Shoe shopping

[ailbhe]

Emer has new boots.

I went into John Lewis and asked for winter boots. The first ones we got were all over-the-calf style -- Emer is two years old. Just. So I first asked "I dunno about the zip, are they supportive enough?" and then turned the boots over and showed the fitter the sole and said "She can't really climb in those, it wouldn't be safe - I want school shoes, playing shoes, to keep her feet warm and dry." He looked as though he understood. "She has some very important toddleringto do," I said. He suggested boys' shoes his own self. I was so pleased.

He brought up a few pairs in different sizes and we started with a plain blue boot in leather and suede. "Oh, that's great," I said, "she could wear that with a dress. "I think it's a boy's shoe, really," he said, "because it's called Hassle, and boy's shoes are named..." "Mm," I said, "offensive things, usually, like trouble and mischief and hassle. Well, it's lovely anyway."

We did buy her a girl's boot in the end, Small Talk.

I'm very pleased with them - they are sensible and sturdy and comfortable and pretty, and will be easy to keep looking reasonably smart for at least a week.

They have pussycats in dresses as part of the textured soles.

Comments

[tiggsybabes.livejournal.com]

Mine manage to climb trees in girl's shoes. Holly is impatient for her feet to grow as wants the latest pink clarks leather shoes with cats on the straps.

I did buy them each boots last week as last winters are too small.

[ailbhe]

I've seen girls climbing trees in flip-flops, so that's not really the point. It's hard to stop little girls from climbing. The main point of the first part is that *all* the available boys' shoes were suitable for climbing, and fewer than half the available girls' ones were.

Emer can wear Clarks shoes if she needs to but Linnea can't; they're the wrong shape for her feet.

And the naming conventions for the styles bugs me, too. The only crossover I could see was that Start-rite have one girls' boot called "Havoc."

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Hassle. Small talk. Argh incoherent nngghhhh.

Congratulations card in Mothercare:

Little son's [sic] are wonderful,
they're playful and they're fun,
they know just how to make you smile,
no matter what they've done.

Yes, it's the Lovable Scamp meme. I hate the way it's mostly tiny nudges like this, not big inequities that you can decry from the rooftops without getting funny looks. See also the fact that Adams does "slim-cut" trousers for both sexes, but the boys' ones are a good 3cm wider at the hip. Because FIVE-YEAR OLD GIRLS NEED THEIR FIGURES HUGGED OMGWTFDIE.

[thealmondtree.livejournal.com]

I find it incredibly difficult sometimes to get clothes for T (aged 2) that don't say things like "little monster" or "here comes trouble" or camouflage, none of which I'm prepared to buy for him or put him into if someone gives them to us.