Behind the Scenes of Buying Children’s Shoes for Autumn Winter 2026
Owning Pitter Patter Kids Children’s Shoe Shop means constantly thinking ahead. While customers see carefully chosen children’s shoes on our shelves today, much of the work happens years before those shoes ever reach the shop floor.
One of the most important parts of running an independent children’s shoe shop is buying future collections. Recently, we visited the Froddo, Primigi and Lelli Kelly showrooms to select styles for Autumn Winter 2026. Buying that far in advance always feels a little surreal, but it’s also one of the most exciting and demanding parts of the job.
Choosing Children’s Shoes Two Years in Advance
This is where creativity meets responsibility. We love seeing upcoming collections, feeling the materials, assessing quality, and spotting early trends in children’s footwear. It’s inspiring to imagine little feet wearing these shoes in the years ahead.
At the same time, it’s intense. Buying appointments involve around four hours of continuous focus and decision making. Every style, colour and size has to be carefully considered. There’s no casual browsing when you’re selecting stock that will define a future season.
How We Decide What to Stock at Pitter Patter Kids
Every choice we make has a purpose. Styles must support growing feet properly and suit real everyday life, not just look good on a sample shelf. Colours need to be appealing while still practical for parents. Size ranges must be built thoughtfully so our key sizes are always available, without over-ordering or repeating styles we have already committed to elsewhere.
Alongside all of this, we are constantly trying to predict the future. Children’s growth patterns, changing fashion trends, customer needs, and buying habits all play a role. Buying children’s shoes is part experience, part instinct, and part educated guesswork.
Independent Children’s Shoe Retail Done Properly
Throughout the buying process, our values stay front and centre. At Pitter Patter Kids, we focus on supportive, well-fitted and beautifully made children’s shoes that parents can trust and children love to wear. Whether we are selecting Froddo, Primigi or Lelli Kelly, quality and fit always come first.
By the end of the day, the mental load is real. Notes everywhere, decisions revisited, brains completely full. Yet it’s also deeply satisfying. This is the part of the job we love, even when it’s hard work.
Why the Details Matter
Independent retail is thoughtful, hands-on and deeply considered. When you walk into our shop and the selection feels easy and intuitive, it’s because of hours of planning, experience and care behind the scenes.
When Autumn Winter 2026 finally arrives, we’ll remember this buying trip. Every discussion, every colour choice, every size decision. Each pair of shoes will have earned its place on our shelves.