VANCOUVER, CANADA (July 5, 2011) –Native Shoes (www.nativeshoes.com) known for its re-imagined iconic, lightweight footwear has collaborated with The Jim Henson Company by featuring two of their beloved Fraggle Rock characters alongside the kid’s footwear collection in the spring 2012 look book.

The inclusion of Fraggle Rock characters Red Fraggle and Travelling Matt fits into the Native brand ideology of “Futuristic Nostalgia”: designs for the future connected with the past. These popular Jim Henson characters have a special place in the hearts of many young, fashionable parents who grew up watching the show, and are also a fast-growing consumer base for Native. As part of the brand positioning, the parties are exploring other opportunities to bring Fraggle Rock and Native together again, including collaboration on a future children’s line.

Native’s kids specific collection launched in fall 2010 to complement their most popular adult silhouettes: The Miller, The Jefferson and The Corrado. The introduction of kids’ specific sizing was a natural progression for the brand, as well as a perfect outlet for the shoes’ characteristics of bright color, lightweight design, comfort and usability.

“Native Shoes is a great fit for our Fraggle Rock brand which has become a desirable franchise among the hip fashion industry around the world,” said Melissa Segal, Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products for The Jim Henson Company.

“We are extremely excited to connect our kid’s collection of footwear to such an established name in children’s entertainment,” said Shawna Olsten, Global Marketing Director for Native Shoes. “Red Fraggle and Travelling Matt have a wide appeal to young parents who grew up watching the show, and now they can share the magic with their own children through Native.”

The Kids look book will debut in early July at Bread and Butter in Berlin, Germany.

About Native
Native (www.nativeshoes.com) was established in Vancouver, Canada in 2009 with a vision tocombine the best of evolving technology and great design. Inspired by classic, casual silhouettes, Native shoes are made from foam-injection molded-EVA, a lightweight, durable and comfortable material. Along with a unique, low-emission manufacturing process, Native shoes are animal bi-product free, waterproof and odor-resistant. Since the first collection launched in spring 2010, Native has secured global distribution in over 30 countries. Native – Keep It Lite.