Have you heard of the pink tax? Do you believe it’s a legitimate tax? The pink tax by definition is the extra amount of money women have to pay for essentially the same products that men pay less for. Some items can be as small as razors, and some as large as dry cleaning and haircuts.
I was browsing the aisles of one of my favorite shoe stores looking for work boots for my new summer job. Since I would be working with horses, which average from 840-2,200 pounds, I needed something sturdy with a steel toe. Aisle after aisle I saw tons of sandals, converse, and slippers. Granite it is the off season, just across the aisle in the “men's” section is rows of workboots.
After asking an associate I was pointed to one singular pair of the sensational and trendy workboots known as “timbs”. While these are my go to winter fashion shoe of choice, this particular pair which is meant for work, was flimsy and weak. My boyfriend who owns the same pair, in the men's kind, has a strong toe material and is way thicker in material as well as a heavier feel.
The associate said I could not try a men's pair because my size would not crossover into a men's comfortably. Due to the lack of time I settled for the weaker boot. I quickly became frustrated as the boot did not give me the benefits I paid for, or the ones my boyfriends give him.
While it is a mix of sexism, the pink tax, and injustice, it is still a major problem and disadvantage.
