By Kim Chaeyoon, Today Korea | With inflation still biting, kids’ fashion brands are grabbing shoppers’ attention with practical, stylish pieces. Windbreakers and sneakers—items that work across seasons and situations—are posting especially strong growth.
On April 8, Today Korea found that utility-focused items like windbreakers are drawing interest in the domestic kids’ fashion market.
Industry insiders say the market is shifting toward utility-driven purchases.
In fact, over the past month (March 6–April 5), searches for kids’, baby and toddler windbreakers on W Concept jumped about 80% compared with the previous month.
BoriBori, Tricycle’s specialty kids’ marketplace, reported that windbreaker searches in March rose roughly fourfold month-over-month, while cardigan searches doubled.
In response, fashion companies are expanding practical kids’ lines and rolling out fresh lookbooks to capture that demand.
For example, MLB Kids dropped its 2026 Spring/Summer lookbook under the theme “Create a K-idol mood with one windbreaker.”
The spotlight item is an ultra-light outdoor windbreaker featuring water-repellent, UV-blocking and cooling technologies—designed to deliver an outdoor-ready look.
The brand also introduced a girls’ athleisure cropped windbreaker, made in a nylon-spandex balloon crop fit with cooling and UV-protective fabric.
MLB paired these pieces with the mesh Track Runner Zero sneaker. This seasonal shoe uses elastic bands for easy on-and-off and is designed to let wearers adjust the fit across the instep.
An MLB Kids representative said, “We designed this collection so kids can show personality both outdoors and in everyday life by combining functional windbreakers with cropped lengths and glossy details.”
E-Land World’s New Balance Kids targeted similar demand with the FREEDLE X, which combines sneaker stability with sandal-like breathability.
Released early on April 6 via New Balance’s official website, the model features banding straps and mesh so kids can put them on by themselves. It’s lightweight and uses a rubber outsole to boost activity.
The line comes in a basic Core Pack and a more colorful Color Pack to broaden choices, and select stores will carry them starting April 10.
A New Balance Kids representative said, “We developed the FREEDLE X based on customer feedback and the popularity of the previous model.”
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