Why are there girls and boys socks?

[Dazedandbemused]

In Aldi today and my 8 year old DD picks up "girls ankle socks" and asks "why are there socks for girls and socks for boys, we all have feet, surely there should just be children's socks?". Just one small way that gender differences are subtly engrained for no reason. I know John Lewis do unisex uniform, but it's a lot more expensive so I'm shopping on a budget. Why make separate sex socks? I've messaged Aldi, waiting for a reply.

ignore them. I have just achieved sock nirvana by buying 14 pairs of black trainer socks which broadly fit both DC (2.5 year gap) and they will wear them until they A. wear out or B. are taken by aliens like all socks are in the end.

To make more money because a boy wouldn't wear his sister hand-me-down socks. Fortunately no-one in this house gives two hoots about the origin of socks, if they fit and don't have holes then we are good to go!

Ahh the alien sock thief, it'll get the better of us all in the end! If and 8 year old thinks it's pointless I wonder why they bother!

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Because girls like pink things and fairies and flowers and butterflies and boys like dark colours and tractors and trains and dinosaurs. Also boys socks are more durable and comfortable because boys are more active, and they need better socks to go with their sturdy shoes and comfortable trainers. Thought everyone knew this.

Oh don't get me started on school shoes. I probably won't stop ranting until September.

It is daft especially on plain school socks. I wondered the same thing about plain white polo shirts for school.

because girls need scalloped edges on their socks, otherwise they wont know they are female feet

Girls socks normally are fancy at the band and different colours where boys sock are normally darker and straight across the top. If that makes sense.

Style and colour will be the only differences

Chollo, Pah! Mary-Jane school shoes! I'll resist a rant on that! My DD wears black trainers that she can actually run in, rather than skip gayly!

Yes and scalloped edges cos I'm a girl. They would save a lot by not doubling up on the skus if it was just 'child's polo shirt/jumper/socks/whatever'. Guess there's less profit in that eh.

What really annoys me - because I fall into the trap myself - is that I buy and seek out "boy" cut polos and socks and whathaveyou for my dd, thinking that I can hand them down to ds when he's older. But I wouldn't have him wear the scallop-edged polos.

Because a boy wearing girl clothes is a downgrade, while a girl wearing boy clothes is an upgrade. This whole thing sucks. There shouldn't be "gendered" school uniform. raaaaar

And. And! The profit argument doesn't necessarily hold water because there's still the same number of children to kit out in uniform! If all the school uniform was from the same production line, the companies would save a huge amount in costs - fewer designs, less fabric wastage, standardisation across suppliers, etc etc.

So why do they do it??

Hmm Chollo I hear you! Why do they do it!? You're so right about the down grade upgrade, it messes with my head. But what does give me hope is that my small person laughs in the face of it, like how old fashioned is that mum, they're saying these socks are for girls only, the losers. Let the boys wear scalloped edges!

Scalloped that's the word I was looking for.

Shops don't sell what there isn't a market for. So there must be a demand for girls socks and polos or they wouldn't sell them.

My LOs uniform is done - stained, worn by the end of year nothing to pass on anyway