Company under fire for selling high heels for babies

A company out of Pennsylvania is under fire for creating and selling 'high-heeled' baby shoes -- and critics ae claiming the business is contributing to the hypersexualization of young girls.

Pee Wee Pumps is designed for "fashion-forward mothers" who "love to dress up their little girls with the cutest bows and outfits". The slippers, which come in leopard, pink and zebra, feature a collapsible heel and tiny bow. The shoes sell for $24.00 dollars a pair and have names like "Diva", "Sassy" and "Wild Child".

Courtesy of Pee Wee Pumps

The company claims their satin pumps "will be your daughter's first fashion statement". Some parents are fans of the cute shoes, claiming they're merely used for just for dress up. "This isn't the first time that the U.K. has had a problem — they turn it into something it's not; it's a photo prop," said Pee Wee Pumps founder Michele Holbrook to Footwear News.

Others, however, are heavily critical of the message the shoes send. Some parents find the product demeaning and believe the shoes can hurt the babies, whose feet are still developing.

"They look at it like you're sexualizing babies. That's their opinion if they want to take it, but they are intended as a photo prop, and mothers want to use it as a fashion accessory," Holbrook said.

Additionally, the shoes are not meant for babies who are over six months. Since the heels are collapsible, they pose "no endangerment" to the child. According to Holbrook, the next Pee Wee Pumps design will be a Louboutin spinoff.

Related: Functional and sophisticated Stuart Weitzman's for every occasion

: