Biomechanics is the science of understanding the movements of the human body: how muscles, tendons, bones and ligaments work together. Working with Brytespark we've been conducting pioneering new research into how children move and through this new research we have been re-engineering our shoes so that they work seamlessly with the foot and the rest of the body as children grow.
Through our research we’ve designed lightweight, flexible soles to help feet perform naturally at each stage of a child's development. For example, toddlers have less pronation and supination in their walking pattern. Straight flex grooves in the forefoot of the sole mirror the foot for a non-intrusive movement on each step when working towards the next development stage. As it matures and develops, the foot performs a more efficient sequence of movements to absorb shock from the ground and propel on each step, aided by soles with medial fanned flex grooves.
We source and develop high performance leathers and fabrics suited to the movements children’s feet naturally follow. These materials also help active feet breath and stay comfortable for longer. Our designers work carefully to integrate comfort, performance and heritage styling. Special care is taken to avoid detailing in areas where the foot flexes to ensure nothing interferes. We also spend a lot of time fine tuning the balance between flexibility and durability of our uppers, so kids can be kids and their shoes will last.
The fit of a shoe depends on the design and shape of the Last. We design every Last for each new style, and even shape the very first one by hand. This design is super important as it’s the first building block for our shoes. There are as many as 11 different points on a Last that we study and perfect before we use them for a new style. This ensures our shoes don’t just fit well, but they give the child the wiggle room they need for natural movement and stability as they develop at every stage.
We are inspired by what the future holds for Start-Rite and the children that grow up in our shoes. Children are our future scientists, athletes, teachers and more, so it’s natural we want to support their development at every stage. Even from before babies walk, crawling promotes brain stimulation.
We want children to go far, excel and have fun doing it. We care because they are our future; happy feet equal happy children. A smile will often dictate whether you see impenetrable barriers that stop your progress or see challenges to embrace, overcome and learn from. Your brain also releases feel-good neurotransmitters, including dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. These brain chemicals aid in calming your nervous system by lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
We advocate “Keep Exploring”; so, we live by this… continuously exploring and discovering more and more of children's and parents’ current needs. We want to give parents the whole package; shoes that last, shoes that give their child’s feet the best chance, shoes that fit into their everyday hectic lifestyle, shoes for every occasion, and ultimately shoes their child will WANT to wear. This is why we research every spectrum from biomechanics, to family life, to fashion trends, to fitting and wear testing on kids..