A mum from Edinburgh has sparked a heated Twitter debate over a pair of rainbow-coloured wellies from Next's kids shoes range.
Fionna O'Leary took to social media to call out the fashion giant for the way it has divided its new range into girls and boys shoes.
The mum said she was browsing their website for footwear for her daughter when she noticed shoes had been divided into gender-specific categories.
Sharing photos of 'Girls Next Rainbow striped wellies' and 'Boys Next navy rainbow dinosaur' shoes' she said: "Just wondering @nextofficial what the difference is between a boys rainbow and a girls?"
She was backed up by others who didn't agree with the gender stereotyping of shoes.
@the nickyB42 said: " why not have a kids range and let the kids and parents choose whatever they want?!"
@MissCathernie1 added: "Those spiny rainbow dino shoes are so cool! My daughter would love them @nextofficial. Are they available in the ‘girls’ section too? Or better yet, can we just do away with these tired, pointless prescriptions, divisions and gender labels and #letclothesbeclothes? Please?"
But not everyone agreed with the Edinburgh mum's point of view, the MEN reports.
One twitter user @Anti-KarenBrigade said: "Men and women can also have the same waist size. Does that mean we may as well put thongs out in the men's section as well, you know... To be inclusive."
But Fionna hit back: "Am not sure I follow your logic? All I wanted to know was what made one of the rainbow designs for boys and the other one for girls? Why did Next not label them the other way around? So what made them a boys boot or a girls boot? Genuinely want to know why?"
@EmilyWilcox added: "Everyone is overreacting. When the brand creates a range summer/autumn whatever. They obviously create a girls range/boys range. It doesn't mean either sex can or cannot wear the items. It's a bloody welly boot."
@gemmanash8 chimed in adding: ""And who gives a f*** if it's under the girls or boys section! If your kid likes it, let them wear it, don't go to a point where you make up stupid shit about rainbows and how next is the devil!
"There has always been a girls/boys/woman/man section, just to make shopping easier."
A spokeswoman for Next told the Manchester Evening News that the rainbow footwear is available for girls and boys.
She added: "The functionality of the website means that customers shop by separating out women, men, boys and girls, home etc. There isn't the functionality to combine these searches into children. However, if you search rainbow - both boys and girls products are listed."
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