DesignerShoes.com Teens Challenge the Size of Shoes

Business Wire, May 31, 2006

BOSTON -- DesignerShoes.com, the premiere provider for women's larger size fashion shoes, recently selected a strong, articulate and creative group of young women, ranging in age from 13 through 19, to join its Teen Advisory Board. The Board will help the DesignerShoes.com better serve the footwear fashion interests of these young women in high school and college, using their advice and perspective on fashion, lifestyle, and market outreach issues. The DesignerShoes.com Teen Advisory Board represents those young women, about 10% of all teens, who can't find their shoe sizes in regular shoe stores.

Most fashion brands that cater to teens do not make styles in the larger sizes needed by millions of America's teenage girls. By giving a face and urgent voice to this overlooked youth market, the Teen Advisory Board hopes to confront the false images and stereotypes about adolescent girls. "These kids come in all shapes and sizes," according to Barbara Thornton, DesignerShoes.com founder and president. "Young women are growing taller than their mothers. Participation in athletics makes their foot bones grow longer too. Millions of young women have to shop in the men's shoe department because the industry doesn't make fashion shoes above size 10 - until now."

The twenty board members represent diverse backgrounds from around the USA and from other countries around the world. They will help DesignerShoes.com select styles for the upcoming season, sharing their opinions and collecting the observations of their peers about brands and influences that dictate the trends for today's teens.

About DesignerShoes.com:

Founded in 1997, www.DesignerShoes.com is the premiere provider of fashion shoes "for women who leave a larger footprint". The Company specializes only in hard to find sizes: wide sizes 8 to 14, extra wide sizes 6 to 14, narrow sizes 9 to 13 and medium sizes 10.5 to 15. DesignerShoes.com offers over 45 top brand names including Anne Klein, Valentina, Naturalizer, Sofft and Via Spiga. It offers six "Collection" categories including Couture, Teen, Bridal, Comfort, Everyday Value and Fashion Fun. In addition to on-line ordering, DesignerShoes.com serves customers at its retail location at 125 Newbury Street in Boston's fashionable Back Bay. For more information call (617) 247-0202, or (888) 371-SHOE. Log on to shop at www.designershoes.com.