Shop Vincent Kids Shoes!

This was the website for VincentShoeStore.us The content below is from the site's 2006 archived content. Unfortunately you can no longer purchase Vincent's shoe styles on this US site that was created to introduce the US to the delightful and stylish footwear.

The Vincent Shoe Store offered Swedish designed footwear and accessories for babies and children up to the age of 8, with an emphasis on fun and functional unisex shoes in quality leathers. Characterized by bold colors and sleek yet simple styling, Vincent offered high-end styles at a mid-range prices. The collections included slippers, wellies, snowboots, shoes for the beach, school, special occasions and everyday casual.

My wife loved Vincent shoes when our kids were young. She was really disappointed when this site disappeared. Recently I discovered that the domain for vincentshoestore.us was available, so I bought it with the goal of recreating some of its content from archived pages as an homage to these two brilliant Swedish designers Thomas Elbaum and Patrick Osterman and their shoe designs for the wee ones. While restoring the site, I came upon some information that might have influenced the closing, but I'll never know. A search for the store name yielded a first page Google result that included a story of an internet scam involving vincentsshoestore.us - a slightly different spelling. But having them both on the first page of Google could be a game changer, an existential burden. I remember reading about reputation management companies that offer to remove bad search results from Google for a fee. It's a super expensive proposition, but the best players actually do perform - the question is whether the cost is worth it. The search results have changed since my discovery and the scam story no longer holds rank, but I don't know if the site was under some kind of attack, or whether the previous owners paid for a search result removal, or whether what I found was extraneous. Anyway, on this site, my wife says the shoe designs were so fun and fashionable but also looked very sturdy and well made. She thought her sister would like them for her kids. Our kids are now grown and we're back in the states, but my wife still laments that other US parents will never get the chance to buy Vincent shoes here in the US.

 

Welcome

Thank you for visiting VincentShoeStore.us and checking out our fun and fashionable shoes for kids! Your complete satisfaction with Vincent Shoes and your web store shopping experience is very important to us.

To assist you, we below provide answers to frequently asked questions, including about exchanges & returns, shipping, shoe sizing & sizes, back orders, coupon codes, our privacy policy, and other useful information you might not even have thought about asking about!

If you have any further questions about your order or our service, please call our Customer Service department toll free at 1-877-816-2368. We will be happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Vincent Shoes

About Vincent Shoes LLC 

  Vincent - a big step for small feet™ line of kids’ shoes and children’s shoes are fun, fashionable and functional. Based in Raleigh, NC, Vincent Shoes is the exclusive distributor for North America of the Vincent shoe brand, which is 100% focused on kids’ shoes and children’s shoes, including kids sneakers, kids dress shoes, kids dress-up shoes, prewalkers, kids indoor shoes, baby booties, kids leather boots, kids rain boots, kids snow boots, kids rubber boots, kids slippers, kids high tops and kids sandals.

about vincent

Vincent Elbaum. Born February 22, 1998, in Stockholm, Sweden. He’s the very reason you are visiting this site as he is the inspiration for the Vincent brand of kids’ shoes. Not bad for a kid his age, we think. How did all this come about, you may wonder?

When Vincent was born, Vincent’s uncle Thomas and partner Patrick went to buy a baby gift for him. They thought shoes would be a good gift – something fun, a little functional, too. These two Swedes, who have been in various areas of the fashion world, Patrick at H&M and Thomas as an international model, couldn’t find anything to suit their tastes. Soon, they were designing a collection of kids’ shoes.

It became even more of a family affair as Vincent’s parents joined as managers of this budding business. Just over a year after Vincent’s birth, a store in Stockholm opened, in August 1999, called Vincent Shoe Store, exclusively selling the full range of their children’s shoe designs – all of them fashionably styled and done in high quality materials and construction.

Baby Vincent certainly received a gift that keeps on giving. There have been a Spring/Summer and a Fall/Winter collection every year since the debut. Patrick and Thomas derive their inspiration from global trends and the runway fashions of Paris, Milan, London and New York, though the shoes are 100 percent focused on kids.

Fall/winter and spring/summer collections both range from soft pre-walkers and comfortable indoor shoes to day and dress shoes as well as boots for girls and boys up to about age 8.

meet patrick & thomas

Swedish designers Patrick Österman and Thomas Elbaum are the creative forces behind the Vincent™ shoe brand. The birth of Thomas' nephew, Vincent, in 1998 and their subsequent disappointment with a lack of high quality, stylish children's shoes, sparked their desire and initiative to design a fun, fashionable and functional shoe brand.

Patrick and Thomas derive their inspiration for Vincent kids shoes from global fashion trends and what's seen on the runways of Paris, Milan, London and New York, though the result of their efforts is Vincent shoes 100 percent focused on kids.

Prior to the start of the Vincent brand in 1999, Patrick spent 15 years with H&M as a store decorator, staff training coordinator and apparel purchaser working throughout Germany, Holland, Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.

In the early 1980's, Thomas lived abroad in France, Spain and Greece working as a model. He returned to his native Sweden, where he worked at a pre-school. The experience of working with kids provided him first-hand insight into the needs and wants of his future target market. Thomas later worked in interior design and was also a successful Stockholm restaurateur before the Vincent opportunity beckoned.

Patrick and Thomas always had an inherent interest and passion for design, but it was the launch of Vincent that afforded them the prime opportunity to develop and design a completely new, exciting brand that's all about the kids.

Exchanges & Returns Vincent Shoes is committed to your highest satisfaction and if your Vincent purchase for any reason, including sizing, does not meet your expectations, we will be happy to exchange the item(s) or accept your return.

Please note that for your exchange/return to be accepted and credited, you will first need to obtain a Return Authorization (RMA#) from us buy calling our Customer Service toll-free at 1-877-816-2368. Our Customer Service representative will also explain the procedure for how and where to send your item(s) back.

 

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More Background on VincentShoeStore.us

VincentShoeStore.us was once a well-regarded website specializing in children’s footwear, particularly Swedish-designed shoes aimed at babies and young children. The site, no longer operational for retail purchases, left a legacy rooted in both stylish and functional children's footwear. Designed by two creative Swedish designers, Thomas Elbaum and Patrick Osterman, the store had a unique approach to children's shoes, blending high-quality materials, bold colors, and sleek designs with a focus on durability and practicality.

Background and History

The story behind Vincent Shoe Store begins with its founders' personal connection to their nephew, Vincent, who inspired the brand. The footwear brand was launched after Elbaum and Osterman, both with backgrounds in fashion and design, found themselves dissatisfied with the children's shoe options available at the time. Combining their experiences in fashion and early childhood education, they crafted a line of shoes that catered to the needs of children up to the age of eight. This focus on both form and function helped the brand stand out in a crowded market, and their first store in Stockholm, Sweden, opened in 1999.

Audience and Market Impact

The audience for VincentShoeStore.us primarily consisted of style-conscious parents looking for durable and fashionable footwear for their young children. The brand was especially known for targeting the North American market with its U.S.-based website. While Vincent's shoes were a hit for parents seeking a blend of style and function, their pricing, positioned in the mid-range market, made the brand accessible to many families.

Vincent shoes became synonymous with quality craftsmanship and child-friendly designs. Their collections ranged from pre-walkers and comfortable indoor shoes to dress shoes and snow boots, offering options for various seasons and occasions. As a result, Vincent's shoes resonated with parents who valued both the aesthetic appeal and the durability of the footwear.

Cultural Significance and Influence

Footwear often carries cultural significance beyond its utilitarian function. The Vincent Shoe Store brand embodies a broader shift in children's fashion, where shoes serve not only as protection but also as expressions of style and identity. The use of high-quality leathers, bold colors, and modern designs made Vincent shoes an attractive option for parents who wanted their children’s outfits to reflect a more fashion-forward approach. This move parallels other trends in the fashion world, where children's fashion lines increasingly mimic adult fashion with bold, runway-inspired designs.

Vincent’s shoes were designed with inspiration from global fashion trends and runway styles, particularly drawing influence from the vibrant fashion scenes in cities like Paris, Milan, and New York. Despite this high-fashion influence, the shoes were entirely child-focused, keeping in mind both functionality and style for young wearers.

Decline and Challenges

VincentShoeStore.us faced several challenges leading to its eventual closure. One major issue was the online reputation management crisis stemming from a similar domain involved in an internet scam. This incident had potential implications for the store’s brand and visibility on search engines, complicating its digital presence.

There is also speculation that the brand struggled to maintain its footing in the competitive children’s footwear market, despite its initial success. The disappearance of the website left loyal customers disappointed, particularly those who had come to rely on the brand for its combination of fashion and function. Interestingly, while the website itself has vanished, there remains a nostalgic appreciation among former customers, particularly parents who fondly remember the sturdy yet stylish shoes their children wore.

Press and Media Coverage

While direct media coverage for VincentShoeStore.us was limited, the brand was part of a growing trend in children's fashion that garnered attention in various fashion and lifestyle magazines. Reviews from users typically highlighted the brand’s unique blend of high-end design and practical utility. Customers praised the shoes for their durability, comfort, and vibrant designs. In a market where children’s shoes often prioritize one aspect over the other, Vincent found a way to satisfy both aesthetic appeal and functionality.

 

The legacy of VincentShoeStore.us is one of innovation in children's footwear, where design met the practical needs of young children. It filled a niche in the market by offering shoes that were not only visually appealing but also practical and durable. The brand’s Swedish origins and runway-inspired designs set it apart from many competitors in the children's shoe industry, making it a beloved choice for many parents.

Although the website is no longer functional, Vincent Shoe Store holds a special place in the memories of its customers. The story of VincentShoeStore.us highlights the delicate balance between digital reputation, market competition, and the challenge of maintaining an online brand in the fast-moving world of retail fashion. Its influence in merging high-quality children’s fashion with practicality continues to resonate, even after its doors have closed.