The Shoe That Grows

It’s called The Shoe That Grows. What does it do? Well, it grows! This lets kids have shoes they can wear for a long time! In 2007 Kenton Lee was working at an orphanage in Kenya. One day he was walking with a group of kids. He looked down at a little girl. She had on a white dress and shoes that didn’t fit.

The front parts of the shoes were cut open, and the girl’s toes were sticking out. Kenton looked around. Many other kids’ shoes were much too small for their feet. Kenton asked the orphanage director why so many kids had shoes that didn’t fit. The director explained that the children outgrew their shoes quickly. And there simply weren’t enough donated shoes for everyone.

Kenton couldn’t stop thinking about the children’s shoes. Wearing small shoes was unhealthy for the children since their feet were still growing. But going barefoot was dangerous too. The children could get diseases from walking barefoot. Their feet could even become infected. There had to be a solution to this problem.

Finally Kenton had an idea. He could create special shoes. His shoes would grow along with a child. The shoes couldn’t be expensive, and they needed to last for a long time. Now Kenton just needed to find a way to make these shoes. He contacted several shoe companies, but none showed interest in his idea.

Kenton decided to make the shoes himself. He even made himself a promise to show his commitment. He wouldn’t buy himself a new pair of shoes until his project was finished. Five years later Kenton’s shoes had holes and were worn out. But he had created a great new shoe—The Shoe That Grows!

The shoes look like normal sandals. They’re designed to last for five years, so all of their materials are durable. The straps can be adjusted with snaps, buckles, and Velcro. This lets the shoes grow along with the wearer. The shoes come in three sizes. Each can fit five different shoe sizes. Kenton designed the shoes to be small and light too.