11yr olds wearing heels?

[I Intrigue You]

I'm asking for mom or dad advice

My DD who is 11 will be attending a Father Daughter Ball this weekend. This is a formal event and we have everything picked out except the shoes. My DD is begging me to let her wear high heel shoes at least 2inch heels. I think 11 is way too young. I've asked other parents whose daughters are attending the event and they are letting their DD wear them So, what age did you let your DD's wear heels?

 

[transparant]

I think a medium heel - like 1 1/2 inch is ok. My own daughter doesn't like them...she'd break her neck. LOL!

 

[bananiem]

I have a dd that's 10 1/2. She wears a women's 7 1/2 shoe. I've discovered that there are very few low heeled shoes for her that don't look like "old lady shoes." I hate having her wear high heels and I only let them get about an inch to an inch and a half. Anything higher than that I say no to.

 

[wvrevy]

Funny you should ask...Our DD is 4, and she absolutely LOVES wearing heels. Oh, I don't mean that we dress her in them when we're going out, but she's received a couple of trunks full of "dress up" clothes (including the Disney Princess set) for birthdays and Christmas and such, and I think she likes the heels better than she does any other items in them. Honestly, we've joked that she's gonna be the only kid to go to her first day of kindergarden wearing high heeled shoes

I guess my advice is simply to say, "They're just shoes". If she's old enough to ask to wear them, she's old enough to wear them (on occassion). Little kids love the idea of seeming "grown up", and really, what harm does it do ?

 

[Trish Bessette]

My DD, who is 11, loves shoes! All colors, shapes and the bigger the heel the better. However, she doesn't own any "high" heel shoe. The problem is is that she is in the fifth grade, has a size 9 1/2 shoe and is 5"7"!!! She doesn't need any heel to make her taller.

 

[WDSearcher]

I think for a special event like a father-daughter dance, heels are fine. Not for school though!

 

[padams]

The 11yo girls here wear heels to our elementary school's graduation. I suspect they wear them to other fancy occasions as well.

 

[minkydog]

My daughter went to her first "formal" dance last year at age 10-1/2, escorted by her daddy. She fell utterlyinlove with a pair of darling silver high heeled shoes that set her dress off perfectly. I normally wouldn't have bought them, but it was a special occasion and the shoes are definitely "dressy". She adores shoes, all shoes, and normally picks out flats, but these were too good to pass up. She felt beautiful for one night.

 

[Nancy]

My 11 year old got her first pair of heels this year. She also wears a womans size shoe and there was nothing that looked good with a dress or skirt so we opted for about a 2 inch heel. She loves them and they don't look trashy, plus lots of the girls are wearing them now so she didn't look out of place.

 

[Kermit]

I think that tasteful heels are appropriate for a dressy occassion. If she's old enough to get dressed up and attend a formal affair, then she's old enough to wear shoes that go well with her dress. I wouldn't get anything too high or really thin heels that make her wobble, but short ones would be nice. When I was her age, we called the shorter, thicker-heeled shoes "pumps." Do they still make those?

 

[Serena]

For a special occassion such as that, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Cass]

Well, it is just for the ball right? I mean she is not going to be wearing heels to school or the mall?

I think she really may learn a lesson when she gets the shoes she loves and her feet hurt at the dance! get them quick so she can practice walking in them.

 

[Fire14]

I always loved my High heeled sandles as a kid granted they were wedge heels but they were mine. I Agree for a special occasion it's fine.

 

[MHopkins2]

One more yes vote. "Kitten heels" are very popular right now - they're about 1.5" max and super cute.

 

[DisDuck]

I find this whole discussion of shoes kind of funny. Why do the size of heels or lack of heels make any difference in the perception of a person? Sort of judging the book by its cover.

I am the father of 2 boys and 2 girls (youngest is 20yo) so I grew up in the 50's-60's (non-teeen thru teen years). In my day (in NYC) I did not get my first pair of black shoes until I was 13yo. That color was considered too old for a youngster. Also, did not get my first long pants until 6.

Fashions change. Ideas about what is age appropriate changes over time.

 

[Buttercup26]

My dd is also 11 and wears a size 8 1/2 womens shoe, so it is extremely hard to find "dressy" shoes without some kind of heel. She would like 3 - 4 inch spiky stiletto type heels, like she see's in magazines and on tv, but we have comprised on 1 - 2 inch "stacked" heels (heels are square, not skinny).

Many of the girls at her school and in her scout troop wear heels, particularly when they need "dress" shoes. I know in talking to some of the other mothers that we all have had trouble finding dressy shoes for them. They all wear womens shoe sizes now and other than ballet flats, it's hard to find dressy shoes without a heel.

I think that for special occasions it's okay, I wouldn't go any higher than 2 inches. For normal everyday wear, no way.

 

[Keokagal]

Cute not sexy is fine. Sometimes the girls want to rush things eg middle school graduation in this area they are wearing prom dresses. Not my kid, she looked lovely and appropriate in a little black w blue flower dress. The other girls looked dopey IMO. As the school nurse please don't let them wear heals or platforms to school. You should see how many ankle turns we have. Early adolescent girls do not have the best balance. Let's not rush our girls.

 

[I Intrigue You]

Thanks for all the replies My DD will be so happy today when I tell her she can wear a pair of "tasteful" heels. Now we just have to find them

Thanks again!