Heels for Babies: Not Funny.

[ccharles000]

http://www.feministing.com/archives/011011.html

We all know that sexualizing young girls is no new trend; between underwear telling girls their vagina is a commodity to padded bras for six year olds, we can't be too surprised that young girls - including infants - are now being sold high heels.

Reader Lisa alerts us to wedges for young girls called "Hot 2 Trot" sold on Amazon.com that are described in a super icky way:

She'll feel extra fab prancing around in these Hot 2 Trot wedges by Mia. . . . Crossing patent vamp straps wrap over the arches to a slingback . . . . A 1/2 inch cork textured midsole rises to a 2 1/2 inch wedge heel.
In the meantime, the Today Show had a feature this morning on high heels for babies. While the line of heels are soft (because if not, you know, an infant could break her 3-month old ankle on it) and the Heelarious founders seem to imply that this concept of heels for babies is strictly for humor, the shoes still run for 35 bucks a pop and are being pitched as a trend by the likes of Nicole Richie and others. And they come in zebra, hot pink and leopard. (Pic above)

Bobbi Thomas' comment on the Today Show was quite nauseating: "Little girls can get a jump start on their strut and be top-models-in-training before they leave the crib."

[midnight]

1. My two year old niece twisted and broke her ankle on a pair of

high heels for children. These are cute, but can be a safty hazard.

[moriah]

2. I'm an adult and have nearly broken my ankles in heels.

Hate to picture slightly clumsy kids in those things!

[Heidi]

3. Not funny for us adult women, either.

I own one pair of heels and they're strictly for business wear; I've considered increasing my fee for projects which call for an appearance in heels.

[Skittles]

5. I haven't worn heels since I was in the military

over 30 years ago - I will never understand why women voluntarily wear those things

[Heidi]

6. Were heels required for military women?????????

:wow:

I remember when my mom had her first teaching job in the late 60s; female teachers had to wear stockings, dresses or skirts, and "dress shoes," and she'd come home every day with her feet in pain from chasing first graders around all day in uncomfortable shoes. Male teachers in her district had to wear ties and dress pants. Not quite a level playing field.

[Skittles]

8. I can't remember but in the 70's, with blues they were, er, "advisable"

:D - heck, I was just a stupid teenager then

[kayell]

14. I believe so. I had a girlfriend who joined the Marines.

One day I came home to find her sitting on my front porch, back from boot camp. She was wearing dress blues and heels. I had never seen her in heels before and said WTF, won't you twist your ankle? She said that it was part of the uniform. This was 1981.

[Heidi]

16. One more reason why

military service and I would have been wholly unsuited to one another. :hi:

[Skittles]

4. this is unbelievably sickening

there's nothing cute about it :puke:

[ColbertWatcher]

7. I couldn't find any pictures of what this would look like on a child.

I wonder why.

The shoe may be interesting looking, but I doubt they're practical in any way.

[ingac70]

12. go to the site...

http://www.heelarious.com/

There is a pic there.

[ColbertWatcher]

21. Sick. n/t

[Skidmore]

9. Now that is a product I'd like to see the consumer safety people force off the market.

I saw an item on one of the news channels about these shoes and they showed a picture of a toddler trying to walk in them and the poor little thing was having trouble. Why do we need to wait until some one is injured for something to happen when common sense should tell you that when you are just learning to walk without shoes that sticking a shoe with a ball of crap under your heel is not a good idea.

[ingac70]

10. From what I gather...

this product is for infants that can't walk.

[greguganus]

13. Where's Nader when you need him? n/t

[ingac70]

11. for 0-6 months...

http://www.heelarious.com/

[dysfunctional press]

15. next up: thong diapers and push-up wunder-onsies.

nt

[MountainLaurel]

24. The perfect attire for your prosti-tot n/t

[ccharles000]

25. LOL

[Johnny Noshoes]

17. What the hell is wrong with this country?

Did I fall asleep a few decades ago and wake up in friggin bizzaro world? America has always been a little nutty but THIS .. ah man just beam me up - NOT THE RAPTURE just a nice fast starship and a good nav program to get me far away from here as fast as possible.

[AngryOldDem]

18. What is the point, and why is it funny?

From the Hee-larious site:

Extremely funny, completely soft shoes for babies
0-6 months designed to look like high heels
Not intended for walking (heel will collapse with weight).
Not intended to harm children in any way.

"Not intended for walking (heel will collaspe with weight)" -- around 6 months, some babies are beginning to take tentative steps toward walking -- pulling themselves up, etc. Proper development of foot bones and muscles at this stage is absolutely crucial. I speak from experience -- I had foot problems as a child and was in special shoes as a toddler. Why, or why do people want to do this do their kids, all for entertainment? It reminds me of the absolutely stupid pet costumes I see in some pet stores.

[carlyhippy]

19. I thought of the pet costumes when I saw the baby heels

they are funny, but I sure wouldn't put them on a kid who is pulling up on furniture, they could really hurt themselves, they are so bizarre looking...parents dressing their kids up for their amusement.

[LeftishBrit]

20. Dreadful!

Can't be good for their feet; increases the risk of accidents; and makes it harder for them to run and jump around the way healthy toddlers do.

[proud patriot]

22. Awful

:mad:

[Cass]

23. What the hell is wrong with people?

This is horrible.