Kids shoes the new fashion frontier

27 August 2010

The changing nature of consumer spending in Australia has brought with it a new profile for the children's footwear sector. Once price driven, children's shoes have become increasingly style oriented with Australians' growing wealth.

With the prosperity, education and lifespan of the average Australian family on the rise, Australians are having less children and spending more per child on higher priced, fashion forward children's shoes. While children's shoes were once primarily based on practicality, recent years have also seen a blending of these two factors, resulting in a new approach to kids' shoes that fuses current trends with the best in comfort and wearability.

Children's shoe brand Skeanie is a preferred provider of the Australian Podiatry Association but also focuses on fashion, offering an infant range in soft leather with a suede sole that is perfect for pre-walkers and early walkers. Meanwhile its Junior range features an innovative flexible rubber sole and is available in a wide array of on-trend styles.

For local brand Chillikids (pictured above left), fashion, comfort and attainability are key. The brand's colours are based on the latest global trends, while modern styling and a little extra detail will make a practical, chic option for kids. Meanwhile, established in 2005, Red Bootie (pictured right) is an Australian owned and designed brand that offers a range of appealing, comfortable footwear for girls and boys aged approximately 14 months to 10 years old. Finally, fashion focused adult brands have also successfully entered the children's shoe sector, such as canvas pump specialist Billie, which launched Billie Kids to outstanding success.

A wide range of the latest children's footwear styles will be on show at The Australian Shoe Fair from 29-31 August at Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

 

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