My biggest responsibility this week is to finish writing an article about baby shoes that highlights our particular baby shoe brand, Plateau Products. I have finished a rough draft of the article, but I think there is definitely a lot of room for improvement. I am asking any and all of you to respond to this article with your thoughts and comments. Please help me make this something better than it is!
This article is being written for possible publication in magazines or newsletters dealing directly with babies or baby products. It is taken for granted that the reader has at least some knowledge of the baby product market, such as the names of the popular brands of baby shoes. Keep that in mind as you review the article.
In Search of the Perfect Baby Shoe
The last 16 years have seen a surge in the sales of soft-sole leather baby shoes. Bobux, founded in New Zealand in 1991, claims to be the original soft sole baby shoe. Robeez, Shoo Shoos, Jack & Lily, and dozens of other brands have since entered the growing market with soft-sole baby shoes of their own. As soft-sole baby shoes have become extremely popular among moms, they have come to be defined by 3 key qualities: cuteness, convenience, and comfort. Moms love how cute the baby shoes are, how well the elastic keeps the shoes on their baby’s feet, and the fact that pediatricians strongly recommend them. It is these three qualities that practically all soft-sole baby shoes have in common.
In this article we will look at how three soft-sole baby shoe manufacterers stand up to a closer inspection of what is unique to them, and how they compare with one another. The three brands we will examine are Bobux, Robeez & Plateau. Bobux and Robeez are well-established in the baby shoe world, while Plateau is a relatively new player in the field. The goal is to find out who sells the perfect soft-sole baby shoe.
Bobux, the Original –
Bobux is truly the original producer of soft-sole baby shoes. Founded in 1991, their company existed long before Robeez (founded in 1994), Shoo Shoos (1995) and Plateau (2003). Although the vast majority of soft-sole baby shoes being sold today are extremely similar to one another in style, Bobux has managed to come up with a few unique ideas that help to set them apart.
On their website, Bobux stresses more than anything else the fact that their leather is eco-friendly. Unlike most leather tanning methods, they say they have developed a method of producing leather without the use of the chemical Chrome(VI). Their website states that their leather complies with British, German, European, and Japanese safety standards. This is all very good, but they don’t actually say what tanning process they do use, or even what kind of leather (cow, pig, sheep) their shoes are made of.
The other major difference between Bobux and most other brands is that the designs on their shoes face up towards the baby instead of out towards the admirer of the shoes. Almost without fail, soft-sole baby shoes are made with the pretty little designs facing away from the baby and towards the outside world. Bobux is helping to break that trend and give baby a chance to admire his own shoes.
Robeez, the Trend-setter –
If the main qualities you are looking for in a baby shoe are bright colors and interesting designs, then Robeez probably sells the shoes you need. However, before you run out and buy a pair of the most popular baby shoe on the market today, you should think about a couple of other factors involved.
First, Robeez baby shoes appear to be designed more for the adult than for a baby. The designs are not only facing outwards (upside down) for a baby, there are even a few designs (the dragonfly, or snail, perhaps) that a baby might find hard to recognize at all.
Second, unlike Bobux and (as you will soon see) Plateau, Robeez makes no claim that their leather is produced in a chemical-free process. Robeez does claim that their shoes have been tested and comply with British and European standards for safety, but the split-cowhide leather that Robeez appears to use (they don’t say exactly what leather they use) to make their shoes is notorious for producing tons of harmful chemical waste in the developing countries where the leather tanning typically takes place. So although Robeez baby shoes might make the grade in regards to how safe the shoes are for your baby, it seems they are contributing to a huge pollution problem that is taking place among tanneries throughout the developing world in countries such as India, Indonesia, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Plateau, the Unique –
Although they are newcomers to the world of soft-sole baby shoes, Plateau has managed to come up with a very unique baby shoe that separates them from the rest of the pack. You could say that Plateau’s baby shoes are more like a cross between an Ugg and a traditional soft-sole baby shoe than anything else. Ugg shoes are known for their beautifully tanned sheepskin and genuine wool lining. Plateau baby shoes are no different. No other baby shoe has anything like the wool lining of Plateau’s baby shoes, although for $7 extra Bobux sells a separate wool insole that can be placed within their baby shoes.
Plateau, like Bobux, claims that their leather is 100% free of any chemicals. They say they have developed a completely unique tanning process which eliminates the use of any chemicals and allows them to produce leather in a region where traditional tanneries have been forced to leave due to high rates of pollution. Plateau’s leather tanning process is guarded as a company secret, but involves the use of red tea, eggs, and lots of sunshine.
On top of the qualities mentioned above, Plateau baby shoes are all hand-sewn for quality assurance. The company also gives moms a choice by offering their designs facing either up or down depending on the buyer’s preference. At just $19.95 a pair, Plateau offers much more baby shoe for the buck. The only setback is that Plateau’s natural chemical-free leather does not allow for near the variation in colors that Robeez and Bobux are able to offer.
So who has designed the perfect baby shoe? Each baby shoe manufacterer has unique qualities that it can call its own, but one seems to stand out quite high above the others. When Robeez, Bobux, or other baby shoe makers can design a soft-sole baby shoe that combines chemical-free leather, natural wool lining, hand-craftsmanship, and cute designs, then I will recommend them along with Plateau baby shoes as the perfect baby shoe!
www.robeez.com
www.bobux.com
www.plateauproducts.com
