The kids’ market is growing and so is today’s huge variety of children’s clothing and accessories – and shoes. The collections presented by children’s shoe manufacturers at GDS last September focused on lots of colour, comfort for little feet and cheerful, child-friendly design.

Noel: Loving Attention to Detail
Since 1920 this family firm from Brittany has focused on shoes for both adults and children, although kids’ shoes are a special forte. Well represented both on the domestic market as well as in Russia, Greece and the Benelux the French firm now wishes to extend its existing 150 points of sales in Germany. Typical at Noel: welt-sewn ballerinas and loving attention to detail with touches like piping and just the right amount of fine studs, hearts or floral motifs. A top priority at Noel is durability as well as flexibility and mobility for their children’s shoes. Alongside a growing focus on ecological awareness and sustainability – reflected in the firm’s increasing use of vegetable-tanned leather. Like in the EZPZ collection (pronounced “Easy Peasy”) featured in its range alongside the main line Noel and the lower priced Minibel line. The slippers, first-step and leisure shoes in this line boast natural rubber soles suitable for wearing on the street, vegetable-tanned leather throughout and come in continental sizes 15 to 39. The range has now been extended to include rucksacks, school bags and pencil cases. And sustainability is also at the forefront for these products, too, as instead of cardboard boxes they come in nice canvas bags that are great for reusing as sponge bags or for storing toys.

Bundgaard: Child-Friendly at All Costs
A traditional Danish brand already founded back in 1904 Bundgaard is today mainly known for its children’s wellies, being one of the first shoe manufacturers to make them in different colours. A strength the company has built upon as today the wellies are offered with or without striped lining, with or without lace-up tops and in ten selected colours. Comfortable and child-friendly fits are top priorities at the Bundgaard shoe brand bought two years ago by the Sanita Group and now revving up with renewed vigour while not losing sight of brand philosophy. Obviously, Bundgaard shoes boast full leather lining, outer soles made of natural rubber as well as removable insoles. However, this season brings cool new boots with a fashionable vintage look about them – for instance in denim trimmed leather. This season also sees Bundgaard’s launch in Germany – setting itself the ambitious goal of reaching 300 dealers here by the end of 2013. These will also include sports shops after the company has extended the range of its sports collection. And if success on the Danish domestic market is anything to go by expectations are justified as Bundgaard has been one of the most important children’s shoe manufacturers there for many years now.

Pololo: Knights, Mice and Princesses
Promising only the best for the little ones amongst us are soft, comfy shoes from Pololo – handmade and offering a good alternative to running around the house barefoot. Brave knight and sweet princess motifs decorate these first-step shoes as do German TV’s “Kleine Maus” mouse character and Shaun the Sheep – both included in the range as licence products. “We like clean design and using lots of colour but we do not go too over top, says Verena Carney who founded Pololo in Berlin in 2002. Today, the crawler shoe collection for tiny tots is joined by larger sizes and the company now boasts an impressive 800 dealers throughout Europe – including the likes of Hess Natur who appreciate Pololo’s quality and reliability. For instance, favourite styles from the varied basic collection can be reordered even across seasons. Useful extras at Pololo include removable footbeds that make it easy to see if the shoes really fit the children properly plus felt-leather soles to keep feet warm underfoot even in colder temperatures. A new feature in Pololo’s portfolio is their ecological children’s shoe line made of vegetable-tanned leather produced only in Germany, in Bavaria to be precise.

Kavat – Hey Pippi Longstocking!
Kavat in Swedish means cheeky and plucky. Just like the brand-new shoe collection Pippi Langstocking by Kavat that features colourful girls’ shoes sporting cheeky and sweet motifs by Danish illustrator Vang Nyman. These for instance include gladiator sandals with names like Viktualia (Delicatessa), clogs handmade in Sweden featuring cute little floral designs and wellies in natural rubber with a Pippi motif carrying her horse Old Man. Or Pipilotta shoes in stain-resistant, waterproof nubuk which are ideal for playing and romping around in. And last but not least, old school style canvas sneakers that can be washed in the washing machine after too much rollicking. In price terms these styles and the classic Kavat collection stand at between Euro 35 and 65. Incidentally, the Pippi Langstocking edition did not arise as a licence product but in a friendly cooperation between the Swedish firm Kavat and the grandchildren of the children’s writer Astrid Lindgren. This ties in with company philosophy combining ecological principles and high quality without losing sight of children’s need for fun. Or a good cause as together with the Lindgren family Kavat makes a donation for every pair of shoes sold in Sweden to the charity SOS Children’s Villages – for building a second Bullerby children’s village in the Central African Republic.

Text: Nicoletta Schaper
Photos: Susanne Boidol

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