Jul 25, 2007

Couple’s shoe is made specially for toddler setBy Cassandra A. FortinBaltimoreSun.com

When Kim and Brian Gross picked up their 1-year-old daughter Riley from day care, she was often barefoot — even in the winter.

Because the child’s shoes were hard-soled, the day care workers took them off to let the youngster toddle more easily. It was only a matter of time before the socks came off, too.

Frustrated in their search to find shoes flexible enough for their young child to wear through the day, the Cockeysville couple decided to design their own. Now Rileyroos, as the shoes are called, are sold in stores in Maryland and beyond.

The quest to create the shoes started about two years ago, said Brian Gross, 37, who has spent the past decade working in marketing at companies such as Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble.

He made industry contacts, while his wife, 33, who worked in marketing at McCormick & Co., pursued contacts in the fashion world, he said.

Then they did research on what kind of shoes would be best for children, he said.

The result is a line of shoes, leather or suede, that include padded rubber soles that curl above the toes to add traction when a child begins crawling. The shoes, designed for children ages 6 to 24 months, are soft enough to be scrunched into a ball with only a little effort.

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