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I received a pair of Stride Rite Saucony Jazz sneakers. These sneakers are absolutely adorable. My daughter R is 2 years old and loves shoes. What girl doesn’t! The colors are very vibrant. The purple is a great shade and the pink is nice and bright. (Hard to tell from the picture.) These sneakers have a suede and nylon upper, and a rubber outsole to assist with providing traction.
The part that I loved is she can put these shoes on by herself. These sneakers have an alternative closure, which means that they have the appearance that they are tie ups but they are actually velcro which is great for little ones. R has chubby little feet so my only issue would be that the velcro isn’t that adjustable, but they do stay sealed well.
She will not let me take her new shoes off. I appreciate that Stride Rite shoes are great quality shoes.
Stride Rite recently launched their Big Hearts, Little Shoes campaign. They have teamed up with The Little Gym in efforts to support Soles4Souls, an international charity that collects shoes and distributes them to people in need around the globe. Here’s more information on that campaign.
Stride Rite, working in concert with The Little Gym, is anticipating a donation of tens of thousands of shoes to benefit Soles4Souls, the The initiative continues through the end of the month at Stride Rite stores (#stride4souls), through striderite.com and The Little Gym nationwide.
From Sept. 3 through Sept. 30, families can visit their local Stride Rite locations to donate outgrown or unwanted shoes in a designated Soles4Souls drop box. For every pair donated, families will receive 20 percent off towards a same-day purchase of new shoes. In addition, families will also receive a certificate for a free class at The Little Gym with every purchase of new Stride Rite shoes at participating stores situated near one of The Little Gym locations.
The Little Gym, the experiential learning and physical development center for children 4 months through 12 years old, created the “Big Hearts, Little Shoes” initiative to provide an interactive way for children to learn the value of charity and for parents and children to participate in a cause together. It is the first campaign for Soles4Souls focused on collecting children’s shoes, a major need for children living in poverty around the globe.
To find the nearest Stride Rite “Big Hearts, Little Shoes” donation location visit http://www.striderite.com/en/soles-4-souls/. Stride Rite’s website will also feature an animated video narrated by child actor Jonathan Morgan Heit (“Jake and the Never Land Pirates,” “Bedtime Stories”) that explains the campaign to children.
It is estimated that 400 million children globally live in extreme poverty (defined, as living on less than $1.25 per day). These children may not have access to adequate footwear and without shoes, many won’t be able to avoid disease or go to school. Since 2006, Soles4Souls has distributed 22 million pairs of shoes to those in need in 127 countries. More than half of our distributions occur in the United States.
“We are excited to partner on a mission so close to our hearts, providing shoes to kids. We see every day how a pair of shoes helps kids build confidence, take first steps or better enable them to play. For children who grow up barefoot, a donation of a single pair of shoes can change their world,” said Kiran Smith, VP of Marketing for Stride Rite. “The ‘Big Hearts, Little Shoes’ program provides a unique opportunity for kids to help other kids go to school or just go out and play safely.”
“Stride Rite and The Little Gym are perfect partners to grow the ‘Big Hearts, Little Shoes’ program. Kids instinctively understand the importance of shoes and how they can make a difference to people in need,” said Buddy Teaster, CEO of Soles4Souls. “It really is about helping young people, both the donors and the recipients, make the world a better place.”
“In its first two years, ‘Big Hearts, Little Shoes’ has proven to be a worthwhile opportunity to help parents introduce the value of philanthropy to their children,” said Ruk Adams, President & CEO, The Little Gym International. “We are excited to see the program expand to include shoe collection locations at Stride Rite stores, as we know first-hand how the smallest of deeds can make a big impact.”
What do you do with shoes your child has outgrown?
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Usually by the time shoes have made it through both of my girls they’re pretty beat up, but if they do have some life left we have been donating them – I’m going to check for a Stride Rite “Big Hearts, Little Shoes” donation location near us so that we can go there!
by the time mine are done with their shoes they have holes in them. But I love the idea of Stride Rite, my youngest just picked up walking last month/earlier this month and loves wearing his shoes but I don’t think they are as comfy as those.
I love the way the velcro opens but they look like they are laced.
Those would be very easy to put on a toddler.
If I don’t have a family member who could use them, I donate them.
Those are the cutest, tiniest shoes! I’ll look into donating my kids shoes there
Under the age of 5 I can usually consign them but my boys are pretty brutal after that and I don’t think anyone would want them.
I usually pass my kids shoes down to a friend.
If the shoes have any wear left in them, I donate shoes to the local thrift store that supports charities in our community like buying eye glasses for school children. I love the idea behind Stride Rite’s campaign. It’s definitely something I would love to support.
Soles 4 Souls is a cause I can go shopping for. I love the closure on these shoes. I just don’t have time to retie shoes every five seconds some days.
I remember my own’s first pair of real shoes–Buster Brown high tops 2EE–not sneakers. Times have changed.
I pass my daughters older shoes and clothes onto my niece who is a year younger.
We usually donate clothing and shoes that have been outgrown to a donation center like Salvation Army. I’ll have to see if there is a Soles4Souls donation center here.
My kids are older now, and their shoes are TRASHED by the time we buy new ones. What a great program, though!
I wish my kids weren’t so rough on their shoes. They wear them into the ground horribly it’s embarrassing sometimes.
Oooooh I love the way that velcro works. Clever! My kids DESTROY their shoes.
I’m planning on getting my daughter her first pair of shoes soon, I think these would be perfect!
I LOVE how that closure works! And wow, I need to find a location near me. I have at least 10 pairs of shoes I can donate!
Those are so adorable! I’ve always loved their line of shoes.
We save them for the next child. If we don’t have any more kids to wear them, we donate!
I have always donated everything my kids have outgrown. When it comes to my son sometimes the clothing has been barely worn as he is growing so fast.
I love the ease of velcro closure, but they look like ties. Those are super cute shoes!