How It Started

The story began in 2012 with an epiphany from our founders. At Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, they observed with surprise that nearly all young children were wearing shoes, a sight vastly different from the kids in Singapore, who wore mostly slippers and sandals outdoors.

The dress sense of Singaporeans in the 1990s and early 2000s has been notoriously simple – t-shirt, bermudas and slippers – and has been known to lag far behind our Asian counterparts such Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. Yet for children to imitate this laidback style is detrimental to foot development. It will cause ugly wide toe formation and “duck” gait.

Raf Raf started to introduce shoes of their own design into the market, focusing on a sharp gap that is not filled by major brands. Their customers’ response have always been positive. At every touchpoint, customers would go “Wow! So Cute!” to our wide selections.

One particular incident was significantly memorable. At United Square, a children-centric mall, a female customer was so charmed by our designs and affordable prices that she grabbed all seven pairs left on display, even though at that time she had no idea who to give the shoes to. “I’ll find someone, no worries!” she said laughingly.


Raf Raf Now

In Singapore, Raf Raf products can be found in department stores such as John Little as well as children boutique shops, as well as on their online store, www.RafRafShoes.com. Each month, more parents come forward to tell Raf Raf that “we only buy our children’s shoes from you” or "my son grew up wearing Raf Raf shoes", testifying to the brand’s vision of providing comfortable, durable and affordable shoes for children, has paid off handsome results.

As the brand grew, its footprints expanded beyond Singapore shores to Asia. 


Serving the Society

Since Raf Raf began, the company has supported numerous Singapore charitable organisations with initiatives to improve the lives of low-income families and children. Every year, especially during important occasions like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya or Christmas, Raf Raf also gifts hundreds of brand new shoes and cloth diapers to less advantaged families with babies and young children. 

You can read more about our latest charity projects here: Giving Back.

If you know of any family with such needs, please contact us: customer@rafrafbaby.com.