Children in poor countries could grow up without having to walk barefoot. If consumerism in Western countries requires a pair of shoes for every occasion, in some areas of the world children are forced to have, at best, a pair for several years. Kenton Lee was trying to find a solution
Children in poor countries could grow up without having to walk barefoot. If consumerism in Western countries requires a pair of shoes for every occasion, in some areas of the world children are forced to have, at best, a pair for several years. To try to find a solution was Kenton Lee.
Sometimes, the simplest of inventions can change millions of lives. And this is the goal of “Shoe That Grows”, literally the shoe that grows, the sandal invented by Kenton. Adjustable in size, these shoes allow children in poor countries not to have to walk barefoot.
Shoes can grow in 5 formats and last at least 5 years. An idea that didn't come out of nowhere but developed when Kenton lived in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007. One day, while walking into a church, he noticed a little girl in a white dress next to him wearing shoes much smaller than his feet.
His family, like so many, could not afford any more. So Lee thought: "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a shoe that could adjust and expand so that kids can always have a pair that fits them?"
And that's how Shoe That Grows was born. Over 2 billion people worldwide suffer from soil-borne pests and diseases. The "shoe that grows”Might be a better solution to help little ones protect their feet.
Love that our friends Dennis and Darryl took some of @ShoeThatGrows to Guatemala, Peru, and Columbia. Thanks, guys! pic.twitter.com/WndmXyl6Iy
— The Shoe That Grows (@ShoeThatGrows) 7 aprile 2015
Developed in part by a shoe development company called Proof of Concept, the sandals come in two sizes: the first type is suitable for infants in the first few years of life, while the others are for older children, up to around 10 years.
Another advantage is the ease of transport. There shoe compresses and it is very light. In this way it is possible to carry up to 50 pairs in a normal suitcase, equal to about 20 kilos.
Lee's shoes are already on sale. A pair costs $ 30, but if you buy larger quantities, the price drops to $ 12.
23 / 07 / 2018 UPDATE
With the help of the charity Because International, Kenton has successfully distributed beyond to date 175.000 pairs of shoes in 100 countries.
And there is more! A commercial version of the expandable shoes is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter.
For each pair of shoes ordered, another will be donated to a child in a developing country.
To order click here
Francesca Mancuso
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