Buying the perfect pair of children’s kicks online is no easy feat, however, it was an avenue iconic children’s shoe shop Ollie Ashenden had to explore to “get with the times”.
Danielle Elliott decided to open Ollie Ashenden’s online sister store — Little Treads — to offer busy working mums and regional customers an online alternative.
Danielle’s mother, Jan Elliott, now heads up Ollie Ashenden while Danielle has taken on managing Little Treads.
“While Ollie’s owner Jan Elliott has always been insistent that customers need to come in to have shoes properly fitted, (I) told her (we) needed to get with the times,” Danielle says.
“Before (we both) had the chance to set up their own online store, an opportunity came along to purchase Little Treads, an online store previously based out of Brisbane.
"If you want school shoes that come in 6 different widths then visit Ollie’s because that’s a bit tricky, but for easier fitting options like Saltwater and Birkenstock, check out Little Treads and their online fitting guides.”
They recommend sizing be based on foot length, which starts by tracing around the child’s flat feet on a piece of paper.
The distance from the heel to the longest toe can then be calculated, with the final number weighed up against various brands’ size charts to get the right fit.
Children's shoes should be at least 12 mm longer, but no more than 17 mm, than their feet to allow for a healthy amount of wriggle room for the little one's toes.
Little Treads offers a range of different brands, which includes Converse, Sketchers, Birkenstock and Plae.
It caters to the milestones in children’s lives, from first walkers to first school shoes and beyond.
“The Bobux shoe brand is really popular for little ones when they just start to walk, while Clarks is probably our most popular school shoe,” Danielle says.
“If you want school shoes that come in 6 different widths then visit Ollie’s because that’s a bit tricky, but for easier fitting options like Saltwater and Birkenstock check out Little Treads and their online fitting guides.”
Little Treads is the sister store of iconic children’s footwear shop, Ollie Ashenden, which had its beginnings 48 years ago.
The brand is now part of the Adelaide Economic Development Agency’s Digital Marketplace where consumers can buy from a range of city stores, in just one transaction.
Visit the Little Treads store here.
