Children’s footwear brand Bobux recently turned 30 and is celebrating with a special birthday edit.
Head of marketing and brand, Amy McCondach, says the team is excited to reach this milestone.
“We are thrilled to turn 30 this year,” she enthuses.
“The hero of our party edit is the beloved Bobux bear, who adorned our first ever pair of shoes. Just like us, the bear has come a long way. Children who grew up with Bobux―who may now be parents themselves―will love sharing this iconic character with the next generation.”
Bobux was launched in 1991, when parents Chris and Colleen Bennett were looking for footwear to carry their baby daughter Chloe through a world of adventures. When they struggled to find a perfect product, Chris created his first pair of soft sole shoes and Bobux was born.
Fast forward three decades and the family owned brand that started from humble beginnings has taken the world by storm, but not without its challenges.
“The transition from retail stores to ecommerce as well as the digitisation and data driven by new business models have been quite the challenge,” says Chris.
“Covid has closed many of our retail outlets but the positive impact has seen our web sales grow dramatically over the last 12 months in all our markets. Ecommerce has come of age, rapidly accelerated by Covid lockdowns.
“We’ve also had to adapt to a world of rapidly accelerating change including evolving consumer preferences In terms of the environment and sustainability.”
Indeed, Bobux is committed to sustainable practices, with good working conditions in place for all workers and recyclable packaging for many of its products. The brand works only with ethical, professional manufacturing partners. It also recently signed up for B Corp accreditation.
“Our vision on sustainability is to tread lightly on the earth and every effort is taken to minimise and design into our business products and packaging solutions that minimise plastic and waste.”
With stores in 40 countries around the globe, Bobux has cemented its place in the hearts and wardrobes of families worldwide. It has grown over the last 30 years through a hybrid of sales channels, direct to retailers, global distributors and ecommerce, and focusing on the brand story to create products that its customers love and children love to wear.
So what can we expect over the next 30 years from this multi-award winning brand?
“Over the next 30 years children will still need shoes that are designed for their rapidly growing feet and foot health. We will constantly strive to create products that minimise an impact on the environment and we will explore new fabrics and materials as part of our ongoing drive for innovation,” adds Chris.
“The Seedling is a good example of a new generation shoe that is good for our planet, is totally biodegradable, recyclable and doesn’t use any metal or plastic parts. The future looks exciting.”
