How about some bright colors and fun metallics from Kenneth Cole to brighten your day!
More Spring Stride Rite!
For everyone who wanted to see more of the spring Stride Rite collection!
Spring Styles Blooming at Little Feet!
Check out some of our favorite new styles for spring!
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- Cienta Collection for Spring! Lightweight canvas shoes made in Spain!
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- Stride Rite Tony and Lola first walking sandals keep baby’s feet cool, and are super flexible for those first steps.
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- Keen Whisper in green stripes is one of our bestsellers this spring!
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- Timberland Belknap is a great new water-friendly sandal.
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- Teva Churn on a hiking sole lets you go right in the river with its water drainage ports!
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- Super-Squishy New Balance Jojo flip flops!
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- The Run N Dip from Kenneth Cole is a ballet flat with lots of color pop!
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- Umi Morie is a fun slip on moccasin style for girls.
Back-To-School Fashions for Colorado’s Changing Seasons
Back-to-school time is upon us (as always, sooner than expected!)
For many families, back-to-school is an exciting time celebrating a new beginning. Part of the fun is going shopping for school supplies, a special outfit for the 1st day of school, and of course, the perfect pair of shoes to see you through miles of hallways, hours of gym, and up, over, and around every imaginable piece of playground equipment! The fitting and fashion experts at Little Feet have some suggestions to help you through this busy time of year. Although it is hard to think about fall shoes when we are still enjoying summer weather, we have solutions for back-to-school and beyond that will keep your child in season and in fashion!
Starting back to school during August and September always presents challenges for our Colorado kids in regards to footwear. We usually have such warm weather in early fall, but by late fall, we could have snow on the ground! The question is, what shoes to buy that will keep the kids comfortable through all the weather changes? Many kids start school in more lightweight shoes and then move into heavier shoes as the weather cools off. Here’s some categories you may want to keep in mind as you are shopping:
Sneakers, sneakers, sneakers! Many kids start school in a canvas or mesh sneaker, that is light and breathable. Our hottest style tip this season is ‘the brighter the better!’ Colors like lime green, neon yellow and blazing blue that your kid will love are popping all over the place! Aside from being very stylish this year, most kids need some type of sneaker style shoe for P.E. as well. There are options available, like non-marking soles that are especially important if they will be used for gym. Velcro and elastic laces make it easy for younger kids to “do it themselves.” For girls, a sneaker/maryjane hybrid style might satisfy her need for a little fancier style, while the athletic sole will be supportive and stand up to playground wear.
As weather gets wetter and colder in fall, you will want to be prepared with water-resistant or waterproof shoes or boots. Just because they are built to be rugged and durable, it doesn’t mean they have to look rugged! Lots of cute colors and prints are the highlight in this category this season. For girls, many fashion boots can be sprayed with a suede or Nubuck protectant spray to also make them water-resistant. In fashion boots, the trend this season is details and texture! Some of the looks we are seeing feature nifty touches like buttons, bows, and flower appliques, and textures like smooth patent leathers and fuzzy sweater fabrics.
When that inevitable 1st snowstorm comes in late October, you are going to want snowboots to keep the kids warm and dry. Boots from companies like Kamik and Sorel are tried and true in this category. A couple tips on snowboots: Look for the temperature rating if your family goes skiing or snowshoeing often. You don’t want to have little frostbitten toes from a boot that looks cute, but doesn’t keep feet warm! If you are looking more for something to wear on snowy days in the city, some of our favorite styles can be worn as an all day boot, or you can even consider an Ugg or Bearpaw boot as an alternative.
Finally, don’t forget the slippers! Although these are typically considered a winter gift favorite, they are also frequently used in preschool and daycare classrooms. With easy Velcro closures to promote a child’s independence, they make parents life easy at home as well!
Fashion paired with function is our biggest tip for back-to-school this year! As always, all of us at Little Feet are happy to help with any measuring and fitting needs you might have, and can help you find the right shoe in each category for your child’s lifestyle.
The Small Business Difference
As many of you know, Little Feet is a small, family-owned business. This week, in celebration of National Small Business Week, we’ve been talking with our customers about what shopping at small businesses means to them. We were surprised at how many of our customers love shopping at a small business for the same reasons we love being one! Here’s what we found out:
Customer Service is so important to us–and to our customers! We truly strive to treat our customers the way we like to be treated. We still believe in “old-fashioned” service at Little Feet. We take the time to provide a personalized experience for each of our customers – measuring and fitting each child, keeping track of their sizes on our record cards, and having dedicated staff that are knowledgeable about our products, so every foot gets the perfect fit!
For many of the families that come to Little Feet, parents (or grandparents!) can remember going to a shoe store like ours when they were growing up, and now they want to pass that tradition on to their children. It is so much fun for us to get to know our customers. As we watch families grow, and children go from first walking shoes to 8th grade graduation, we feel like those families become part of our family!
We want to be on the cutting edge in all the best ways, though. That’s why we search out the newest styles and coolest colors for each season, and do giveaways on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Our customers love being able to get the best retro style experience paired with the most modern selection and benefits!
Another important part of being a small business is actively participating in our community. We try to do this in several ways, like donating to many of the local school auctions, charitable contributions to organizations like Colorado Children’s Campaign, and getting involved in community events like Girls On The Run 5K. We are also not just a store, but a resource in our community. When your child or classroom needs shoeboxes for a project, we can usually help. If you are frustrated about teaching your child to tie their shoes, try one of our free shoe-tying classes for all ages. Don’t know what to do with shoes your kids have outgrown? Bring them to us to donate to families in need worldwide through our partnership with Soles4Souls. Not sure if your child’s shoes still fit? Stop in anytime for a free fit check, whether or not you bought those shoes here. That’s all part of the small business difference!
Of course, we couldn’t do what we do without our loyal customers! If you are wondering “how much does it really matter if I support small business,” we want to share a few of the ways you make a BIG difference when you choose to shop small!
Economic: The dollars you spend are reinvested right here where you live.
Environmental: You can shop in your community, rather than spending extra money and gas driving to a big box store farther away.
Entrepreneurial: Independent shops like ours tend to advocate for other little guys and gals! For instance, we support local and independent business, like Monkey Toes Shoes, made by a Denver mom, and Valentina, produced by an up-and-coming young shoe designer from Austin. We give another small company a chance, and you gain the advantage of being able to get something different than you would find anywhere else!
finally, Feel Good: We know it’s not just about DOING good–we hope shopping small makes you FEEL good, too!
We hope that you feel inspired to seek out other small businesses, and stay loyal to the ones you already patronize, not just during National Small Business Week, but every week! Thanks to all of you who support us and other small businesses–you are truly doing something BIG every time you choose to shop small!
