Children’s shoes might have a smaller surface area, but this season’s styles at Children’s Club, held at the Javits Center in New York City from March 1-3, featured design concepts just as strong as those behind adult shoes.
At many brands, the bestselling styles united comfort with eye-catching textures and embellishments. For Plae, a brand that specializes in sneakers with customizable Velcro straps, one of the most popular styles was the Camille; a mid-height boot with neon and sparkle accents. Sales manager Olivia Billingsley described the Camille as a fashion sneaker boot that transitions from the gym class to the classroom. For boys, decoration comes in camouflage: popular designs included an olive sneaker featuring a camo outsole, and a hightop sneaker, with a camo print upper.
Amy Buckner, designer for Amiana, found success by combining wild textures with practical silhouettes. The Fall ’15 line features materials typically saved for dresswear, like leather, belly snake and burnished metallics. Instead, Buckner used these materials to cover playground-friendly sneakers and ankle boots. One of the best-selling shoes was a high top sneaker in python with buckle straps.
Striking ornamentation can also be found at Joyfolie, with sparkle-covered booties and bows adorning mid-calf gladiators. Yosi Samra, the line known for its packable ballet flats, showcased flats with chunky glitter, a large faux snakeskin print and oversize pom-poms.
For brands that mainly market toward adults, children’s styles follow already established trends. Steve Madden sold well in trendy pieces like fringe boots and quilted slip-on sneakers that have recently been popular in its women’s lines. Another favorite for the Fall ’15 season were combat boots with fur linings, a style that has been popular for women in past seasons.
In the activewear category, Geox’s new Amphibiox technology that debuted in adult styles, is being introduced in children’s shoes. The technology includes a waterproof membrane that allows water vapor to escape through pores on the shoes’ soles.