The shoe that grows

FRANCE – A United States-based company has designed sandals that will grow alongside children’s feet.

Called The Shoe That Grows, these sandals relieve poor families, especially from African countries, from the burden of buying new shoes often.

“I had this idea ten years ago, while working in an orphanage in Kenya,” says inventor Kenton Lee.

“One day I saw a little girl, walking on a very dirty road, with shoes so small that they were ripped open, revealing her toes. I then came up with this idea of creating a shoe that can adjust to a child’s feet,” he adds.

Lee says that children going barefoot or wearing ill-fitting footwear are susceptible to fall, get injuries or soil-transmitted diseases.

“Some of them are not even allowed to go to school as they have to wear a uniform with proper shoes. It is also incredible to see how children become more confident wearing nice shoes,” he says.

According to him, it took them six years to design The Shoe That Grows.

The sandals are made of a compressed rubber sole and tough synthetic leather straps at the top.

“They can grow up to five sizes, to last for years. We have two models: one for children aged four to eight and the other for those aged eight to 12,” says Lee.

With the help of donors, The Shoe That Grows has already distributed more than 140,000 pairs to children in 97 countries. - Caroline Hallé (Mon Quotidien)