stride rite Footwear Engineers Borrow Technology From the Toy Industry to Really Put a `Bounce-Tastic' Spring in Kids' Step.LEXINGTON, Mass. -- stride rite([R]), the leading premium children's footwear brand, is launching in stores November 15th a new athletic line for fall 2006. The SuperBall([R]) footwear line is the first ever to incorporate authentic SuperBall Zectron[TM] technology. Dubbed "the most amazing ball ever created by science," the Wham-O([R]) SuperBall([R]) bounced into America's consciousness in summer 1965. Barely bigger than a cherry, this product was the fortunate accident of California chemist Norman Stingley, who in his spare time was experimenting with the effects of pressure on synthetic rubber synthetic rubber: see rubber. . As Stingley learned (to the delight of children everywhere), when you compress rubber under 3,500 pounds of pressure, you get a supercharged su·per·charge tr.v. su·per·charged, su·per·charg·ing, su·per·charg·es 1. To increase the power of (an engine, for example), as by fitting with a supercharger. 2. ball with unprecedented resilience. And thus was born Zectron technology and the now famous, "SuperBall" by Wham-O. Within six months, the company sold 7 million of these wacky, high-bouncing balls. Today, over forty years later, the SuperBall remains a popular toy for kids around the world. So what could toy technology possibly teach us about shoes? A lot, as stride rite's footwear engineers happily discovered in their own lab. Turns out, the exact rubber that makes the SuperBall bounce so high gives kids the same "super" energy return upon heel impact. Don't worry. Kids won't be bouncing off walls or leaping tall buildings in a single bound. What they will have is a high-tech action shoe that really puts a spring in their step: stride rite SuperBall shoes! And it doesn't stop with the built-in SuperBall action. These shoes also feature highly responsive, multidirectional mul·ti·di·rec·tion·al adj. 1. Reaching out in several directions: a multidirectional campaign. 2. traction lugs on the sole to keep kids "on their feet" no matter how fast those feet are going. And speaking of speed, these shoes are built with a unique midsole mid·sole n. The middle layer of a sole, as of an athletic shoe, often designed to disperse weight or provide stability to the foot. that dramatically reduces weight and maximizes cushioning from heel to toe with each step (or leap!). The upper is constructed using "high-frequency" welding for lightweight durability. Finally, they are fashionable with three different styles: Lace, Hook & Loop and Z Strap so there is a fit for every foot. And with great color stories like silver/creamsicle for girls and royal/silver for boys, kids can have a SuperBall shoe to match every outfit. "Shoes with Bounce" feature 11 unique styles for girls and boys, each with the original Wham-O SuperBall logo. About The Stride Rite Corporation The Stride Rite Corporation (NYSE: SRR) is an American shoe manufacturer based in Lexington, Massachusetts. The company owns many popular brands of shoes including Keds, Saucony, Sperry Top-Sider, and Spot-Bilt. Children's Group, Inc. The Stride Rite Children's Group, Inc., a division of The Stride Rite Corporation, markets the leading brand of premium children's footwear in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . For over 85 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time company has designed and engineered footwear specifically to meet the needs of growing children. Stride Rite's mission is to encourage kids and support parents by developing and marketing products that help children embrace life's possibilities and adventures with confidence. The brand motto is "Life's Waiting. Let's Go Let's Go may refer to: Television
The Stride Rite Corporation, headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, also markets other footwear products for children and adults under well-known brand names, including Keds[R], Sperry Top-Sider[R], Tommy Hilfiger[R], Grasshoppers Grasshoppers may refer to one of the following:
About WHAM-O, Inc. Founded in 1948, WHAM-O is headquartered in Emeryville, California. WHAM-O's leading toy brands include classic toys such as: the Slip 'N Slide[R] water slide, Frisbee[R] flying discs, Hula Hoop[R] , and Super Ball[R]. WHAM-O's leading outdoor, water, surf and snow recreational brands include: the Original Frisbee Disc[R] flying disc for use in freestyle, ultimate and disc golf, the Hacky Sack[R] footbag foot·bag n. 1. A small round bag filled with plastic pellets or other material and used in games that require its being kept aloft with the feet. 2. Any of the games in which such a bag is used. , MOREY[R] Boogie[R] bodyboards, and BZ[R] PRO BOARDS[TM] bodyboards, CHURCHILL[R] swimfins, SNOW BOOGIE and SLEDZ[R] snow sleds and Riva Sports[R] snowboards. WHAM-O designs and manufactures a core of more than 70 products that appeal to all ages, which are carried by virtually every toy, sporting goods and mass retailer in the world. For more information, visit http://www.wham-o.com or call toll free 1-888-WHAM-O-50 (1-888-942-6650). |
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