Brian Lin
Amanda Kuong
Kristi Johnson
Stephen LoCastro
St. John's University
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Richard’s Stride Rite Shoes specialize in the proper fit of children'shoes. These stores focus on fitting babies, toddlers, and older children. Their main focus is to properly fit children who may have problematic feet that are extra wide or narrow, or require custom orthotics. Richard’s Stride Rite Shoes' commitment to providing the best fitting shoes to children is furthering the growth and development of child health and well-being.
Richard’s Stride Rite Shoes is committed to providing the best fitting shoes to children. Children begin to walk anywhere from 8-18 months of age. Until the age of 18, a child’s feet are made up primarily of cartilage and have not yet fully developed. Children’s feet grow faster when they are at their younger stages in life. In a child’s first three years their feet can grow over 12 sizes. A parent should have a child’s feet fitted properly every 3-6 months. It is imperative for parents to have their child’s feet fitted due to the rapid growth and development of the child which, if handled improperly, can negatively impact their lives in adulthood.
The importance of a properly fitted children's shoe is owed to the growth and development of the foot. When children start to walk, most children are flat-footed, and tend to turn their feet inwards because muscle strength and ligament stiffness still needs to catch up to the development of the child’s feet. When a child starts to learn to walk, they also begin to learn important sensory information from the soles of their feet touching the ground. Proper fitting shoes help to develop stronger bones and strengthen children’s feet.
Children are also at greater risk for injury than adults if they do not have properly fitted shoes. Twisted ankles or sports injuries can be common, particularly if their shoes are not fitted correctly. If a child’s shoes are fitted too large or too small they can hinder the natural development of the feet. Children’s shoes that are fitted improperly can lead to a decrease in circulation, blisters, ingrown and toenails. Richard’s Shoes provides the best customer care when fitting children’s shoes, whether the child just needs a new pair of shoes or has pre-existing issues with their feet.
Richard’s Stride Rite Shoes was founded by Richard Carrier’s father, Richard Sr. in 1986. When the younger Richard inherited the business from his father he expanded the business to a second location.
What inspired Richard’s father to found the company was his daughter Janine. Janine was faced with foot trouble when she was younger. She had to wear orthotics growing up and fitting her with an orthotic was troublesome to most shoe retailers because they could not offer her different brands of shoes that she desired as a customer. When Richard opened the store he was able to provide a quality fit for all consumers with or without foot issues and was able to carry different brands to give the customer options to choose from.
Since Richard inherited and expanded the business to two locations, he saw what children's and parents' expectations were when looking to the style and fit of a shoe. He wanted to understand the need of both the parents and the child, and to give them a greater range of options to choose from. His stores carry many different brands such as Crocs, Hush Puppies, Kamik, Keds, Merrell, Saucony & Sperry Top-Sider, Keen, New Balance, Nike, Pediped, Reebok, Timberland, and UGG. He wanted to take into consideration what children are interested, whether it be superheroes, princesses, or something else, while still giving the parents the qualities of durability, flexibility, shock absorption, wash-ability, and general walk-ability. Most importantly, he wanted to focus on the proper fit of the shoe just like his father had originally planned.
Properly fitted shoes for children ensure that the child’s feet develop healthily and correctly. In terms of overall impact, the business has increased the quality of life for children in the communities throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. The business has set an example for other rival shoe companies about how a successful business operates to both makes a profit and make a difference.
Richard’s Stride Rite Shoes is a family owned business, dedicated to providing shoes for the young and needy. Since 1986, the store has provided proper fitting shoes for young children and those with special needs. The business has won awards such as “Best Shoe Store” by Bethpage Federal Credit Union and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Gold Medal Gymnastics Center.
Business is done through two brick and mortar stores as well as online platforms including Amazon and Ebay. The physical stores are located in Long Island, in the cities of Seldon and Sayville. Richard’s Stride Rite provides popular family favorite brands such as Nike, New Balance, Reebok, TImberland, UGG, and even Crocs.
Through these channels of distribution, Richard's Stride Rite turns a decent profit.By knowing just how important it is to have a child get the proper fitting shoes, Richard's Stride Right Shoes aids the growth and development of children's feet so that they will not have physical problems with their feet later in life. Not all feet are perfect, and no two feet are alike, so by properly fitting a shoe, the store ensures that children will have proper alignment of the feet, ankles, hips, and back.
Shoes can also be a representation of social status and give expression to one’s identity. By giving the child and parent different shoe options the business is teaching both children and parents to have more freedom in self- expression and confidence. If a child feels like the shoes that were provided to him or her have superhuman abilities it is giving the child a sense a of confidence. Richard’s Stride Rite Shoes can give children confidence in not only their walking ability but also their sense of style and expression of oneself.
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Richard's Stride Rite Shoes is a family owned and operated shoe retailer. Established in 1986, the business has two locations, one in Sayville and one in Selden in Long Island. Stride Rite is a full-service store where certified fit specialists are trained to ensure that children get the most comfortable and proper fitting shoes. These stores specialize in fitting children with special needs such as extra wide or extra narrow width feet, and orthotics of every kind. The certified fit specialist can provide the best customer care when fitting children’s shoes, whether the child just needs a new pair of shoes or has physical ailments of the feet.
