Young Soles, the much-loved British children’s footwear brand is celebrating 10 years of cutting-edge shoe design, which coincides with the launch of their AW24 collection. The new season collection includes shoes, boots and sneakers built for fun, adventure and discovery, with an eco-friendly ethos behind every design.
The family run business, created by Louise Shill, is reflecting on 10 years in the industry, which has seen it pave the way when it comes to its signature designs and commitment to sustainability.
“When I launched the business back in 2014, my children often appeared in our photoshoots and we have seen them grow up with the brand,” says Louise, whose background has always been in footwear design and development during her career which spans 25 years. Shoes have been Louise’s passion from an early age, when she used to make paper shoes with her mum from a few sheets of paper and sticky tape.
“My original motivation was to create a footwear brand that I was happy for my children to wear. While there was a wealth of sensible school shoes, trainers and sparkles on the market, I wanted to be able to buy simple yet cool-looking shoes.
Our designs have always been true to our ethos of evoking childhood memories which continues to sit at the heart of everything we do. I want our customers to think ‘I had a pair just like that when I was growing up’. I have always been hugely influenced by British heritage brands like Grenson and Liberty, as well as retro styling which offers the perfect treasure trove of inspiration and could see there was a definite gap in the market for higher-end designs for children,” she explains.
Young Soles Magic.
Whilst many of Young Soles designs are traditional styles from Louise’s childhood, she likes to mix these up with contemporary styling usually found in adult styles and constructions, before adding that little sprinkle of Young Soles magic.
The collection still includes the original six styles which Young Soles launched with 10 years ago, with the full collection currently spanning over 30 styles. The Rosie T-bar shoes and Sidney brogues continue to be bestsellers. Along with their classic and seasonal styles, there are vegan options for their bestsellers, as well as a Back to School collection, and retro-cool sneakers.
Young Soles is the only UK children’s footwear brand which is produced in Europe. All the shoes are made from locally sourced natural leather, which is a by-product of food production, and many of the same leathers are used across the collection to avoid excess ordering and waste. The soles are from locally sourced manufacturers, using recycled materials where possible. Young Soles shoe boxes have always been made from recycled cardboard.
Innovate UK Grant
Young Soles recently received an Innovate UK grant which will enable it to launch some exciting initiatives next year. These will include new ways for customers to pay for purchases and be rewarded for community-focused and sustainable activities. The brand will also be launching a programme in 2025 that addresses how we can recycle and repurpose kids shoes. A worthy initiative bearing in mind that 76 million pairs of children’s shoes currently go to landfill each year in the UK alone.
Young Soles is available online at www.youngsoles.com and from selected retailers worldwide. Shoes are available from £58, with sizes starting from size 20 / UK 4 for infants right up to size 40 / UK 7.5. Parents can find the perfect shoe size for their child from the comfort of their home, using the helpful AI foot measuring device available on the Young Soles website.
Young Soles work with Skimlinks, via Awin: https://ui.awin.com/merchant-profile/99855
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