Worldie tests youth footwear with Denver families at Washington Park

Denver startup worldie held a youth footwear field test at Washington Park on Saturday, collecting early feedback as children used the shoes for soccer, volleyball, kickball and free play. The session is part of a broader effort to refine a multi-sport shoe for kids and reduce the equipment burden on families.

Why it matters: - Worldie is testing whether one multi-sport shoe can work across the way kids actually play, from organized sports to free play. - The company is also positioning the product as a possible way to simplify footwear costs for families juggling multiple activities. - The broader backdrop is rising youth sports spending. The Aspen Institute's Project Play reported that the average sports family spent $1,016 on a child's primary sport in 2024, up 46% from 2019.

What happened: - Worldie, a Denver-based kids athletic footwear startup, held a field test Saturday at Washington Park with local families. - Children wore shoes provided by worldie during soccer, volleyball, kickball and free play. - Many participating families first connected with worldie at the Denver Days Back to School Fest earlier in August. - At that event, families were invited to sign up for a free pair of shoes and ongoing product testing. - Worldie co-founder Brandan Ward told families the goal was to have fun and collect as much feedback as possible.

The details: - Children moved between organized games, the playground and other parts of the park during the session. - Several children also splashed in the stream while wearing the shoes, giving the company an unplanned test of waterproof construction. - Parents joined games, spoke with one another and shared observations with the worldie team. - The test focused on fit, comfort, ease of use and performance across different activities and surfaces. - Worldie plans to follow up with participating families over the coming weeks and months to gather more information on wear, durability and performance. - Worldie's first product is a multi-sport performance shoe developed for children. - The product development process starts with the needs of young athletes rather than adapting an adult performance shoe into smaller sizes. - The Washington Park session was designed to observe how children use the same shoe as they move between sports and everyday play. - More information is available at worldiebrand.com.

Between the lines: - Worldie is trying to validate a product strategy built around real-world use, not just controlled testing. - The park setting also lets the company see how the shoes handle mixed surfaces, water and spontaneous play, which can expose issues that structured trials miss. - The effort suggests worldie wants early product feedback before scaling its footwear line or narrowing its design choices.

What's next: - Worldie will use feedback from Washington Park participants in future product development and testing. - The company plans a series of one- to two-hour pop-up play sessions in Denver called worldie field days. - Planned locations include Cheesman Park, City Park, Congress Park and Washington Park. - The sessions are meant to give local families informal play opportunities while worldie continues gathering feedback from children and parents. - Worldie will continue evaluating whether a multi-sport footwear approach can meet the performance needs of young athletes while simplifying purchases for families.