Most of us lament the increasingly fast passage of time and the reality of how quickly our children seem to grow up – with some still pining for the days when the towering young adults were chubby little tots with rosy cheeks, downy hair and cherubic smiles.

But while many parents wish they could hang onto their children’s youth for a little longer, others, it seems, are desperate for them to grow up as quickly as possible. And with this in mind one US shoe manufacturer has really overstepped the mark (excuse the pun).

Pee Wee Pumps, which specialises in infant footwear, has caused outrage with its new range of high heels for babies – I kid you not. The soft pointy shoes with ‘collapsible heels’ are described by creators as ‘diva defining’ but in reality are ugly and quite frankly a bit grotesque.

Advertising the products, the baby ‘models’ are clad in sunglasses, sequins, tutus and jewellery, ostensibly to showcase the bizarre footwear on their tiny feet. In bright bold colours, leopard print and ‘classic black’, the shoes look every sort of wrong and I can safely say I do not know a single person who would buy these for their infant.

And I’m not alone. Social media users have been protesting about the ‘totally inappropriate’ footwear with some suggesting that they should be banned altogether. While UK campaign group ‘Let Clothes be Clothes’ have posted images of the range with the warning ‘Beware, these photos are shocking’.

While the shoes are more hideous than shocking, it’s the adult props in the shoot which one viewer describes as a ‘boudoir session’ which are the most distasteful. And with Katie Price also coming under fire this week for posting what many see as ‘provocative’ photos of her 9-year-old daughter in a bikini, it shows that most of us are not comfortable with children posing or dressing as adults.

However, according to the company, based in Greenburg, Pennsylvania, the shoes have apparently been designed as a bit ‘fun’ and “are not intended for walking, but rather to meet the current and ever-growing demand for high-fashion in infant apparel.”

You see that just about sums up a certain vacuous mentality in today’s society – anyone who has the time, money or interest to even entertain the idea of ‘high fashion’ for their baby, really hasn’t got enough to worry about and should think about doing some volunteer work, donating to charity or even taking up a hobby – because dressing a four month old baby to look like a miniature version of a grown woman heading out for a night on the tiles is wrong on every level –and gives a whole new meaning to the words ‘kitten heels’.

So for anyone thinking of purchasing a pair for their baby, do them a favour and restrain yourself, I’m sure a fluffy teddy would be appreciated a lot more.