The shoe that grows with you

For children living in poverty, footwear is a problem. Children always outgrow their shoes and need a new pair regularly or they make do with shoes that hurt their feet.

Children who go barefoot are in constant danger of picking up infections and soil-transmitted diseases.

Unfortunately, shoes are not always readily available in poor countries, let alone shoes that are the right size.

The Shoe That Grows allows children to adjust its size as their feet grow.

A perforated strap at the front of The Shoe That Grows helps to adjust its length. A buckle strap at the rear lengthens it. And snap-button straps at the side adjust its width.

The idea of The Shoe That Grows came to Mr Kenton Lee, founder of charity Because International, during a trip to Kenya in 2007.

He saw young children wearing shoes that were way too small, some with their toes sticking out at the ends.

The experience led to the development of The Shoe That Grows. The shoe has a flexible compressed rubber sole and adjustable leather straps that fit over the top of the foot and around the rear of the heel.

Because International has been distributing the shoes since 2013 through organisations in Ghana, Haiti, Kenya and Ecuador that help needy children. It relies on donations in order to distribute the shoes in bulk.

This article was first published on November 9, 2015.
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