So I just got an email from Schuh…

[SnuggleWuggle]

Lecturing on the importance of pronouns including some I’d never heard of before (zhe?) and being inclusive

Then ironically in the email the shoe links - women’s, men’s and children’s

So biology matters with feet but not with reality?!

Mind blown.

Unsubscribed.

I’m so exhausted with this nonsense

I feel I ought to say that I detest ANY and ALL moralising from entities out to take my money and sell me tat (because that’s what it is, at the end of the day) regardless of what topic they’ve decided to lecture me on.

GO AWAY. I’m willing to bet I walk the walk 100 times more powerfully and meaningfully in my own small way than you and your corporate shit merchant agenda ever will. Sort out your global footprint and your supply line/employee welfare before you EVER presume to lecture me on living well.

I’ve had that as well. Luckily they sent it before I’ve got round to the back to school shoe and trainer shopping.
I’ve never seen such a pile of virtue signalling crap. I emailed back and asked them what are they doing to help other minority groups and also where were their size 12 women’s shoes. Also unsubscribed

As someone who falls into multiple minority groups (female, Asian, Muslim, disabled) tickbox stunts like this just make me roll my eyes so hard. I wonder if they write it in their calendars "this week we will pretend to care about LGBT+, next week it's Black History Month, oh and then it's International Women's Day, tick tick tick"

If my right shoe identifies as trans, do I have two left feet?

I've also unsubscribed - I'm annoyed with their virtue signalling. Even more so because I always buy my Chelsea boots from them and now I'll have to find another pair I like as much.

Just checked - their women’s shoes go up to a size 8.
I agree about the moralising to make money about anything is intensely irritating when you know it’s just words.

I felt tempted to subscribe, just so I could unsubscribe!....

When did companies flogging stuff to us start lecturing customers

Jeez. They can do one

Irritating but won’t put me off shopping with them. One of my favourite places to shop.

I saw that in my inbox and scrolled by. Unfortunately they stock a lot of shoes likes by both DD's and I'd already bought both pairs of school shoes plus a pair of PE trainers from there 🙄

My girls are both over size 8 and they are 11 and 13!

Humph.

Anyway. Looked at their Twitter. Stuff like. Who doesn't love a pair of strappy white heels! (Woman in fancy dress). Yes! Pink converse!!!!

Etc.

I would, as others have, seriously question their commitment to trans IDs when their heels etc will not be big enough for males, and while some brands have a design and make it across a full range of sizes, it's not all.

So come on Schuh! Put your money where your mouth is! The current range reeks of cisnormative oppression!!

Another one off the list. Don't like being hectored by companies trying to sell me shit so they can do one!

Good point NiceGerbil. If they made women's shoes in big sizes I'd be able to wear them too (I am a woman but my feet identify as being too bloody big for womens shoes so I mostly wear mens ones).

Thing is over the decades we have all got bigger- taller, bigger hands and feet etc.

I mean they do it because they don't want stock that has s low chance of selling. But still. I suspect the standard range is too small now for a fair few women (and men).

Eg DD1 size 7 in year 4 I think it was. Clarks that was into teen range only 1 at the time with a strap and it was narrow. She was little though.

Luckily she decided she only wanted boys things for a few years so that helped! BUT her feet area really really narrow and boys shoes seem to come up v wide.

I've occasionally bought from them but I'm not on their email list. Do they regularly promote political or social campaigns though it, or is this a one-off?

'British feet are getting bigger - growing, on average, two shoe sizes since the 1970s, says the College of Podiatry.

Today, the average male wears a UK size 10 compared with a size eight shoe 40 years ago.

The average woman wears a size six versus a size four, its research suggests.'

I'd probably send an email ranting that their sizing was prohibitive and not inclusive and maybe their focus should be on that rather than lecturing us on the use of pronouns. Turn it back on them

Well, that narrows my shoe shopping options down by one then. What a load of gender neutral bollocks.

I worked for Schuh when they first started as a small Edinburgh company. It started out as a progressive, inclusive company selling affordable good shoes. It’s a shame the direction it has gone.

Emperors New Clothes

Happened to read the story to a 4 year old recently.

Even she managed to understand the stupidity of the Emperor.

@pippitysqueakity

I worked for Schuh when they first started as a small Edinburgh company. It started out as a progressive, inclusive company selling affordable good shoes. It’s a shame the direction it has gone.

I didn't know that about them. Have used them for years though. I live in Edinburgh and they've just closed my local store so had to travel for my click and collect order.

@SnuggleWuggle are you able to screenshot or share the exact text of the email? (hiding your identity obvs.)

It’s the pathetic desperation to be seen as corporately* woker than woke.
There’s a lot of it about, spreading like the blasted virus.

*if that’s not a proper word, I don’t care.

My pronouns are schuh/shoe.

For at least the next 14 minutes.

Me too. What a load of shite.