PRODUCT OVERVIEW
A Brand Story
BabySteps is a brand of shoes for babies and kids ranging from 10 months to 10 years in age and is primarily focused on the basics and a classic style attitude.
Mission
BabySteps’ mission: To provide comfortable and easy to wear shoes that are reasonably priced yet quality in make.
All BabySteps shoes and sandals are assembled by hand and made locally in Marikina, Philippines. The brand also uses only quality genuine leather that ensures softness on the feet of kids and fitted with non-skid rubber material for the sole to ensure safety for run and play.
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Vision
Our vision is to see BabySteps accompany kids throughout their childhood journey as grow from infant to toddler onward.
Problem Space
- In 2015, toddler shoes that were of quality were expensive for the amount of time a toddler would use them.
- For toddlers with chubby feet, it was hard to find shoes that wouldn't leave marks, resulting in the need to buy the expensive brands.
- Locally made shoes would have been a good preference but again, quality options were few.
Key Objectives
- To develop a shoe line for infants and toddlers.
- To source quality materials to ensure quality and comfort while keeping in mind the style and brand direction.
- To keep in mind that the shoes must solve the "chubby feet" problem.
- To sell at a reasonable price.
User Research
PAIN POINTS
1
- shoe sizes for kids in the Philippines are narrower than US sizes, specifically toddler sizes.
- this results in blistered feet or tight shoes that leave marks and are uncomfortable to wear
2
- styles are limited and sometimes come in colors that are not appealing.
- characters are printed on the shoes
3
- price points are not always reasonable, especially for leather shoes.
- because toddlers feet grow at a fast pace, it would be unreasonable at times for parents to keep buying expensive shoes
4
- safety is also a concern (related to pain point 3), parents tend to buy shoes that are too big for the child "so they could wear their shoes for a longer period of time".
User Research
USER PERSONAS
FRUSTRATIONS
The MOM
"Keep the promises you make to your children. Show them the importance of giving them your word."
GOALS
- matchy colors
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- kids to look neat, clean and preppy-ish
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- dedicated to raising her kids and giving them the best in life
- kids are 2 years apart in age, they can't wear "hand me-downs" which means buying 2 of everything.
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- likes the preppy look but only expensive brands have the shoes that fit her style.
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- "style is nothing without comfort"
Age: 32 years old
Education: College Grad
Hometown: Metro Manila, Ph
Family: Mom of 2 toddlers (girl & boy)
Occupation: Full time mom
BRIEF STORY
Katy is a full time mom who likes dressing her kids in matching clothes or color schemes because she loves dressing up and finds joy in doing the same to her kids. Having 2 kids similar in age means buying 2 of everything which adds up when it comes to budgeting. Her style is also very distinct and this is reflected on her kids. But she has ideals and is happy that her kids still comply.
FRUSTRATIONS
The TODDLER ( 2 - 4yrs old)
"Anything that makes me feels discomfort is a N-O"
GOALS
- to walk and play comfortably
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- "to listen to what mom/dad says with the hope that they'll listen to me too"
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- to keep my feet from getting dirty
- painful shoes that mark or give blisters
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- smelly feet from synthetic material
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- shoes that don't fit perfectly
Age: 3 years old
Education: Pre-school
Hometown: Metro Manila, Ph
Family: Eldest among 2 kids
BRIEF STORY
Tom is a typical 3 year old who would not wear shoes if given a choice. He finds sneakers hot and he doesn't like shoes that make his feet painful if worn too long. Dressing up for socials can be frustrating because mom makes him wear "formal" shoes but he's the type of kid that runs around and is playful.
Product Research & Development
PROTOTYPING
The research and development phase of the actual products took around 4 months. I was lucky to have access to resources such as the leather which was imported from other countries and the other materials that make up the shoes and sandals. I also worked with an amazing team who patiently adjusted the prototypes until we got the product design and structure -- the FIT right.
Apart from studying the users (toddlers) feet as the basis for the shoe lasts (the wooden molds in photo above), there were other issues that came up, especially with the sandals prototype. Some of these issues were:
- the foot would slip out of the front strap
- ankle straps were too tight even with the velcro strap
- we also had to find the right cushion for the instep and the right rubber for the sole.
- for the leather loafers, we adjusted the width but this also had to be tested to make sure the shoe wouldn't fall off while the kids are walking or moving around.
(This is to name a few, but there were other issues we had to deal with even when we were already selling.)
The whole process was tedious and challenging at times but the R&D process was a success.
To get an idea of how the sandals are made, check the video above.
Branding
For the logo and tag design, I asked the
help of R & Co Designs. I sent pegs and a mood board to give them an idea of the direction of the brand.
The Gallery
To view more photos, click
Solution & Summary
Through research, constant development of the BabySteps products, we were able to achieve the brand objectives. Not only were were able to address the problem which was to provide shoes to our customers that:
- perfect fit for toddler's wide or "chubby feet"
- were priced within market standards but also able to stay on a more reasonable scale due to locally sourced materials and manufacturing.
- delivery quality products
BabySteps as brand also achieved the internal needs of our customers which was:
- delivering style through footwear which was a big advantage in getting the mommies / daddies interested
- most importantly, bring comfort and safety to the kids wearing the shoes. The leather got softer through wear and it was great to hear how kids loved the product
- Longevity because of quality of the product also made it more economically friendly for parents who would choose to pass down the shoes to the next child.
- being online allowed more flexibility and we were able to deliver outside Metro Manila and to the provinces which, with a physical store would have limited our customer-base.
- we also provided reassurance, feeling of security and convenience to the parents because they knew they could get the shoes within an expected timeframe (some even within the day if they were willing to pay the delivery fee for same-day-delivery).
THE ONLINE EXPERIENCE FROM THE BUSINESS-SIDE PERSPECTIVE:
As a purely online shop, we encountered a few challenges, one of them was how parent's would be able to get the right size. Because the goal was to provide reasonably priced shoes, the goal was also to keep delivery costs low.
A solution to this was to provide good and efficient customer service. This meant that there was always someone replying to our customers' questions. Instagram was our main platform where engagement was through direct message and we provided on our website (no longer available) a guide to walk customers through the process of measuring the child's foot to get the exact size. We proudly succeeded for the most part and delivered the right sizes.
Overall, BabySteps solved a need and we were able to bring style and comfort to kids' feet. We accompanied kids and saw them grow through and with our sandals and loafers. That was amazing to witness.
*BabySteps is no longer operational to date.
About the Founder
Gin started BabySteps in 2015 after taking a break from Interior Design. Her inspiration to come up with kids shoes was her daughter’s then chubby feet and the need for comfortable shoes that didn’t leave marks and that were also reasonably priced. With that goal in mind, Gin came up with this shoe brand which currently catered to parents looking for comfort and style for their kids, especially for those kids with wide feet.
