Sten's Stride Rite opened in August of 1971 in Washington, Pa.  It was started by Ron Sten after he apprenticed in juvenile specialty and orthopedic fitting in Cleveland, OH while finishing his degree at John Carroll University.

Sten's Stride Rite has a history of community affiliation working with Make a Wish, Project Bundle-Up, Pony Baseball, Interfaith Ministries and most recently - The Children's Home of Pittsburgh.

The business plan has always been to Service the customer (not Sell), Fit the child properly, and provide a fashionable assortment of Styling.  We all remember early childhood shoe buying experiences and Sten's is determined to create the best of memories for your child.

For over eighty-five years, The Stride Rite Corporation has been designing and engineering footwear specifically to meet the needs of growing children.  Stride Rite’s mission is to encourage kids and support parents by developing and marketing products that help children embrace life’s possibilities and adventures with confidence.

The Stride Rite Children’s Group, Inc., a division of The Stride Rite Corporation, markets the leading brand of premium children’s footwear in the United States.

3-Point Testing System

Stride Rite shoes aren’t like any other shoes you’ll buy.   They’re better.  With over 85 years of experience, we’ve learned a few things about our craft.

First and foremost, shoes must be tough enough to stand up to the rumble-tumble ways of active kids.  That’s why we put all Stride Rite shoes through rigorous testing, well before we even think about putting them on a child’s feet.

1. Fit – 5 stages of fit testing on kids to ensure a perfect fit.

2. Wear – Between 30 to 45 day kid testing to make sure our shoes wear better than you expect.

3. Lab – Rigorous lab tests make sure each new material and component we use meets Stride Rite standards.  We perform 30 to 40 tests per shoe.

The brand motto is “Life’s waiting.  Let’s go.”

Life’s waiting.  With trees to climb.  Dance floors to twirl on.  Bikes and balls.  One day our kids are clutching our hands.  The next day they’re off.  Stride Rite is the one company that’s been helping kids run, jump, leap, grow and playfully express themselves since 1919.  Let’s go.