One of the main stages of growth during a human’s lifetime is between infancy and early childhood, which means that means clothes, especially shoes, can be outgrown in a matter of months. Ten Little provides a functional and personalized way for parents to buy shoes for their kids, and its Fit Finders replaces the foot-size, guessing game with an accurate method through insole prints or an online quiz, where parents can pinpoint the perfect shoe size – two out of three kids wear the wrong size shoe!. Ten Little is built with a long-term mindset, and its predictive data platform tracks children’s growth, reminds parents when to size up based on age-specific development patterns, and allows shoe reordering via text. All the shoes from the direct-to-consumer company are priced at a reasonable $39 and are PETA-approved. The company, founded by two ex-Jet employees, launched in February to attack the $300B children’s clothing and footwear market and is backed by NextView Ventures.
AlleyWatch sat down with cofounder Fatma Collins to learn more about the inspiration behind Ten Little, the company’s future plans, and product line.
Tell us about the product or service that Ten Little offers.
Ten Little offers healthy shoes designed specifically for kids delivered through a personalized, seamless shopping experience for parents.
How is Ten Little different?
Ten Little provides a better experience for both kids and parents.
Our healthy, fun-ctional shoes are designed just for kids. Created in collaboration with world-class physicians, Ten Little’s PETA-approved vegan shoes support healthy development and movement, with a foot-shaped toe box and flat, flexible soles. They also come with fun sneaker stickers for parents and kids to create their own unique shoes together.
We also make shopping for kids’ shoes seamless for parents. They can easily find their child’s size by using Ten Little’s free Fit Finder, which works by having the child stand on the insole prints or parents can take a simple online quiz which prompts parents to share their child’s foot length or their current shoe brand and size. Once the shoes arrive, parents can cross-reference sizing on the removable insoles, which are clearly marked to indicate where your child’s foot should fit.
Ten Little’s predictive data platform tracks your child’s growth, predicts and reminds you when to size up based on age-specific development patterns, and lets you reorder instantly via text. As your child grows and sizes up in Ten Little, the platform learns from your behavior and adjusts your child’s recommendations accordingly. Ten Little has also partnered with Soles4Souls to put your child’s gently worn shoes to good use. When you size up with Ten Little, we will automatically include a prepaid shipping label in your reorder so you can donate your child’s outgrown shoes for free.
What inspired the start of Ten Little?
As a new mom, I found myself struggling with knowing which shoes would support healthy development and which sizes were right for my daughter. When she was about to walk for the first time, I measured her foot, ordered what should have in theory been the right size, but when they arrived, I couldn’t even get her foot in the shoe. From there, I ordered multiple sizes, styles, and guessed which one might be a good fit by trying to feel her toes and heel. Given how quickly she was growing, I had to do this all over again every few months – all the while thinking there had to be a better way.
What market does Ten Little target and how big is it?
Ten Little’s primary target customers are parents and their children. Our initial focus is on children’s clothing and footwear which is a $300B market globally.
What is the business model?
Ten Little is starting as direct to consumer.
How has the founding team’s experience at Jet shaped the trajectory of this venture?
My cofounder and I got to experience different stages of growth at Jet, from being a stealth startup to its acquisition by Walmart. This taught us how to balance building for scale with a scrappy mindset.
Having worked on such impactful brands enabled us to gain a deep understanding of key customer pain points as well as backend operations of retail. So, we were able to apply all those learnings and kickstart Ten Little faster and stronger.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
In the first six months, we want to learn from our customers as much as possible and ensure our products enable them to size up their children seamlessly.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
There is no one way.
In the startup world, we’re used to hearing advice such as five steps to success, but there really is no one way and you know your company best. Each founder and each company are different. I find it to be similar to parenting advice. You can share tips but each family is unique.
In the startup world, we’re used to hearing advice such as five steps to success, but there really is no one way and you know your company best. Each founder and each company are different. I find it to be similar to parenting advice. You can share tips but each family is unique.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
Nan Strauss, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Every Mother Counts – the organization’s mission is so inspiring.
Why did you launch in New York?
I have lived and worked in New York for almost 7 years now. The diversity and energy of New York makes it an ideal place to grow a company.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?
I love Four Horsemen in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It has become our local go-to.
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