High Heels on Little Girls: Vote

My vote is no. While a small part of it is that I think it's not appropriate fashion, it's more that it's dangerous for them. I know little girls who have broken their ankles walking in heels that were designed for children. It's not safe and it's not necessary.

I find heels so uncomfortable... little kids should want to wear sneakers and flip flops!

I bought them for my daughter to play dress-up with when she was little but didn't let her wear them out of the house. Not because of any issue with their being "inappropriate" - I just didn't want her to fall and break her leg in the grocery store.

Those "heels" have been around since I was little, so they are hardley a new trend. I personally don't see anything wrong with them as long as they fit, and my daughter knew when was the proper time to wear them. It's not like they are 6inch stelletos

Nothing higher than an inch heel. 1/2 inch or flat is better.
They kids are growing and higher heels are not good for the growth of their muscles or bone development in their feet and legs.
Fashion that cripples is never a good idea.
Stupid shoes are not that much different from foot binding as far as I'm concerned.

Those are not HIGH heels. I see nothing wrong with them. I've bought my girls similar shoes for wearing with dresses to church, weddings, etc.

I vote NO and NO on push up bras too. What the heck!!??

Suri's "heels" aren't really heels. They've very low and I don't have an issue with those. They don't look "sexy." She still looks like a pretty little girl.

I don't approve of any clothing or footwear that sexualizes little girls, making them appear more mature than they are.

No. I am afraid they will twist an ankle or worse. I don't even wear heels.

No.

I've had this struggle since looking for shoes for my then-8 yr old stepdaughter for my wedding.

I think they are not necessary, I avoid them whenever possible, and I frankly feel my soon to be 5 yr old only needs flat shoes. Period. She doesn't need to mess up her feet and not be able to run and play in kindergarten. When SD was little, clogs where the thing and the school banned them because the girls wouldn't keep them on their feet and got hurt.

I think Suri's shoes are cute. I dont consider those high heels. I was thinking i was going to be looking at a picture of a 9 year old with platform shoes or something. LOL
But i agree with no high heels until you are older. I have an almost 16 year old and she HATES heels! (thank God). She says "mom, they make me walk funny and i feel like i will twist my ankle" As for me the older i am getting the less i can wear high heels. They hurt the arch of my foot and give me toe pain. I can wear a shoe with a little bit of a heel but not much. But for your answer, no high heels until at least 15/16 years of age and they have to be appropriate heels, no platforms or stilettos! When she is 18 and moves out she can wear whatever she wants!

Ask a doctor about high heels for little girls (or big girls), and you'll get an earful.

I do remember clumping around one summer in a pair of my mother's high-heeled, gold dancing shoes. The shoes matched the outfit; I borrowed an old dress, hat, gloves, and coat of hers, too, and my friend and I played dress-up for the edification of the neighbors.

But I was in a costume - and the attraction of those shoes to little girls is because they're costume-y. And if my granddaughters marveled over such shoes, I'd be likely to say, "Those could be fun with a costume. In real life, they'd be pretty tacky." Not that I have any input in what their parents buy for them, but their parents have sense.

The business of the children's-wear industry is to make money. So they'll market anything - ANYTHING - that they think will bring them a profit. It has nothing to do with real style or taste. "Lots" of people might buy them, and that has nothing to do with your family. But you know this ;^)

I got some for DD for her 6th birthday (like the ones in the pic 1.5") because she was begging for them. I am not a fan of heels for little girls but I figured she could play around with them. She wanted to wear them out once and we could not find her other shoes so I let her. She complained the whole time how much her feet hurt. I explained that fancy heel type shoes tend to hurt your feet and that's why I don't wear them. I think she learned a good life lesson. She does not wear them anymore lol

Just another pop culture invasion that teaches girls their value is in their looks and clothes. To me not different then half shirts and booty shorts at the grocery store.

Nothing wrong with dressing up or even wearing a little heel (my girls have both owned shoes similar to the Suri pic) to the right occasion. There are appropriate places to dress up and look a little more mature but most of the time girls should be able to run, climb and play like the children they are.

If you're nine year old is obsessed with and trying to emulate Selena Gomez I'd say that's a huge part of the issue, not really the shoes. Our girls have never been disney watchers or into the boy bands or other cultish tween stuff. We just always made fun of it in our house, talked about how mindless it all was and encouraged them to think for themselves and not follow the crowd. With an understanding of marketing and a strong sense of self shoes, clothes and make up don't really become issues. I feel lucky I can let them make those choices themselves. So far so good.

My girls clomp around the house in my heels all day every day. I'm sure they'd be thrilled if I'd buy them some heels in their size. But then, they'd want to wear heels out of the house, and that's not going to happen at this age! I guess I have no problem with girls wanting to look like mommy, but kind of like with makeup, there is a time and a place for everything. It's one thing to play dress-up at home, and quite another to go out in public that way. To me, it seems inappropriate for little girls to dress like adults out in public. They can spend the rest of their lives looking like adults; I say let kids be kids while they still can!

We were just at the market and my 7 year old said, "Whew, those are high boots for that little girl".

Hate it, along with short shorts, halter tops, string bikinis and other things that look ridiculous on small children. A small stacked heel on a Mary Jane is one thing, platform wedges quite another.

When my step-daugther lived with her mom she'd show up every weekend with some totally absurd footwear that was usually high-heeled and ill fitting. Poor kid could barely walk in them, never mind play at the playground. Our normal pick up routine included her changing into "weekend shoes" (i.e. regular sneakers that fit) as soon as she got in the car.

My daughter has a pair of nude heels that she wore for my older sister's wedding. She was a junior bridesmaid. I wasn't thrilled with her having them, but she rocked them. She also had a strapless sweetheart black dress. She still looked 9. She is mature and the outfit was very her - even my husband who is more strict than I am on clothes, was fine with the outfit.

For every day wear? No way. Dressing up occasionally? Sure.

Note - she only wore these shoes for the wedding, a formal dinner on a cruise, and her dance studio's 25th year celebration banquet.

I'll bet pediatricians vote no on the high heels...

ick. No way.

Although the ones in the picture of Suri aren't bad, I won't even buy those for my girls until they are a bit older. They are 6 and 3 now.

I had heels as high as the picture when I was about 14. That was the first time I was allowed to wear something like that and it was a sandal, and ONLY for going out/special occasions.

Heels on kids... I have a bias, okay? First, I think most women look ridiculous in a high heel because of how they end up walking... sorry if I'm offending anyone, but the way many women walk in heels is utterly hysterical and uncomfortable all at once. They simply aren't 'naturals' at walking on heels that are 3-4"+ high, and why should they be? The human body wasn't made for it, so instead of looking sophisticated, it looks like they are the little girls playing pretend in mommy's shoes-- very awkward and incredibly bad for the spine, legs and back.

As for the little girls, I think it's a great way to break an ankle. Kids should have solid shoes for running and playing. I only saw one little girl in my son's kindergarten group wearing heels, and she was very regularly having the heel slip inward (thus turning the whole foot out when she stepped down). I'm not an oracle, but if her parents allow her to continue, I see a chiropractor in her future.

For me, it's really less about little girl's playing 'grown up' and more about the health issues, which is why I also wince when I see kids coming to school in flip-flops. ugh.

Nope, there's no reason for a little girl to be wearing heels. What would be the reason except for a fashion statement and girls need to play and be kids, not worried about their looks. They're useless on playgrounds and should be banned if they're not already. When a girl becomes a teen and wants heels to wear with a dress for an occasion like church or wedding or something then that's fine but they still wouldn't be the sky high ones. The ones that Suri wore in the article aren't that high but too high for a girl her age. When you allow a girl to act older when she's little, by the time she reaches that older age she will want to be even older. What do you do with a 16 year by then who wants to act 21 or 25? I've see it too many times before. Let them be kids. They only want them so they can act older and worry about their appearance. That's not what a young girl needs.

I know we're in the "what's the big deal" era now, but we need to reverse this before things spin further out of control.

K. B
mom of 5 including triplets

Not over here. My girls have asked and I said no, not even a wedge. I personally think little girls look trashy in them. I want them to look sweet and innocent as long as possible, so we go with flats.

I hate Easter shoe shopping which is when I see these ridiculous heels being marketed the most.

no way. Girls need flat shoes, hopefully with some support for running around and playing. I vote for shoes like flats and athletic shoes. No heels. That's nuts. Our society is way too concerned with "fashion".

i think suri's are cute. stilettos would be out, naturally.
i don't see any problem with buying 'nice' shoes with low (1" or less) heels to wear on special occasions, if a little girl wants them. they're impractical for daily play.
what do i know, though. 5 brothers and 2 sons. little girls are like lovely little aliens to me.
:) khairete
S.

I am a 42 year old women and even I won't wear heals so, obviously I won't be buying any for my daughter either. I have owned exactly 2 pair of heels my entire life. The first pair my parents bought me "when I was old enough" and a pair a friend gave me because she never wore them and they didn't really fit her. I tried a handful of times to wear them and realized just how stupid and painful it was.
They are so horribly bad for your feet, if not for your whole body. I am not willing to give up my health and comfort for something someone decided "looked good". In my "old age" I've even been moving toward "barefoot" shoes which are the best thing I have ever put on my feet.
We were at Disneyland for my daughter's birthday. We were letting her pick out a pair of the princess dress-up shoes. All but 2 pair were heels! One of those 2 were slippers (Jasmine's). A 4 year old does not need to be wearing a pair of heels! I won't buy her shoes with thick "lift" soles either. She tried one on before we realized the lift sole and she hated them and couldn't walk in them.
I have said more than once that these over paid marketing people have no grasp of reality or sanity. This is all just stupid!

I vote NO. Forget about looking trashy or inappropriate -- those are the least of your concerns. They cause physical damage to the feet of the wearer. Have you read what Sarah Jessica Parker's interview about what her doctor said about her feet from wearing heels all the time? Your daughter will have all of her life to wear as many heels as often as she wants once she is older. She doesn't need to start ruining her feet already.

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-style/news/sarah-jess...

I don't mind small little heels if we are going somewhere dressy. Frankly, my 10 year old has a tendency to fall in complicated shoes. I have to keep them simple - epecially when she goes to school...too much running on the playground.

No heels.
I don't care that they are more mature or make a girl look taller/older. I care more about her arches, her ankles, her hips, her lower back.
Heels make you walk funny! No ridiculous womens shoes until they are women.
L.

My granddaughter has several pairs of them. They are very similar to Suri's. She can wear them to church. a party, or other activities where she is dressed up.

I would never allow her to wear them to school or some other activity where she would be running and playing outside. Shoes like this are not for playing, they are for dressing up.

The only time I let my daughters (5 and 6) wear "heel" is when they've been flower girls in weddings or other very special occassions.....and around home. There are a few girls in my daughter's 2nd grade class that wear heels to school and I just think it's ridiculous. They can't run, can't climb, can't really even PLAY like the other kids and so they just sit there and "look pretty."

I will admit though, that my oldest walks much better in her heels than I do! LOL

I wear heels everyday and I love it only time you dont see me in heels are on the weekend mostly because I have so much running around to do. I have a 12 year old and her shoe size is very close to mind but I will not allow her to wear heels. I dont think that she is old enough for them yet. I did purchase her some of the Wedged sneakers and after a day of wearing them she gave them up. I am allowing my child to stay a child for as long as possible. I see so many kids wearing revealing clothes, heels and makeup and it leaves me to wonder if you give your child all of these things now what will they have to look forward to when they are older. Oh and by the way I wear suits and dresses everyday with heels as high as 6 inches and i dont find it to be trashy it's all in how you present yourself.

When you say "heels" I think stilettos and something 4 inches and above. Finding age appropriate shoes for girls is such a challenge. I have a 15 year old and I've seen her classmates in stilettos, 5 inch wedges, etc. They look ridiculous because they can't walk in them and they look like they are trying to hard. The young girls are intrigued by the fact that these "adult looking" shoes come in their sizes. I never let my daughter wear any heels before high school. I would only by the little 1-2 inch open toe sandles or kitten heels. That was enough. Flats are even better.

I hate it. Let's keep little girls little girls. Why pretend they are more mature than they really are!

I guess kids want to emulate what they are exposed to. The NYT article says a DD loves Selena Gomez (?). I and my DD have no idea who that is. I will never be upset for having restricted what my DD can see on the computer and not turning on the TV.

DD never sees me wearing wedgies or 4" heels, so this topic isn't on her radar. Besides, she wants to run around when she goes out.

DD is standing up in a wedding this winter, and it will be interesting to see what shoes we purchase. I would buy Suri's "heels," (though she was five at the time) or ballet flats.

We've said no to high heels until age 12. This was the tradition in my family (leg-shaving, high heels, and nylons at age 12). It was difficult because my older daughter was tall for her age and had large feet. Ironically, today she loves flats.
Medically speaking, high heels are hard on the body. I never make it through the entire work day without kicking off my shoes.