Skidders shoes for kids are truly amazing! The collection can be viewed at http://www.SKIDDERS.com
After speaking to Michael Matalon, president of Skidders Footwear, it?s easy to understand his excitement about Skidders. Matalon is enthusiastic and articulate when telling the story of Skidders? inception and steady growth. ?We started in 2008 with the introduction of a soft shoe that has a non-skid rubber outsole to provide enhanced traction and protection for walking toddlers? an item that has finally become recognized.? says Matalon. ?The kids (and their parents) really fell in love with Skidders. They?re soft and flexible, which make them comfortable and easy for kids to put on themselves. That helps kids to develop confidence when they can start to dress themselves!? Skidders are also machine washable, soft yet durable enough to wear outside at the park or playground. The perfect balance of strength and softness is met in the shoes? fabric?a carefully researched blend of cotton, acrylic and polyester fibers.
Says Matalon, ?From the beginning we didn?t want to be a one-product company but first we had to build the brand and figure out how to distribute this new Skidders shoe. We started by signing licenses with Nickelodeon and HIT to promote Skidders with major character brands. Then we launched the Major League Baseball collection of Skidders to target sport retailers. We recently signed a contract with ?C.L.C.?, the Collegiate Licensing Corporation, which enables us to use the university logos on our products. We?ve been approached by several other major licensors and we have many more agreements in the works."
?We?re constantly developing new products. From the beginning we were always looking to develop new products to complement our unique Skidders Shoe.? The next major product launch was the original Skidders Sock. ?Unlike other brands that print simple dots on the bottom of the socks and promote a false non-skid benefit, the original Skidders Sock uses a 2-step process of fusing the entire bottom with gripper material and then detailing it with a unique grip design. Skidders Sock is a real gripper sock! It promotes traction and safety for toddlers who are walking and running on wood and tile floors.? Another new product Matalon is especially excited about is called ?Crystal Grip Shoes?. The outsole of the shoe is translucent, making it more durable and ?grip-like? than standard grips. The material also has a fashionable look which coordinates with attractive silver packaging. Skidders has become quite an expert in creating innovative packaging designs that combine functionality with strong eye appeal. ?We want our packages to tell a story, from front to back,? says Matalon. ?People can touch the products and the packages tell a complete story.? They also create a nice retail appearance that lends itself to a complete coordinated retail environment.
One area that had previously been neglected by the Skidders brand was the pre-walk market. Skidders decided to research this market and design products that would help crawling babies to move forward. ?Everything we do in our company is to help kids move forward,? says Michael Matalon. Skidders now offers a complete line of Gripper Knee Pads to insure safety for crawling babies. ?Just like all of our products, they have a real reason for being? the Gripper Knee Pads let babies become more confident and independent, propelling them forward with safety and comfort.? For girls, there is a newly introduced collection of Gripper Tights, allowing girls to play safely indoors when not wearing shoes. The Gripper Tights collection is designed and packaged with up-to-the minute trendy styling. Skidders has even expanded into the women?s market. They now offer a fun line of Gripper Socks for woman, especially mothers who are running around and chasing after kids. ?Again, instead of plain dots on the bottom of the sock that don?t truly provide traction, we?ve enhanced the Skidders Women?s Gripper Socks with fresh styling and our unique gripper bottoms.? says Matalon. ? We?re also getting into other areas such as hospital gift shops, travel, home and spa retailers, even the maternity market. We currently have 4 or 5 new product lines due out later this year.?
Skidders passion for innovation and comfort is definitely being appreciated. Skidders footwear products are now sold in several major chain stores, as well as in over 1,000 specialty stores throughout the Unites States. One key way the company stays informed about their product is by communicating directly with the customers, through their website ( http://www.SKIDDERS.com ), an infomercial that is featured on their website and on YouTube, and especially through Facebook with over 18,000 fans. ? It?s such great feedback!? says Matalon with obvious enthusiasm. ?Every day people comment?it?s getting the real feedback, directly communicating with the customer. We get lots of comments each day and it is tremendously helpful, like having a focus group providing feedback every day.
We like to think first of the consumer when we develop our products, then we market the product properly with superior quality, compelling packaging and sharp price points. If we get it right, the buyer will appreciate the benefits and place orders. So far it?s been a winning formula, so keep a lookout for more Skidders!
view the entire collection at http://www.SKIDDERS.com
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