Brown Shoe, Mattel Renew Long-standing License for Barbie™ Footwear
COMPANIES’ 20-YEAR PARTNERSHIP HAS PUT MORE THAN 40 MILLION PAIRS OF SHOES ON KIDS’ FEET
ST. LOUIS, June 19, 2007 – Buster Brown & Co, the children’s division of Brown Shoe Company, Inc. (NYSE: BWS, www.brownshoe.com), and Mattel have extended their long-term licensing relationship for Barbie™ character footwear.Each season since 1987, Brown Shoe has offered toddlers and young girls trend-right shoes reflective of Barbie style. Both Barbie® doll’s fashion sense and likeness are evident in today’s collections. The toddler line features Barbie™ character artwork, including images from popular Barbie™ made-for-DVD movies, while the “misses” line for older girls is designed with Barbie™ inspired icons and designs.
“Kids see character footwear as their brands. In order to stay in step with our young consumers, we must keep the shoes consistent with current trends, ensuring the Barbie brand is at the fashion forefront for girls of any age,” said Todd Murray, Brown Shoe’s Director-Children’s Brands and Licenses. “Girls will find new Barbie design elements and even more fashionable styles in the 2007 collections.”
The newest line of sandals, casuals, dress shoes and athletics are available at major retailers nationwide, ranging in sizes from 5 –10 for toddlers and 9 – 3 for girls/misses.
“Both Barbie, the No. 1 doll property in the world and Buster Brown, one of the world’s best-known children’s shoe brands, are names that parents trust and are recognized as industry leaders,” said Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Media and Entertainment, Worldwide, Mattel Brands. “We are proud to celebrate our long-standing world-class premier partnership of 20 years, and look forward to our continued success.”
Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. Mattel is recognized as one of the 100 Most Trustworthy U.S. Companies by Forbes Magazine and is ranked among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by CRO Magazine. Committed to ethical manufacturing practices, Mattel marks a 10-year milestone in 2007 for its ever-evolving Global Manufacturing Principles and focus on sustainable business practices. With global headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 30,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel's vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.
MATTEL, BARBIE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by Mattel, Inc. © 2007 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Brown Shoe is a $2.5 billion footwear company with global operations. Brown Shoe’s Retail division operates Famous Footwear, the 1,000-store chain that sells brand name shoes for the family; approximately 300 specialty retail stores in the U.S. and Canada under the Naturalizer, FX LaSalle, and Franco Sarto names; and Shoes.com, the Company's e-commerce subsidiary. Brown Shoe, through its Wholesale divisions, owns and markets leading footwear brands including Naturalizer, LifeStride, Via Spiga, Nickels Soft, Connie and Buster Brown; it also markets licensed brands including Franco Sarto, Dr. Scholl's, Etienne Aigner, and Carlos by Carlos Santana and Barbie, Disney and Nickelodeon character footwear for children. Brown Shoe press releases are available on the Company's website at http://www.brownshoe.com.