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Travel and Leisure
www.travelandleisure.com
Secret NYC
The East Village
At the Little Stinkers Shoe Company... Brigitte buys Nissim's (5 years old) shoes and boots, Nissam can doodle on the chalkboard walls while Brigitte browses collections by Morgan and Milo, Pedoodles, and See Kai Run...
Refinery 29
www.refinery29.com
Feeling Stuffed
Little Stinkers stocks up on quirky play-things for all the little rugrats on your list. Pick up a cozy donut floor pillow ($145) or one of the irresistible stuffed critters by Donna Wilson. Rill the Fox is a real cutey.
SpreeNewYork
www.spreeny.com
By Lindsay Anvik March 2007
The Little Stinkers Shoe Company is the best children's shoe store around and you need to know about it. The name of the store implies Michelle Azagury-Rushe's (the owner) love of children's mischief and fun. When you enter the store your senses are overwhelmed with childhood nostalgia. The walls are chalkboard and have remnants of the little stinkers that have already visited. Her shelves are kid-height and kid-friendly, allowing the children to be able to see and pick out the shoes they like. In between the shoes are buckets full of fun socks and tights. You can also find old-fashioned silver buckets filled with toys for your little stinkers to play with, like whoopee cushions and wooden airplanes. The environment is fun and stimulating for children, and budget-friendly for parents. The Little Stinkers Shoe Company has a wide selection of shoes for girls and boys, ages 0-9 years old.
Michelle's extensive experience in retail has given her an eye for picking out the best looking shoes for children at the best price points. With two children of her own, Michelle knows how out of hand the cost of shoes for children can be, prides herself on offering the cutest shoes for the best prices. Her selection includes staple brands like Havianas, Minnetonka, Kangaroo and Kidorable. You will also find a variety of vendors that you won't find at other shoe stores. High quality but affordable vendors like Willits, Little Laundry and Saltwater line her shelves.
Right now is a great time to stop in for deals on summer sandals and water shoes. Be sure to stop by in August and September for back to school; her shelves will be stocked full of sneakers, fashion boots, rain boots, dress shoes and much more.
Earnshaw's Littlesteps
Everything in Moderation
Footwear retail and style
By Nicole Yee and Pauline Lee
Michelle Azagury Rushe's belief is simple: Children need comfortable shoes and parents shouldn't have to "pay through the nose" Keeping to her mantra, Rushe opened the Little StinkersShoe Company in April. The cozy, 300-square-foot store, located in New York's east Village, was designed to exude an "Old English" ambiance.
"My store resembles an old-fashioned school room", said Rushe, who noted that her logo mirrors the store's traditional theme. “It has white tile floors, industrial lights, simple shelving and cubbies.”
Rudhe, a Brit, notes that she “grew up in retail” with family-owned stores throughout London and her sister, Solange Azagury Partridge, is a noted jewelry designer. “I’m European and was brought up believing that shoes should fit well. I make sure that I sell shoes that fit children.”
After living in New york for almost five years, Rushe, a mother of two, found that her neighborhood needed a store that sold well-made shoes at reasonable prices. “People were just fed up with speding $100 on designer children’s shoes,” she commented. “There was just nothing in the middle.” Rushe’s store carries shoes for children 3 months to 10 years old from $19 to $80 for winter boots. “ You can leave my store with three pairs of great stylish shoes for $120, Rushe exclaims.
Currently, Little Stinkers carries Minnetonka, Salt-Water sandale, baby Zubas, Birkenstocks, Havaianas flip-flops and Kangaroos to name a few. For fall. Rushe plans to sell a selection of unique shoes such as “sneakers with a dinosaur crawling around it,” “ cowboy boot slippers,” as well as traditional brands like Ecco and Baby Vans.
In addition to shoes, Little Stinkers sells toys and accessories, including squishy toys, tights, colorful socks, Beanie Babies (a best seller), glass evil-eye necklaces and crystal earrings.
UrbanBaby Daily
www.urbanbaby.com
On a Shoestring
We’ve all been there: you buy the sweetest pair of hand-stitched, European shoes, only to find that practically before they even make it out of the box, your little darling has outgrown them. (On a cost per wear basis—well just don’t go there).
Luckily there is a new addition to the kiddie shoe shop scene and it is the charming and affordable Little Sinkers Shoe Company. Michelle Azagury Rushe—herself a mother of two—saw the need for functional yet fashionable shoes for ages 3 months to 10 years and has filled the niche nicely. Rushe—a Brit with a strong family retail background (her sister is a noted jeweler-to-the-stars, Solange Azagyry Partridge)—has always loved well-made, sensible shoes that don’t skimp on style.
Little Stinkers is not the place to find a pair of $100 Mary Janes, but rather a great spot to stock up on summer staples for kids. With a large selection of Havaianas (the standard flip flops plus harder-to-find sandals in every imaginable color), Birkenstocks, and Minnetonka Moccasins, there is something that will satisfy virtually every child’s tricky tastes. And soft Bobux booties and Dance Class ballet slippers are perfect for those first steps.
Parents can rest easy knowing that the majority of kicks for sale offer support, are low-maintenance and, best of all, won’t break the bank. Prices range from $18 (plastic sandals) to a high $75 (thick-soled slides), with the majority of brands falling in the $30-$40 range. Ms. Rushe will also fit your child herself, thereby insuring shoes that will last at least the summer (image it!), if not well into next fall.
So gear up for sprinkler season and get your tot three pairs of truly useful shoes for the price of just one sold at other boutiques. And indulge your show fix absolutely guilt-free.
