The Stride Rite Corporation
The Stride Rite Corporation is a U.S. privately held children's footwear company, founded 1919, that designs and sells stage-based shoes (crawlers through big kids) via owned retail, e-commerce, Target, and a multi-brand marketplace featuring proprietary APMA-approved technologies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersWaltham, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Stride Rite Corporation does
The Stride Rite Corporation is a U.S.-based, privately held children's footwear company founded in 1919 and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company designs, markets, and sells shoes for children from crawlers through big kids (sizes 1–7), organized around proprietary stage-based technologies: Soft Motion for first walkers, SRtech sensory pods for independent walkers, Made2Play washable constructions for active children, Stride Rite 360 adjustable-fit value lines, and adaptive footwear via Project Fits Rite for children who need orthotic-compatible or extra-wide widths. Its product portfolio is anchored by anatomically correct True-to-Life Lasts and is independently validated by the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Approval on Soft Motion and SRtech lines.
The Stride Rite Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Stride Rite Corporation
- Legal name
- Stride Rite
- Website
- https://striderite.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Stride Rite Corporation is a U.S. privately held children's footwear company, founded 1919, that designs and sells stage-based shoes (crawlers through big kids) via owned retail, e-commerce, Target, and a multi-brand marketplace featuring proprietary APMA-approved technologies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Stride Rite Corporation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Footwear
- NAICS
- Shoe Retailers (4582)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s & Baby Footwear Retail (CRAAADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s & Baby Footwear (CRAAACAF), Youth & Kids Athletic Footwear & Apparel Retail (CRAMACAL)
Keywords
Where The Stride Rite Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waltham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Stride Rite Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: Primary revenue from selling children's footwear directly to consumers through e-commerce and retail channels. Products include shoes for various age groups from crawlers to big kids, across categories like sneakers, sandals, dress shoes, and boots.
- Loyalty Program: Little Loyals rewards program where customers earn points on purchases that can be redeemed for discounts. Points are earned at different rates based on tier level (5-7 points per $ spent).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard footwear pricing by product line |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards |
| Subscription | Monthly | Little Loyals Rewards Tiers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
The Stride Rite Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Stride Rite Corporation designs, markets, and retails children's footwear for every developmental stage from pre-walker crawlers through big kids (sizes 1-7). Products are organized into proprietary technology lines (Soft Motion, SRtech, Made2Play) and sub-brands (Stride Rite 360, Surprize by Stride Rite), plus adaptive (Project Fits Rite) and eco-friendly (Stride Forward) collections. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce at striderite.com, company-owned retail stores staffed with trained Fit Experts, and select wholesale through Target.
Product overview
Stride Rite is a children's footwear company founded in 1919 offering a comprehensive portfolio of shoes organized into distinct product lines: the core Stride Rite collection featuring expert-approved fit with advanced foot health technologies; Stride Rite 360 as a budget-friendly line with machine washable designs and removable insoles for wide widths; Soft Motion for babies taking first steps (sizes 3-6) with flexible, rounded soles; SRtech for toddlers (sizes 4-10) with patented sensory response technology pods; Made2Play as the machine washable collection for active kids; plus specialty collections including Light-Up shoes, Adaptive/Project Fits Rite footwear for orthotics, Eco-Friendly Stride Forward line, and the Ms. Rachel educational collaboration. The company also offers digital gift cards and the Little Loyals loyalty rewards program. Products span categories including sneakers, sandals, Mary Janes, ballet flats, dress shoes, and boots across sizes for crawlers through big kids.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Made2Play: Machine washable children's shoes collection
- SRtech
- Soft Motion
- Surprize by Stride Rite
- Little Loyals
- Stride Rite 360
Products and services
- Stride Rite Core Collection
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% machine washable Made2Play shoes
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Stride Rite Corporation
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Stride Rite Corporation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
The Stride Rite Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ms. RachelcoreCollaboration with popular children's educational content creator Ms. Rachel on an exclusive line of children's shoes. Products include Where Is Herbie sneakers, I'm So Happy sneakers, Hi Friends Mary Jane sneakers, and Light Up Bow Sandals. The partnership features educational messaging and designs inspired by children's learning.
- Merrell KidscoreMerrell Kids outdoor footwear brand distributed through Stride Rite's retail and e-commerce channels. Focus on boots and sneakers for outdoor family adventures with features like traction, anti-stink technology, and proper foot development benefits.
- Saucony KidscoreSaucony Kids athletic footwear brand available through Stride Rite. Shoes designed for running, jumping, and climbing with focus on breathability and durability for active kids.
- Kurt Geiger KidsminorKurt Geiger Kids fashion footwear brand carried by Stride Rite, offering stylish options for children.
- Sperry Top-SidercoreSperry Top-Sider children's footwear brand available at Stride Rite, including boat shoes and casual options for boys and dress occasions.
- Hush PuppiescoreHush Puppies children's footwear available through Stride Rite, known for comfort-focused dress and casual shoes.
- KedscoreKeds children's shoes available at Stride Rite, featuring classic canvas and leather sneaker styles.
- American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA)coreThird-party endorsement through APMA Seal of Approval awarded to Soft Motion and SRtech shoes. Independent verification of foot health benefits by committee of podiatrists.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Stride Rite Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pediped: Pediped is a direct competitor specializing in children's footwear across developmental stages (Originals, Flex, and Grip lines), with podiatrist endorsements — closely matching Stride Rite's pediatric specialization and APMA-style positioning.
- See Kai Run: See Kai Run is a direct peer offering stylish, flexible children's footwear with multiple width options and a developmental-stages approach that closely parallels Stride Rite's first-walker through big-kid segmentation.
- Bobux: Bobux is a direct competitor in premium children's footwear with a strong focus on natural foot development, soft-soled first-steppers, and APMA-recognized designs — directly comparable to Stride Rite's Soft Motion and SRtech lines.
- Tsukihoshi: Tsukihoshi is a pediatric-focused children's footwear brand emphasizing lightweight construction, flexible soles, and orthotic-friendly designs — directly competing with Stride Rite's developmental-stage technology lines.
Broad incumbents
- Nike (Nike Kids): Nike operates a broad Kids line that competes across athletic, casual, and lifestyle categories for older children, overlapping with Stride Rite's sneaker and athletic offerings while leveraging vastly larger marketing scale.
- New Balance (New Balance Kids): New Balance Kids competes in the same athletic and casual children's footwear space as Stride Rite, with broad distribution and multiple width options that overlap with Stride Rite's sizing philosophy.
- Adidas (Adidas Kids): Adidas Kids is a broad incumbent in children's athletic and lifestyle footwear, directly overlapping with Stride Rite's sneaker lines and bringing major-brand marketing and sports-marketing assets.
- Skechers (Skechers Kids): Skechers Kids competes in children's athletic and casual footwear with strong value-oriented pricing, overlapping with Stride Rite's Stride Rite 360 and Made2Play value lines.
Emerging players
- Robeez: Robeez is an emerging specialist in soft-soled baby and pre-walker footwear, directly overlapping with Stride Rite's Prewalker and Soft Motion lines for crawlers and first-steppers.
- Freshly Picked: Freshly Picked is a DTC-native children's moccasin and baby-footwear brand that competes for the same style-conscious millennial parent demographic as Stride Rite's premium first-stepper offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Stride Rite Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Stride Rite Corporation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Stride Rite Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Stride Rite Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Stride Rite Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Stride Rite Corporation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Stride Rite Corporation
What does The Stride Rite Corporation do?
The Stride Rite Corporation designs, markets, and retails children's footwear for every developmental stage from pre-walker crawlers through big kids (sizes 1-7). Products are organized into proprietary technology lines (Soft Motion, SRtech, Made2Play) and sub-brands (Stride Rite 360, Surprize by Stride Rite), plus adaptive (Project Fits Rite) and eco-friendly (Stride Forward) collections. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce at striderite.com, company-owned retail stores staffed with trained Fit Experts, and select wholesale through Target.
Is The Stride Rite Corporation a public or private company?
The Stride Rite Corporation is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Stride Rite Corporation founded?
The Stride Rite Corporation was founded in 1919. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Stride Rite Corporation based?
The Stride Rite Corporation is headquartered in Waltham, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Stride Rite Corporation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are loyalty Program.
Who are The Stride Rite Corporation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pediped, See Kai Run, Bobux and Tsukihoshi. Broad incumbents are Nike (Nike Kids), New Balance (New Balance Kids), Adidas (Adidas Kids) and Skechers (Skechers Kids). Emerging players are Robeez and Freshly Picked.
Does The Stride Rite Corporation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Stride Rite Corporation.
What industry is The Stride Rite Corporation in?
The Stride Rite Corporation's product category is Children's Footwear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAADAF, Children’s & Baby Footwear Retail, with a secondary code of CRAAACAF, Children’s & Baby Footwear. Its NAICS code is 4582 and its SIC code is 5661.