Hind(R) Announces Appointment of New GM, Energized Management Team; Industry Vision, Effective Execution And Solid Leadership T

Furthering its commitment to dynamic growth and industry
leadership, Hind, a subsidiary of The Stride Rite Corporation (NYSE:
SRR), today announced the appointment of Todd Dalhausser as General
Manager, effective March 13th. He will report to Richie Woodworth,
President, Tommy Hilfiger Footwear, a subsidiary of The Stride Rite
Corporation. Other appointments include the promotion of Hind industry
veteran Patty Kelly to Director of Product and the appointment of Thom
Gridley as Senior Designer.
   "Reshaping the brand's strategic team underlines our commitment to
the ongoing growth and success of one of the most innovative
performance apparel brands in the industry," said Woodworth. "Upon
acquisition by Stride Rite, our priority was to maintain Hind's
authentic brand platform while growing on a worldwide basis. We are
confident that Todd will provide vision, effective execution and solid
leadership for the brand while continuing to protect the brand's
'sweat equity' with athletes," said Woodworth.
   As Hind's general manager, Dalhausser will oversee all major
functions including operations, product development, marketing and
sales. Prior to joining Hind, Dalhausser served as Director of Eastpak
North America, and before that as Global Product Manager of apparel
and accessories for Reebok International. At Reebok, he was
responsible for the strategic development and execution of the brand's
$70 million global apparel line.
   Patty Kelly steps into her new role as Director of Product with an
in-depth knowledge of the performance apparel industry. While working
for eight years with Saucony's Canadian division, Kelly oversaw the
global launch of Saucony apparel in the spring of 2005. As a former
three-time member of the Canadian Elite Triathlon Team, Kelly brings a
unique inside perspective on the apparel needs of the performance
athlete.
   Thom Gridley, Hind's new senior designer, is the brand's first
in-house designer. He joins Hind after previous roles with Reebok, and
most recently, as head of apparel design for New Balance. Gridley was
credited with the Sporting Goods Manufacturer Association's 2005
"Product of the Year Award" for his innovative design of performance
trail running apparel.
   "We're very pleased with the team we are building," said
Woodworth. "Patty represents a great deal of history with Hind and
will continue to be the keeper of the brand's flame. Thom comes to us
with an incredible background in functional design. This proven and
energized team is clearly a tremendous asset to the Hind brand," he
said.

   Lead By Product(TM)

   For over 30 years, Hind has been producing the highest quality
performance apparel in the athletic market, creating milestone
technologies, fabrics and products. Hind set the standards in the
'70's, '80's and '90's with innovations such as the first run tight
(the Sportight(TM)), first compression short (the Animal Short(TM)),
and the first performance apparel fabric (dryLETE(TM)). Hind's slogan,
"Making Sweat Look Good(TM)," reflects the brand's continued focus on
sweat sports and inspiring design.
   About HIND: Hind, a subsidiary of The Stride Rite Corporation, is
a leading innovator of technical apparel for athletes. Founded in
1974, Hind continues to define the industry's standards for
performance apparel. Information about Hind and its product lines is
available at www.hind.com.
   About Stride Rite: Headquartered in Lexington, MA, The Stride Rite
Corporation is an NYSE company (SRR) with 2005 net sales of $588
million. Stride Rite markets the leading brand of high-quality
lifestyle and athletic shoes for children and adults that are marketed
by the Company under well-known brand names, including Stride Rite(R),
Keds(R), PRO-Keds(R), Saucony(TM), Sperry Top-Sider(R), Tommy
Hilfiger(R), and Grasshoppers(R). Apparel products are marketed by the
Company under the Saucony and Hind brand names. Information about the
Company is available at www.strideritecorp.com. Information about the
Company's brands and product lines is available at www.striderite.com,
www.keds.com, www.saucony.com, www.sperrytopsider.com, and
www.hind.com.