Baby high heels latest fashion accessory

Leanne Gasiorowski went into labour Tuesday with two things on her mind: contractions and zebra-print stilettos.

The stilettos are for her new daughter, Kara Kayla Rae.

They're called Heelarious, a line of soft crib shoes that look like high heels, the kind of thing you might find on Carrie Bradshaw if she were a baby and had a dinner date.

Allowing for the fact that different outfits require different shoes, the baby heels come in six styles that range from hot pink to leopard-print satin.

Baby Kara Kayla Rae's going to have the zebras. After all, the style is called "Kayla."

"I love them and instantly wanted a pair," Gasiorowski, 33, said.

"I just think they're unique. I haven't seen anything like that before and wanted our baby to come home from the hospital in them."

Just don't walk in them, baby. The heel will collapse with weight, the product literature says.

Neither should young girls, for that matter, according to Vancouver podiatrist Dr. Roy Matthews.

"Their muscles aren't strong enough, their legs aren't strong enough, their joints are still very flexible at a young age," Matthews said.

"The last thing you want someone doing is breaking their ankle and I've seen it happen because they're wearing high heels and not used to wearing them."

For others, there is a greater underlying problem than arch support.

"I think it's sexualizing a six-month old," said Evin Lebrun of Vancouver.

"It looks like it's trying to make a six-month-old look like a 20-year-old."

Maria Cootauco, The Province

Published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

mcootauco@png.canwest.com