As if little girls didn’t grow up fast enough, you can help your baby along with these high-heeled booties designed by heelarious. They caused quite a stir when they launched earlier this year. This summer, the New York Post reported:

The soft crib booties designed to look like high heels are selling like wildfire in 22 states and overseas, their creators told ABCnews.com.

The shoes - in sizes 0 to six months - are not meant for walking and will “collapse” if little ones put weight on them, says the designers’ Web site, heelarious.com. Creators Britta Bacon and Hayden Porter say on the Web site that “her first high heels” are “extremely funny, completely soft, fully functional high-heel crib shoes for babies.”

The novelty pumps come in six colors - leopard satin print, hot pink patent, black satin, zebra satin, black patent, and hot pink satin.

My gut reaction to these shoes was “eww.”  Women wear high heels to feel sexy and glamorous. The high-heeled shoe is meant to look hot. A baby is simple innocence. Now, maybe a soft-heeled booty for babies is meant to turn that connotation on its head, but I don’t think the creators are making a satirical or ironic statement. I think they are cashing in on a phenomenon of mothers willing to dress their little girls like Lolita.

The shoes are available locally at: Shaely Bugs in Oakville; Purple Ducks in Lake St. Louis, Petunia in Clayton; Lavish and Co. in St. Louis and First Impressions Studio in Kirkwood.