Looking for a way to creatively and playfully encourage your kids to do some outdoor exploration this summer? The folks at Teva have teamed up with none other than legendary children’s author Eric Carle on a new line of summer footwear for kids that incorporates beloved images from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The celebrated children’s picture book turns 50 (!!) this year.
Most parents remember the story of the curious little insect who hatched from his egg with an almost insatiable hunger to know this new world he inhabits. And most of us have read the same story to our little ones. Now, our kids will have an opportunity to take a little of that hungry-caterpillar spirit with them as they head outside to explore, transform and grow.
Eric Carle and Teva share a source of inspiration in the natural world. “I have always, and still, am very much inspired by nature,” Carle said in a press release. “When I was a very young child, my father used to take me for walks in the woods. He would peel back the bark of a tree and show me the creatures who lived there.”
Teva (pronounced teh-veh, who knew?) is a Hebrew word meaning “nature.” According to the company’s website, its signature sandal “emerged from the shores of the Grand Canyon back in 1984” when a quick hack involving a couple of velcro watchbands and a pair of flip-flops proved a reliable method of keeping shoes from floating downstream. The now-ubiquitous outdoor brand pays homage to its origins through partnerships with the Grand Canyon Conservancy and other organizations.
The gender-neutral, multicolored children’s shoes come in two styles: the classic strappy open-toed sandal, and a more protective, closed-toe slip-on that can be worn with the heel up or down. Both models feature the iconic green caterpillar on the back heel.
Appropriately, Carle seems pleasantly amused by the fruits of this collaboration: “How fun to see the image of the caterpillar appear on a shoe that is walking down a trail or a path in the forest! I would never have dreamed this to be possible,” he said in the press release, sounding — adorably — pretty much exactly like we’ve always imagined the Caterpillar creator would sound.
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