Clarks embroiled in sexism row over 'Dolly Babe' school shoes for girls

What's going on in the World?

Looks like we have shoppers browsing online for stuff to call 'sexist' like a pair of shoes for girls. What's wrong with a shoe entitled 'Dolly Babe'? exactly? I can name a few women celebs who would probably wear a pair of shoes named 'Dolly babe'.

It's a SHOE ffs. Shoes don't discriminate and sure as hell don't care what their brand name is. So much going on in the World but a pair of shoes can be sexist now. They are girls shoes and don't look that bad to me... maybe if it rained their feet would get wet but I'd like to think that most girls would wear trainers until they were in school in that case.

Is 'Dolly Babe' that bad a name for a shoe? Who really cares? Would other children take the pee if a pupil was wearing 'Dolly Babe' shoes?? I remember when I was at school... I never took any interest in what anyone was wearing on their feet.

Anyway... don't think the whole range of shoes need to be removed. How about they just change the 'brand name?'

www.msn.com...

Clarks has reportedly pulled a line of school shoes for girls after it was accused of “blatant discrimination” and “sexism”. The shop became the centre of the row over lines of children’s shoes which were named ‘Dolly Babe’ for girls and ‘Leader’ for boys. Miranda Williams, a Greenwich councillor, reacted angrily to the choice when she went online to buy shoes for her two daughters.

Welcome to the twilight zone.

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

I don't think they were sexist enough, they should have been sold with 5" Perspex heels and the boys shoes should have been called Big Pimpin' Mac Daddies.

Maybe she was angry that it implies girls aren't also leaders?

Or more likely, she was angry that boys can't be a dolly babe.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

I don't think they were sexist enough, they should have been sold with 5" Perspex heels and the boys shoes should have been called Big Pimpin' Mac Daddies.

Naw. "Buster Brown" . Try that one on for size.

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

The shop became the centre of the row over lines of children’s shoes which were named ‘Dolly Babe’ for girls and ‘Leader’ for boys.

Thats telling in and of itself. They want men to be good soldiers and the women to be sex objects. In my day it was GI Joe and Barbie Dolls, toy guns for boys and doll houses for girls.

I'm gonna go kill some bad guys Baby, have dinner waiting when I return.

"Yes Ken".

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist
The whole point of commercial brand names is that the company hopes to appeal to the market.
So either their research was off when they picked that name, or the objectors don't really represent the prospective purchasers.

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

People wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they didn't have something insignificant to be outraged over.

This week on "Days of Our Lives".....

originally posted by: AutonomousMeatPuppet
Maybe she was angry that it implies girls aren't also leaders?

Or more likely, she was angry that boys can't be a dolly babe.

In todays siciety that wouldn't surprise me.

this miranda chick must be fun at parties.

"It makes me so angry. It's bad enough that girls' shoes are so flimsy and so unsuitable for jumping in puddles or climbing trees compared to boys' shoes, which are so much more robust. But to create such a stereotype is totally unacceptable."

few things there:
how great must your life be that you can get "so angry" over this pointless nonsense

most girl's shoes are less robust, because most girls don't really have an interest in doing that kind of stuff.
ever been to a playground? with a few exceptions, the girls tend to play on ground level and the boys climb around anywhere they can as if they are actively seeking for new ways to hurt themselves.
too many parents today seem to want to dictate to little kids how they should be as little kids by conditioning everything around them.
Truth is, you can put the girliest girly girl shoes ever on a little girl, and if she wants to stomp that puddle or climb that tree, the shoes ain't gonna stop her.
but sure, continue making her perceive that the world around her imposes limitations on her behavior that she can't ever possibly break out from or ignore, i'm sure she'll grow up well adjusted

a reply to: intrptr

Don't girls play wirth 'Dolls' or 'Barbies' anymore? If not, why not? Is it because of this 'Gender' Agenda thing going on?

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

I belong to a web site that names all their shoes. Shoe dazzle.
I have a pair named Jaylah ...gorgeous black wedge sandals. Very tall.
And a pair of boots named Shena. Buff shorties with a cute buckle detail. Also pretty high.
Come on. It's marketing. Its a woman's shoe and they've always given names to girls shoes.
I grew up wearing Mary Jane's and most women my age can visualize that style with their eyes closed.
Dolly Babe is cute... and it's for little girls? What's the problem.
Some people just have too much time on their hands.

a reply to: Sillyolme

Thanks for your input.

Maybe I have too much time o my hands for making a thread about this issue.

Ok well I found the problem. It's not Dolly Babe .
It's that they gave this cutsey name to the girl shoe but named the boy shoe "Leader"

Now that's an issue.
They should have either called the boy shoe something else or named the girl shoes something stronger
Still it's a shoe.
But I at least understand the issue now.

Dolly Babe’ for girls and ‘Leader’ for boys.

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

Maybe everyone is entitled to their opinion huh?
I said I see what the problem is and it's that they gave a cute name to the girl shoe and a strong name to the boys shoe and I agree . I didn't know the whole story.
Still it's a shoe.
Consider that the damn president won't call a racist group a racist group but has no problem calling out others. And this becomes trivial.

a reply to: Sillyolme

The breadwinner has a certain style to it.

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist


When I was kid we called this style of shoe "Baby Doll" shoes.



I guess "Doll Babe" was an effort to play off that.

However, seeing as the boys shoes are called "Leaders" and the girls are "Doll Babes", I can see the sexism and understand the outrage. They should have named the boy's shoes "Brown Busters"! LOL

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse

I don't know many little girls. I raised three boys. But I know this. If faced with the choice of sturdy puddle jumping shoes or a pair of pink glitter sandals I know which shoe most girls would pick. This lady is being silly in that respect. And girls have choices in shoes. Sneakers are available with silver laces and lights and they can still stand up to a good tree climbing. Who really jumps in puddles but toddlers anyway.
We used to wear galoshes and rubber boots for that.
Who wears those anymore either. And they were ugly.

a reply to: windword

We called that style Mary Jane's.

I kind of get why it'd be off-putting mostly to mothers of daughters who want to raise strong minded women who can lead their peers both in education and in business, or what have you........

But in that case my personal reaction (i'm always supposing how I'd react to these things on here aren't I lol)
would be to just not buy it...... There's plenty other shoe companies to support.

Also why teach your kid that the label of a shoe or anything else they purchase, determines their abilities or not. To hell with the names of those shoes, she can buy a dolly babe and still become a fierce warrior.

-Alee