I used to think this was a matter of dispute, but an old newspaper article revealed that it must be true: as part of a special promotional event, Hi-Tec created a specific children's boot, with compasses attached to the laces. I used to wonder, why on earth would anyone even contemplate putting compasses on the laces, when there is no practical reason for a hiker to want to remove their shoes in order to look at the compass? It becomes clear that the compasses were simply decorative and were not meant for ordinary practical use, and were also not meant to be used by real adult hikers. Here is that article, from July 29, 1991. (One more note is that while the article is from 1991, the shoe was not released at that time. It was not released until much later in the year, well after retailers had had time to place their orders based on customer interest in the promotional materials, and late enough for Burke and family to have moved from Georgia to Colorado as they did in 1991):
Hi-Tec Sports will launch hikers promo.
MODESTO, Calif. - Hi-Tec Sports USA will step up the marketing of its new children's outdoor hiking boot with an incentive campaign centered around the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to the New World.
The company plans to offer posters, stickers and other amenities as part of a Navigators' Club that children can join when they purchase an item in the new Navigators' series.
Hi-Tec unveiled an outdoor boot called the Columbus as part of the series. The shoe features a compass tied to the laces. It comes in mochaspruce and navy, priced to retail at $44.95.
Hi-Tec will coordinate the club membership in Modesto and will send promotional posters with new orders. Details of the promotion will be offered to children in product boxes.
David Pompel, marketing manager, said he expects the promotion to spur children's sales. He reported company-wide sales for Hi-Tec should grow by 60 percent this year.
"When the kids get something in the box, they get excited," he said. Pompel added that Hi-Tec's rugged outdoor look is growing more popular as children focus on the environment.
"We're getting into department stores where the athletic look is dying. We try to make ties to positive values like recycling and the environment."