NEWS
superfit: discovering the world on healthy feet s
uperfit is one of the leading brands in the European children’s shoe market. The brand is part of the Austrian shoe manufacturer legero united, which also offers the women’s casual shoe brand legero and Think!, a brand which has focused on sustainable collections for women and men for 30 years and is a true pioneer in the area of sustainable shoes. superfit was founded in 1972 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. It was voted Children’s Footwear Brand of the Year 2022 by the UK’s Footwear Industry Awards. The brand’s mission is to enable children to explore the world on healthy feet. Romping in the grass, climbing trees, jumping into puddles, children conquer the world step by step. This makes perfectly fitting shoes all the more important – right from the first steps. Nothing should pinch or constrict so that children can discover the world on healthy feet. superfit has been one of the European market leaders in the children’s shoe sector for decades with a broad all-season collection of street shoes and slippers for boys and girls from about 6 months to 12 years of age. It has been incorporating the expertise of medical specialists and orthopaedic specialists into the development of its collections since it was founded in 1972. Approximately five million pairs of superfit shoes are produced each year and sold in over 40 countries around the world. Collections are launched twice a year, each with around 150 models in more than 500 colour variations. The shoes are developed on lasts created especially for children’s feet, which take account of the anatomy of the foot, thereby ensuring a perfect fit. Soft materials and special constructions avoid pressure points. Particularly supple, lightweight soles allow a natural rolling movement. Innovative
functions and strict, testing guidelines for harmful substances that go beyond market standards ensure the highest quality.
Besides a perfect fit, sustainability is one of the main criteria that drives the development of superfit’s collections. Alenka Klarica, CCO of legero united, explains: “For us, successful business means comprehensively fulfilling our social and ecological responsibility. In all our decisions and activities, we always consider the associated ecological and social impacts. We develop and produce collections that have as little impact on the environment as possible. For example, in addition to perfect fit and design, we also pay special attention to the durability and repairability of our shoes. Our goal is to minimise the consumption of materials, water and energy at all our sites; to promote the use of renewable energy; to consistently separate waste and recycle it whenever possible; and to keep emissions to air, water and soil as low as possible. Together with our suppliers and partners, we want to reduce the environmental impact along our entire value chain. Our goal is to be CO2 neutral by 2030.” In 2013, the company launched VIOS, its own development platform for sustainable shoe production for its superfit and legero brands. VIOS deals holistically and scientifically with sustainability. To this end, a specific standard was created with the VIOS Restricted Substance List. It sets significantly higher standards than regulatory requirements or quality seals. The company has also been involved in a number of important industry initiatives in the area of sustainability for many years. For its superfit collections, the company works primarily with leather suppliers who are certified by the Leather Working Group. When it comes to design, nothing is left to
Alenka Klarica, CCO, superfit 10 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
chance. From sole design to uppers to the smallest eyelets, every shoe is designed at the company’s headquarters in Graz. Because no two feet are the same: large, small, wide, narrow. That goes for adults as well as children. It takes expertise to develop the right shoes for delicate children’s feet. This know-how flows into the development of every model – from the design and the way they are made to the choice of materials. While the first six years are crucial for the development of the tendons and muscles in children’s feet, they continue to grow on average until the age of 16 and remain pliable and not completely developed until then. That’s why it’s important to look for shoes with a perfect, child- friendly fit for as long as possible. Children’s feet also grow quickly and in stages and have different proportions than adult feet. For these reasons, it’s critically important that children’s shoes should be developed on lasts based on the specific anatomy of their feet. The last represents a 3D
“Our goal is to minimise the consumption of materials, water and energy at all our sites; to promote the use of renewable energy; to consistently separate waste and recycle it whenever possible; and to keep emissions to air, water and soil as low as possible. ”
image of the foot and determines the size, width, fit, proportions and thus the design of the shoe, as well as the wearing comfort. The shoemakers at superfit know this better than most and the child- friendly last is one of their most important tools. The development of a last is a skill unto itself. At superfit, the lasts are digitised and can thus be perfectly compared, checked and adjusted. A lot of time is spent in fine tuning them until the production model fits perfectly: anatomically shaped and healthy for the child’s foot. Children’s shoes must not only look cool but, for the correct development of feet, they should fit perfectly and be particularly comfortable – without compromise. To ensure this, superfit adheres to the renowned WMS® width measurement system, producing shoes in the widths wide, medium and narrow. As a result, there is always a shoe to suit every child. Behind the WMS® system are many years of experience, countless collected and evaluated data and plenty of know-how. The result: with superfit shoes, children can discover the adventures of the world on healthy feet.
About superfit
superfit is a brand of legero united, a shoe manufacturer heaquartered in Graz, Austria. The family business, which has been in existence since 1872, has around 2,100 employees from 26 nations. It is growing dynamically and has an international presence with its production facilities and warehouses in Hungary, Romania and India as well as sales companies. For the brands superfit, legero and Think!, shoes for women, men and children are produced in timeless modern design with a perfect fit and sustainable standards and distributed in over 40 countries.
DOWNLOAD THE FOOTWEAR TODAY APP NOW SPONSORED BY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
