bit fuss, why go to the paper. As long as the shoes are fitted whats the problem. Think theres some parent influence going on re letter.

Original poster

AmberLav · 06/03/2015 08:42

Just found the longer article on the Metro website, and it looks like Clarks are looking into the matter, and it was a useless sales person!

metro.co.uk/2015/03/05/this-8-year-old-girl-wrote-to-clarks-to-complain-about-their-sexist-shoes-5090507/

OP posts:

EponasWildDaughter · 06/03/2015 08:52

Sales people are only as good as their training. One of them thought girls 'couldn't wear' the boys shoes. They thought they were doing the right thing by advising the customer.

Training failure.

HellKitty · 06/03/2015 08:55

Boys and girls DO have different bones in their feet. So that boys can play football and girls do ballet and shit. Not really.

This would have pissed me right off, I loved dinosaurs as a girl and hated 'girly pink' things. However in the 70s all shoes were various shades of sludgey brown.

sanfairyanne · 06/03/2015 09:04

just a minimum wage badly trained/sexist salesperson
clarks dont actually refuse to sell 'boys' shoes to girls - just this confused salesperson
tbh they are probably overtrained in how to frighten customers into thinking their toes fall off if they dont buy x y z shoes in exactly the right size etc. just applied the scaremongering training a bit too much

ChunkyPickle · 06/03/2015 09:18

On this note I can recommend Skechers staff - took DS1 in for new trainers - he'd said he wanted silver ones - all the boys ones were huge, stiff, black/blue/grey dark things, whereas the girls were all bright and sparkly, including a white and silver pair which DS grabbed happily.

The sales staff made no comment at all, went and got the right size for him, placed the box which said 'GIRLS' in big letters across the top on the seat behind them (DS can just about read, and is just starting to get an inkling that some people treat boys and girls differently), and we walked out with him cheerfully wearing his lovely new trainers.

meglet · 06/03/2015 09:23

amber we have a Jones. The girls start-rite are a little more closed in than the Clarks shoes. dd has also worn 'boys' school shoes in the past. All they need is black trainers really.

jellybeans · 06/03/2015 09:54

It is shit just like the gender aimed toys. How can we expect equality while we allow this to continue.

thelittleredhen · 06/03/2015 10:04

They also do not have ANY shoes in the girls range which have a rubber band around the toe to protect the shoe from scuffing - you know, because girls just stand around looking pretty and don't play during play time.

BeverleyCrusher · 06/03/2015 10:12

I stopped buying any shoes in Clarks when I realised there are much more hard wearing brands when I was sold a pair for DS that blatantly didn't fit.
And I noticed the signage on the wall that said something like "because boys are tough on their shoes" and "because girls want style and comfort" or some other such ignorant but pervasive rubbish.

My local independent shoe shop do start rite and European brands like Pablosky which are better made, last longer and fit properly. they do glittery pink girly shoes as well, but at least there's a choice.

LittleBearPad · 06/03/2015 10:17

Their website now actually acknowledges that girls can wear blue wellies. A very small improvement. Lots of pink stuff still though.

TwoOddSocks · 06/03/2015 10:19

Having a gormless member of staff giving stupid advice is one thing but surely Clarks could have just issued a simple apology and made a promise to look into it. I agree that response makes the girl out to be a fussy madam.

HeisenbergsBlueMeth · 06/03/2015 10:24

Id have expected Clarks to send the girl a pair or dino shoes as an apology, but maybe i just have high expectations

Original poster

AmberLav · 06/03/2015 10:26

Chunky I do find a lot of boys stuff to be rather dull, and DS has some "girls" clothes, and DD regularly wears DS's old clothes, so we mix and match too...

OP posts:

hellospring · 06/03/2015 10:31

Their girls' shoes are hideous. Fact.

GoogleyEyes · 06/03/2015 10:36

They fitted my 3yo two sizes too big and in style which didn't cater for her very high arches - could hardly force the shoes on! I've gone back to just measuring myself and buying from Happy Little Soles - which has the added advantage that no other kids have the same shoes at nursery, so they never get muddled up or lost.

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