Stride Rite® Launches New Shoe Collection For Prewalkers

LEXINGTON, Mass., Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Stride Rite®, the leader in premium children's footwear, today announced the launch of Stride Rite Crib & Crawl™, a brand new collection of footwear specifically designed for baby's first months through the crawling and pulling up stages.

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The Crib & Crawl collection is expertly tailored for a prewalker and constitutes S.T.E.P. 1 in Stride Rite's Scientifically Tested, Everyday Proven RITE STEPs™ System, which ensures that each shoe is specifically designed for every step of a child's mobility and foot development. Crib & Crawl also incorporates the season's fashion trends such as animal prints, plaids and shimmer into functional shoes for baby.

Based on consumer insights, Stride Rite's Crib shoes offer a brand new swaddled design that keeps the foot in place and provides a soft foot covering that is easy to put on and stays on, solving a concern that Moms have shared with Stride Rite. The padded heel adds comfort, there is a variety of soft upper materials, and the microfiber, soft sole bottom allows for protection and durability. Stride Rite's Crawl shoes feature a unique suede outsole that offers maximum flexibility, and a variety of soft upper materials. They have a "real shoe" look and feel with easy hook-and-loop closures. Additionally, the outsole wraps up and around the upper to protect crawling feet and provide durability in the two key abrasion points: the heel and the toe.

"Since 1919, Stride Rite has offered footwear to protect children's feet and help their feet develop properly," said Sharon John, president of Stride Rite Children's Group.  "We are proud to continue that tradition by offering a line specifically designed for the prewalker that brings together the fashion and practicality that today's Moms desire with the quality footwear they come to expect from our brand."

The Crib & Crawl collection is easy to shop in premium gift bags that showcase the shoes and with easy to find size stickers. It ranges from $20 (Crib) to $30 (Crawl) in Crib sizes 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-12 months and Crawl baby sizes 1 to 4. Styles are currently available in Stride Rite retail stores, online at www.striderite.com, as well as through Stride Rite wholesale partners including Nordstrom and Dillard's. Visit www.striderite.com to find a location near you.

In addition, through February 22, Stride Rite stores nationwide will be hosting Rite Fit events. During these special Fit Events, parents will receive the always-available expert fittings by Stride Rite fit specialists, they will learn more about the importance of the "rite fit" and the "rite" shoes for their child's foot development, receive measurement record cards for their child, as well as get helpful shoe shopping tips developed with the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).

About Stride Rite Children's Group
The Stride Rite Children's Group, part of the Performance + Lifestyle Group of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. markets leading brands of premium children's footwear in the United States, including Stride Rite®, Saucony® Kids, Keds® Kids and Sperry Top-Sider® Kids, among others. For over 90 years, the company has designed and engineered footwear specifically to meet the needs of growing children. Through their sole commitment to "Kid-RITE" innovation, quality, health and style, Stride Rite Children's Group's mission is to be the first choice for premium authentic footwear brands that kids love and moms trust. Visit www.striderite.com to learn more.

Media Contacts:
Stride Rite: Malinda Freitas, [email protected], 617-824-6231
RF|Binder: Melanie Anenberg, [email protected], 212-994-7606

SOURCE Stride Rite Children's Group