Hi. My name is Michael Schwartz, owner of "babyshoe.com".

My grandfather was a shoemaker in Brooklyn, New York, over 50 years ago. He made baby shoes with old world workmanship and dedication to detail. One day my uncle took a pair of baby shoes and printed his daughter´s name and birthdate on the soles. That´s how NameDate baby shoes started!

The story of babyshoe.com is one of tradition. My grandfather immigrated from Hungary where he was an expert shoe manufacturer. He loved to select just the right skins (leather), and created beautiful children′s shoes. My parents absorbed the lessons of quality and fine workmanship instilled by my grandfather and continued the tradition. I represent the third generation in this business and have heeded the lesson of: quality, quality, quality.

When my grandfather, Ike Schwartz, came to America, he worked in a cold and damp Brooklyn, New York basement shoe factory. He would wrap himself in a blanket to stay warm. Thinking he looked like an American Indian, people started calling him "chief." Because of that nickname, my grandfather called his shoe manufacturing company Little Chief Footwear.

Later, when the factory was located on Livonia Avenue in Brooklyn, and our NameDate baby shoes had been created, my family called the business The Livonia Novelty Company. Why "novelty?" Because my family manufactured parts (shoes, watchbands, etc.) for America's doll manufacturers. In fact, I have memories of putting buckles on belts by hand, while watching TV as a child. Must have been my first real job. When most of the doll companies closed down or moved their manufacturing overseas, my family decided to create other baby gift products.

In 1988 when I joined the company, we decided to go ahead with a mail-order business devoted to the finest personalized baby gifts, using our world famous NameDate baby shoes as the cornerstone of the company.

Just as my grandfather demanded old world quality, and my parents modernized and continued the tradition, I look forward to providing our customers the best in baby keepsakes.

That is our history. We hope our future will include you. My grandfather´s lesson of great quality is still at the heart of the babyshoe.com!