Academic

Heelarious? Not So Much

By Bridget Crawford

From the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition, this action notice:

Two Seattle moms have found a way to raise the stakes in race to sexualize young girls in adult trappings: plastic high heels for infant girls aged 0-6 months old.

The “Heelarious” shoes come in high-fashion plastic — leopard print, hot pink, and zebra in satin or patent leather finish — and were stuffed in gift bags for the Emmy’s in the hope of popularizing them among celebrity moms.

The hollow heels collapse if they are stepped on, and are meant for infants too young to even crawl.

Launched just a few months ago, the shoes are in 350 stores and more than a thousand pairs have been sold from the website.

The $35 shoes have been widely covered and were featured on the Today Show, with host Matt Lauer joking they could be paired with a bustier, and style editor Bobbi Thomas’ pointing out that “Little girls can get a jump start on their strut and be top-models-in-training before they leave the crib.”

“Baby girls can jump start being models-in-training before they even leave the crib.” 

Said GenderPAC Executive Director Riki Wilchins, “Anyone who would push an infant in diapers into high heels isn’t heelarious, just a heel. Shame on you, Heelarious - and the Today Show and the Emmy’s. You’re taking the sexualization of little girls to new lows. Kids deserve the opportunity to be their true selves.”

The GPAC website has links (here) to the “Heelarious” company’s response form and the Today Show, if you’d like to make your views known via email.  

As far as baby gift ideas go, I’m not against the “heelarious” socks, as long as they come with these, too:

-Bridget Crawford

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on September 30, 2008 (boomark / email).