This joint project came about following a hiking trip undertaken by the Bahr family. “Over the years we have tried out a great many children’s shoes, but we were never 100 percent convinced by any of them”, the paediatrician relates. “During family hiking trips we tested and monitored our hiking boots and then drafted a statement of requirements.”
This was the origin of the idea of developing a children’s shoe that appealed to both children and parents, and it resulted in Dr. Bahr contacting LOWA.
These requirements were exacting:
- the upper needed to be high enough to ensure ankle protection and at the same time feature a robust sole to minimise the risk of sprains, which are one of the most frequent causes of injury to children when hiking.
- Furthermore, the shoe needed to ensure flexible heel-to-toe rolling motion and provide soft cushioning, in order not to influence growth of the foot.
On this basis Dr. Bahr commenced development work with LOWA. The objective was always clearly defined: a children’s shoe that aids the natural growth of a child’s foot from a medical perspective and communicates to children that exercise is fun.