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Around 10 years ago, when her son was six-months-old, Ali Henry really didn’t want to return to the hustle and bustle of Sydney’s corporate scene. She and a girlfriend in a similar position, put their heads together and came up with an idea for little feet, called Beautiful Soles. “At the time there were no soft-soled shoes available,” she said. The pair sourced materials and a manufacturer in China and ordered their first batch of soft-soled leather shoes. “We didn’t even get a sample batch – it could have been terrible!” Ali said.
However it wasn’t terrible, in fact it was quite the opposite. The two sold the shoes at markets and used that money to set up a website. They attended retail baby shows for a number of years, building the brand and online sales. Moving back to her childhood home of Nowra when her son was two, Ali continued to build and grow the business as a sole trader. “I was single and had a business and my son, it was perfect,” she said. “I could work from home.”
In that time the business grew and expanded into a new product range, exclusively designed by Beautiful Soles. Inbetweenies are shoes with soles that are not quite soft and not quite hard with two rubber grips. She also began stocking proper children’s shoes for kids up to the age of five. “There was a real gap in the market,” she said. “It is hard to find kids shoes in Nowra.”
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Beautiful Soles also got some air time when Pink toured Australia a few years ago. “The Today Show gave a pair of Beautiful Soles Aussie shoes and a pair of leggings to Pink for her young daughter,” Ali said. “I saw it and I was just screaming at the TV,” she laughed.
Two years ago Beautiful Soles joined the Kinghorne Traders family, marking the first time the shop had ever had a storefront. These days, as a co-lessor of the building Ali said she was almost more passionate about the store’s concept than her own business.
“The fact that it’s not just me, it’s eight others and if the shop is successful, that’s eight other people who benefit,” she said. “Nowra is really changing and will support local businesses, people really want the CBD to thrive. I’d like to make sure Kinghorne Traders and Beautiful Soles both stay financially viable to ensure we keep great products in Nowra CBD.”
Why bare feet are best for bub
Bare feet are the ideal for little tootsies, but if you’ve got to cover them – soft-soled is the way to go.
“When children are learning to walk, bare feet are best to feel the ground. They can spread their toes and it helps develop gross motor skills. If they are wearing big, clunky hard shoes they can’t do that,” Ali explained. “Children’s feet are also very malleable, so wearing hard shoes can damage them.”
If bare feet are not practical, the next best thing she said were shoes made from natural fabrics, like leather which are breathable and reduce odour. Her inbetweenies shoes offer more protection for busy feet that don’t need hard shoes yet. “Children shouldn’t be in proper shoes until they are established walkers. That means all ups and no downs.”