Stride Rite Little Kid/Big Kid Superball 13 Lace Sneaker

The SuperBall footwear line is the first ever to incorporate authentic SuperBall Zectron technology. Dubbed "the most amazing ball ever created by science," the Wham-O SuperBall bounced into America in 1965. Barely bigger than a cherry, this product was the fortunate accident of a California chemist.

To the delight of children everywhere, rubber compressed under 3,500 pounds of pressure results in a supercharged ball with unprecedented resilience.

So what could toy technology possible teach us about shoes? A lot, as Stride Rite's footwear engineers happily discovered. Turns out, the exact rubber that makes the SuperBall bounce so high, gives kids the same super energy return upon heel impact.

Don't worry. Kids won't be bouncing off walls or leaping tall buildings in a single bound. What they will have is a high-tech action shoe that really puts a spring in their step: Stride Rite SuperBall shoes.

And it doesn't stop with the built-in SuperBall action. These shoes also feature highly responsive, multidirectional traction lugs on the sole to keep kids "on their feet" no matter how fast those feet are going. And speaking of speed, these shoes are built with a unique midsole that dramatically reduces the weight and maximizes cushioning from heel to toe with each step. The upper is constructed of high-frequency welding for lightweight durability. Finally, they are fashionable with several different styles -- there's a fit for every foot.

From ages 1 to 10, kids' feet grow about 6 inches -- 1.5 times the size they are at birth! That is why Stride Rite suggests that you get your kids' feet sized every 2 to 3 months until they are 3 years old, and every 6 months after that.

Why is fit so important? The 26 bones in the human foot make up one quarter of all the bones in the body. It's no wonder many adult foot problems can be traced to shoes that didn't fit developing feet properly.

Just one bone in your foot, the heel, helps to balance your entire body. When children start walking, their feet hit the ground with even more force than an adult. That is why Stride Rite shoes are designed to cushion growing feet and absorb shock where they step.

Barefoot is best! Stride Rite baby shoes don't have arches because babies' feet don't have arches. A child's arches don't develop until later in childhood. That's why it's very important to check fit regularly and know if your child needs wide or extra wide shoes to ensure proper development.