Reliance Footprint, part of Reliance Retail, launched a children’s footwear range built around Spiderman and WWE characters, covering everything from flip-flops to sandals and shoes.
The two collections
Spiderman
The Spiderman range splits in two. The first, Spider Sense Spiderman, features Spiderman exclusively. The second widens to related Marvel heroes that children identify with, including Hulk, Wolverine and Iron Man alongside Spider-Man.
This collection targets ages two to twelve.
WWE
The WWE range carries wrestling motifs and targets a slightly older group, ages four to fourteen.
The age split is deliberate and sensible. Superhero characters reach children earlier, while wrestling appeals to an older bracket, so running two licenses with overlapping but offset ranges covers a wider span than either would alone.
Packaging as part of the product
Packaging received particular attention, with printed polybags and branded Spiderman and WWE boxes.
That is not incidental in this category. Character footwear is bought as much for the child’s reaction as for the shoe, and a substantial share of sales are gifts, where the box is part of what is being given.
The commercial reasoning
Gopalakrishnan Sankar, Chief Executive of Reliance Footprint, framed it in terms of both self-expression and gifting:
We are confident that children will love the beautiful footwear, as it would help them express their unique personality in a stylish and modern way. Further, this new range of footwear not only addresses a child’s desire to fashion his fantasies, but also fulfills the requirements of a large gifting segment this festive season.
The range was released in a wide spread of bright and dark colors, and priced with the recession in mind.
Why character footwear works
The appeal is straightforward. Children attach strongly to specific characters, and wearing one is a way of declaring that attachment daily. The shoe becomes a statement of identity rather than just footwear, which is why licensed ranges consistently outsell equivalent unlicensed ones in this age group.
Frequently asked questions
What age ranges did the collections cover?
Spiderman covered ages two to twelve. WWE covered ages four to fourteen.
Which Marvel characters featured?
Spider-Man throughout, with Hulk, Wolverine and Iron Man in the wider Marvel collection.
This report dates from 2009.
