MUMBAI:A strategic multi-property licensing agreement has been announced between Brown Shoe company's Buster Brown & Co. kids' division and the entertainment brand for kids, Nickelodeon.

The two companies plan to collaborate to create and launch several lines of footwear based on Nickelodeon's newest television programs.

The first four collections will ship to retail stores in July, just in time for the back-to-school season. The lines include a full assortment of casual shoes, boots, sport fusion athletic shoes and slippers featuring popular Nick Jr. characters from Go, Diego, Go! (for boys) and Backyardigans (girls and boys) for ages 2-6, as well as new girls' fashion brands based on the Nickelodeon shows Unfabulous and Zoey 101.

Brown Shoe director of marketing and licensing Todd Murray said, "This partnership with Nickelodeon enables us to give kids the Nickelodeon brands they know and love in stylish, fun footwear. Our Nickelodeon footwear will be as dynamic and engaging as the Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. shows."

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the third largest licensing business in the world with $4.7 billion in retail sales in 2004, from such properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The department handles the merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

In its 26th year, Nickelodeon is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films.

Brown Shoe is a $2.3 billion footwear company with global operations. The company operates the 900+ store Famous Footwear chain, which sells brand name shoes for the family.