New collection of baby shoes with Sensory Response Technology

The Stride Rite Children’s Group, the leading provider of premier children’s footwear, recently announced the launch of a new collection of baby shoes with patent-pending Sensory Response Technology™ (SRT™). Representatives from Stride Rite will be at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Oct. 17-20, to discuss the many benefits of the SRT Collection. This revolutionary children's footwear technology, developed in conjunction with the Leon Root, M.D. Motion Analysis Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, improves the way a child learns to walk via a sensory feedback system, an ultra-flexible design that allows for more freedom of movement, and a unique construction that reduces the number of stumbles and falls.

Stride Rite continuously conducts testing and research to improve its products and is dedicated to developing the best technology in children’s footwear. The company learned that babies’ first steps help shape their walking gait into adulthood. Stride Rite commissioned a multiphase biomechanics study at the Leon Root, M.D. Motion Analysis Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery to better understand the effects of footwear at the important learning-to-walk stage of a child's development. This study is the most in-depth research conducted on children’s footwear by Stride Rite and within the industry to date.

The first phase of the study analyzed qualitative and quantitative measurements of babies’ gait, plantar pressure and the ability to negotiate different obstacles. Early findings indicate that in order to develop a healthy walking pattern, first walkers need shoes that allow them to feel and grip the surface beneath them, as well as distribute their weight properly to keep their balance.

“Stride Rite’s investment in the continual pursuit of enhanced knowledge about growing feet is unparalleled in the industry. We are excited to be the only children's footwear company to commission a study to analyze children's movement patterns and stability on a variety of terrains,” said Pamela Salkovitz, President of Stride Rite Children’s Group. “Key learnings of the study have enabled us to develop the SRT collection. Its technology, comfort and style make it the ideal shoe for new walkers.”

SRT’s features promote a healthy lifelong walking pattern and improve baby's ability to respond to their environment. Highlights include:

• Greater feel of terrain: Sensory pods in the forefoot of the outsole move independently of each other offering multiple reaction points, increasing a baby’s feel of the ground beneath them. This allows a baby to stabilize their gait and better respond to their environment.
• More natural support: Unique "hourglass" construction in the midfoot mirrors a baby’s foot structure to help supporting bones and muscles that are not yet fully developed. A smooth, rounded transition from outsole to upper prevents catching an edge, reducing the number of stumbles and falls.
• Freedom of movement: Ultra-flexible design allows the foot to move in many directions to help baby learn how to adapt to uneven surfaces.

“Many people do not realize how important it is for a baby to wear proper shoes while learning to walk,” said Dr. Tanya Altmann, a pediatrician and best-selling author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents’ Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers. “A baby's foot can provide a rich array of sensory information from which a reliable walking program may be developed if their shoes are flexible enough to permit such feedback.”

Shoes in the SRT collection are also designed to make baby comfortable. They feature moisture-wicking linings, which help keep babies’ feet drier longer, and eco-friendly materials such as a recycled EVA heel cup and a partially recycled outsole to protect baby and baby’s future environment. A great feature for mom and dad is a removable insole containing a Fit Check™ system that easily let’s them know when it is time to see a fit specialist. Mom or dad just removes the insole and places baby’s foot on it. If baby’s toes pass the Fit Check™ line, then it’s time to visit Stride Rite and see a fit specialist.

The fall SRT collection is comprised of four boys’ styles and seven girls’ styles in baby sizes 3 to 8 in various widths, and features fun fashion touches such as suede fringe, metallic leathers and bright hints of color. Additional styles will be released in spring 2010.