Back in 2007, Kenton Lee was at church when he noticed a young girl in a white dress wearing shoes that were too small for her feet. At the time, Lee was living and working in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was surrounded by those living in extreme poverty. After seeing the girl, the hardworking man was inspired to ask himself, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a shoe that could adjust and expand – so that kids always had a pair of shoes that fit?”
From this simple question, The Shoe That Grows was born and has changed the lives of a countless number of children. This innovative creation is designed so that it can be expanded as a child’s foot grows. The shoe itself is made out of sturdy snaps, quality leather, and compressed rubber, which makes them both resilient and quick to adjust when necessary. They are also simple to clean and contain no mechanical parts that will easily break.
The latest design comes in two sizes, which will fit younger children from kindergarten to 4th grade and older children from 5th grade to 9th grade. An individual pair costs $30 to make, but using economy of scale, 100 pairs will come in at $12 each. In one suitcase, 50 pairs of shoes can fit so that they can effortlessly be transported to wherever they are needed. Most importantly, the revolutionary invention will come in complementary drawstring bags, which the children can then use as schoolbags.
