Shoe Zone has come under fire for its depiction of children's footwear after many shoppers took issue with the contrasting ways it described girls' and boys' shoes.
The retailer's online size guides were subjected to the criticism, with a campaign group branding the images and descriptions used on the website as "harmful" and "offensive". Shoe Zone's Girls' Shoe Size Guide features a picture of a young girl's feet standing in high heels that are too big for her, while the Boys' Shoes Fitting Guide has a picture of three young boys playing in the grass.
While the retailer refers to girls as "princesses" and describes buying shoes for them as "difficult", it says of boys' shoes that they must have "the right pair of shoes for his adventures". The website lists playing football, climbing trees and "getting up to mischief" as "typical activities" for young boys - none of which are mentioned on the girls' page.
