There is outrage amongst mums in the UK after U.S. company which specialises in selling high heeled shoes for babies decided to open up an online store in the UK.
The new online store called Pee Wee Pumps has come in for heavy criticism from disgruntled and horrified parents who are branding their heeled shoes as ‘utterly hideous’ and ‘completely inappropriate’. The company who have the highly inappropriate slogan ‘your daughter’s first fashion statement’, are said to be selling the controversial heels for around $34.99.
The company have received nothing but complaints from parents who say there products completely take away a child’s innocence. According to the company mums who wish to have their little girl dressed like them can do so if they wish. Although many describe the online store as despicable the website shows nothing but horrifying messages glamouring young children, the controversial website also goes a step further by stating: ‘Your little princess will be the belle of the ball with her first fashion statement in her Pee Wee Pumps crib shoes. ‘They’re just like mom’s favorite pair of pumps only in a miniature size.’
In the site’s ‘about’ section, the makers state: ‘Fashion-forward moms love to dress up their little girls with the cutest bows and outfit and are always looking for the perfect pair of shoes to complete any outfit. Now they’ve found them with Pee Wee Pumps – infant crib shoes with a collapsible heel!’.The ‘soft, flexible shoe with a collapsible heel’, which come in red, black, pink and leopard-print designs, have names such as ‘sassy’, ‘diva’, ‘glamorous’ and ‘wild child’.
Describing the ‘Wild Child’ leopard-print shoe in the item’s description, makers say: ‘She may not be able to talk or walk to strut her stuff, but your little princess is already a wild child. Show off her fierce side with our ultra feminine Pee Wee Pumps Wild Child High Heel Crib Shoes! ‘These satin crib shoes feature a ferociously fabulous leopard print in brown and black on white and are lined with stunning scarlet red satin for that chic designer look. For a feminine finish, we’ve added white satin bows to the straps, so these baby pumps are just as cute from the front as they are from the sides and back. ‘With the safe collapsible heel and adjustable Velcro closure, these crib shoes will have your little wild child looking and feeling fabulous with each and every wear.’
The new online store has caused a severe backlash amongst many devoted mothers such as Gemma Johnson, who says: ‘I’m all for dressing babies up so they look ridiculously cute, taking loads of photos to bring out when they hit 18 to embarrass them (I’ve done it three times with all of my children), but putting pretend high-heels on a baby is on a whole new level.’ ‘I can’t imagine dressing my baby up in a pair of high heels, satin, collapsible heel or not! I wouldn’t want her to be stylised like a “woman” or “like mummy in heels”, I would want her to be a baby with all the fabulous “cute” things that come with that. ‘Whatever happened to child innocence? Next it’ll be lipstick for babies!’.
Meanwhile another disgruntled mum Nicola Bonn, also said: ‘These really are utterly hideous and the only instance when I might put my daughter in them would be if I was being (very) tongue in cheek. ‘I think that on a woman they would be deemed to be sexy and to put them on a baby seems a bit distasteful and very naff (unless she’s going to a dressing up party). Why any mother would feel the need to put her innocent baby in a pair of leopard print heels is beyond me.’
Whilst another mum Sally Hall said: ‘I very much believe in supporting fellow mums in business as much as I can. But……! I have three children, all aged 7 and under and there is no way I would have put my daughter in a pair of these. ‘Why are we so obsessed with encouraging children to grow up so fast – they do it quick enough all by themselves and most girls will experience the joy/pain of wearing heels in due course. Please can we let babies be babies and not dress them up like adults.’
However the company say they have no plans to remove its online store saying we provide a service for mothers who wish to dress their child in products that reflect the latest fashion trends. It is understood the company has already amassed 2,000 sales in heeled shoes for infants.