Consumers' and educators' recognition of functionality in selecting shoes for children : -Comparison between Japan and Germany-.

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15500524
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General human life sciences
• Research Institution: Kinjo Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: KATASE Mayumi Kinjo Gakuin University, The College of Human Life and Environment, Associate professor, 生活環境学部, 助教授 (30269691)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HIRABAYASHI Yuka Kinjo Gakuin University, The College of Human Life and Environment, Professor, 生活環境学部, 教授 (70174688) ; WATANABE Sumiko Matsusaka Univ., The Department of Living Science, Professor, 生活科学科, 教授 (90071141)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Keywords: shoes / children / functionality / Germany / Japan / consideration

Research Abstract

Shoes are important tools to support man's upright positioning, and to bear walking. Especially shoes for children play an important role very much in helping the body and foot growth in child development, and securing an enough exercise. This research investigated consideration a selecting the shoes for children and recognition concerning the functionality. The research participants were consumers and educators in Japan and Germany. The investigation clarified many issues.
The survey in Japan investigated about 2,812 guardians (collection rate 70%) in nationwide (Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu) from 18 kindergartens and 5 nurseries. It appeared that the Japanese guardians has not recognized the importance of shoes and carelessly purchased their children's shoes. As a result, many of their children were given ill-fitting shoes and appealed trouble symptoms. Investing day nursery teachers showed the tendency to value the speed of the taking off putting on more than the functionality. Moreover, it was found by the marketing research that most shoe shops did not have professional shoe fitters and offered consumers a large amount of cheap shoes and shoes with character prints which catch children's eyes without enough professional advice.
The investigation in Germany included the marketing research and survey at elementary schools, kindergartens, and the day nurseries in three regions (Berlin, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, Freiburg, and Miinchen). Moreover, factory visits at Ricosta Co. and plastic operation shoes atelier Turk-studio of the shoes for children manufacturer clarified the shoes circumstances of Germany. The survey at elementary schools showed that German children and guardians had fewer foot trouble symptoms than Japan. German families seemed to already recognize that shoes have an important role to support a body and it is necessary to fix feet and shoes the guardians acknowledged that tie shoes were the best shoes. However, there was a tendency to like felt-tipped marker belt shoes and sports brand shoes even in Germany as the children's the age goes up.