Shoes That Grow: Guy Invents Sandals That’ll Grow 5 Sizes In 5 Years To Help Millions Of Poor Children
Sometimes, the simplest invention can change millions of lives. That’s the goal of The Shoe That Grows, a leather sandal invented by inventor Kenton Lee that can adjust its size, allowing children in third world countries to grow up without having to go barefoot. The smart shoes, which come in catch-all Small and Large sizes, can grow five sizes and last at least five years.
According to The Shoe That Grows, “There are over 300 million children from poor families who do not have shoes. And countless more with shoes that do not fit.” Children without shoes are susceptible to injuries and parasites that infect humans through our feet. The problem with ordinary shoe donations is that they are soon outgrown, which is exactly the problem that these new shoes would fix.
While you can buy yourself a pair of shoes that grow, the site emphasizes packages that allow buyers to send shoes in bulk to the underdeveloped countries that need them the most. Read on for Kenton Lee’s interview with Bored Panda!
More info: theshoethatgrows.org | Facebook | Twitter (h/t: instructables, demilked)
“The design process was interesting because I am not a designer,” Kenton Lee told Bored Panda. “And I knew nothing about shoes. I was just a normal guy with an idea”
“We found a shoe development company called Proof of Concept in Portland, Oregon. They were the perfect partner to help design our shoes”
“We are confident in the durability of our shoes because we designed them first and foremost for function and not fashion. In fact, we didn’t care at all what they looked like (even though we are happy with how they turned out). We just wanted to make the longest-lasting shoe possible. Purely functional”
“We did not cut any corners with the materials that we used. The sole is compressed rubber – very similar to a tire rubber. The rest of the shoe is a high quality leather. Just quality, solid, long-lasting materials”
“We are sold out of our first batch of 3,000 pairs of shoes. And we have 5,000 pairs coming in July. Right now our shoes are in Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Peru, Columbia, Vietnam, and Laos. The most shoes are in Kenya”
“We have just been overwhelmed by all the support and publicity. This has been amazing. We are a very small organization, but we are growing and excited for the future”
Thank you, Kenton Lee, for answering Bored Panda’s questions about your amazing project!
Hey, check out our Sunies Shoes as well on http://shopsunies.com or e-mail us on info@suniesandal.com Sunies-San...51bd4d.jpg
How can i get in touch with Kenton Lee? Thank you Bored Panda! my email address is jojopalad@yahoo.com
Just visited a village in Honduras that received them. Wonderful!!. It will help warding off parasites. Thank you
The proper spelling for the country Colombia, is with o. Colombia, not "Columbia". Columbia is a district in the US, a province in Canada, and many other things, a town, a city, a river, a university, but not a country.
The proper spelling for Colombia, the country, is with o, Colombia, not "Columbia". Columbia is a district of the US and a district in Canada, and a River, and a town, and a city, and a river, and many other things, but not the country.
Great 👍 Amazing! but I was just wondering how this idea is kicking off “so to speak” and how many children have you been able to help in the Poorer Countries and do you have any updated progress on your work/s?
This could be a welcome item for us to take on Mission Trips. What do they cost?
Necessity is the mother of invention. What a wonderful & helpful idea!! Mothers all over the world will be interested in these innovative shoes.
I work with a mission in Haiti called Haitis Childrens Hope... how do I order these shoes.
www.Projectyesu.org would love some of these for the children in uganda.
The first message(Sometimes, the simplest invention can change millions of lives.) is so impressive! Idea and design of shoes are so simple. But I can feel consideration for children from the shoes. I hope that supply of shoes will increase so more children will benefit from the shoes :)
If you want help out you can donate money here https://www.crowdrise.com/TheShoe
maybe you should help in the usa we have poor children without shoes to.try starting here at home.
We serve 1,000 poor kids a month. Send to us. We will make sure they go directly to the kids who need them! http://www.gohappiness.org/
Wonderful! A simple solution for a major problem. Way to go, Kenton!!! :-)
Well done that man, I hope they bring you a living out of making them.
Great idea! How about a go fund site to support sending them to poor countries?
Great idea. How about a go find site to support sending the shoes to the poor countries?
Why do we need to push western ideas on to people who are fine with walking barefoot on the earth. Give them a consumer item they can't affo
My kids quality shoes wear out in a few months even if they aren't outgrown, how are these different?
My kids wear out quality shoes in a few months even if they didn't outgrow them. How are these not going to wear out just as quickly?
NASA spent millions of dollars developing a pen that could write in space. Russian scientists used pencils. (or shared shoes)
They don't grow.. They are adjustable. And they won't even last five years being worn everyday.. Nice thought tho
Love the idea, but I think they need to be made a little more attractive. I think they look a little too utilitarian.
Still, can't stop judge the guy on the right holding the campaign's logo and wearing such a huge smile..while wearing some awesome NIKE's !?
I think this guy, Kenton, is simply awesome. It's so hard to think of the most needy when growing up in a first world country.
To quote "see a need, fill a need." Usually problems aren't heard, getting the right state of mind/proactive is.
Is it durable enough to last five years or are we just making another useless consumer item.
So many people have potential!! Just think! Shoes for people who need them..... Take that government....They were faster
Hope they are Made WELL, because with that much wear time, they better be Tough....GREAT idea...
Sorry, but the foot is a precious instrument to walk barefoot. We are wrecking our feet by mostly improper shoes.
An 8 yr. old is making a difference. You Can Too! https://www.facebook.com/ShareTheLovewithCamron?fref=ts
I hope to see him at Ted Talks and on every station of tv. Id also like to buy a pair for a child.
Will they last 5 years. It took 2 months in Kenya to kill a pair of my daughters Toms. Great idea but maybe not realistic.
Practical? Sandals lasting 5 years? In that kind of environment ? Instead of sandals, shouldn't we invest those 10$ on schools hospitals and
other important stuff for them? Damn you letter cap -_-"
Load More Replies...Amazing idea this is great news for the poor and of course the inventor . Way to go . I hope to see your product invention workwide .
Cost is may be 2.50...I wanna know where the rest of they money goes? Can you give me an answer,?
Amazing god bless u and all those beautiful children u have helped the world needs more wonderful people like u.
It's fabulous that they are already out of stock for every country!. Will be looking for them to be available again soon!
Such a thoughtful item! When kids grow quickly, adjustable personal items is AWESOME.
Congratulations for taking the time to consider the problem - and then do something about it. How is it being funded?
Marvelous! I love that someone came up with something so simple, and so useful to help impoverished children. Many blessings on this project
God bless you with such a beautiful talent and heart, and your invention is a blessing for everyone who receive it.
Not only is this an incredible shoe !!! I would like 2 know if this shoe is made with recyle material ?
Amazing! Genius! Simply but changing lives for the better great work
Wonderful, the first step is done, a noble idea and a good soul. Design ideas please for more comfort now...
Love it, they should hire people from impoverished countries to make the shoes so that they are getting much more than shoes.
Love it, think it would be great if they hired people from impoverished countries to make them so that they are getting more than shoes.
Hey, check out our Sunies Shoes as well on http://shopsunies.com or e-mail us on info@suniesandal.com Sunies-San...51bd4d.jpg
How can i get in touch with Kenton Lee? Thank you Bored Panda! my email address is jojopalad@yahoo.com
Just visited a village in Honduras that received them. Wonderful!!. It will help warding off parasites. Thank you
The proper spelling for the country Colombia, is with o. Colombia, not "Columbia". Columbia is a district in the US, a province in Canada, and many other things, a town, a city, a river, a university, but not a country.
The proper spelling for Colombia, the country, is with o, Colombia, not "Columbia". Columbia is a district of the US and a district in Canada, and a River, and a town, and a city, and a river, and many other things, but not the country.
Great 👍 Amazing! but I was just wondering how this idea is kicking off “so to speak” and how many children have you been able to help in the Poorer Countries and do you have any updated progress on your work/s?
This could be a welcome item for us to take on Mission Trips. What do they cost?
Necessity is the mother of invention. What a wonderful & helpful idea!! Mothers all over the world will be interested in these innovative shoes.
I work with a mission in Haiti called Haitis Childrens Hope... how do I order these shoes.
www.Projectyesu.org would love some of these for the children in uganda.
The first message(Sometimes, the simplest invention can change millions of lives.) is so impressive! Idea and design of shoes are so simple. But I can feel consideration for children from the shoes. I hope that supply of shoes will increase so more children will benefit from the shoes :)
If you want help out you can donate money here https://www.crowdrise.com/TheShoe
maybe you should help in the usa we have poor children without shoes to.try starting here at home.
We serve 1,000 poor kids a month. Send to us. We will make sure they go directly to the kids who need them! http://www.gohappiness.org/
Wonderful! A simple solution for a major problem. Way to go, Kenton!!! :-)
Well done that man, I hope they bring you a living out of making them.
Great idea! How about a go fund site to support sending them to poor countries?
Great idea. How about a go find site to support sending the shoes to the poor countries?
Why do we need to push western ideas on to people who are fine with walking barefoot on the earth. Give them a consumer item they can't affo
My kids quality shoes wear out in a few months even if they aren't outgrown, how are these different?
My kids wear out quality shoes in a few months even if they didn't outgrow them. How are these not going to wear out just as quickly?
NASA spent millions of dollars developing a pen that could write in space. Russian scientists used pencils. (or shared shoes)
They don't grow.. They are adjustable. And they won't even last five years being worn everyday.. Nice thought tho
Love the idea, but I think they need to be made a little more attractive. I think they look a little too utilitarian.
Still, can't stop judge the guy on the right holding the campaign's logo and wearing such a huge smile..while wearing some awesome NIKE's !?
I think this guy, Kenton, is simply awesome. It's so hard to think of the most needy when growing up in a first world country.
To quote "see a need, fill a need." Usually problems aren't heard, getting the right state of mind/proactive is.
Is it durable enough to last five years or are we just making another useless consumer item.
So many people have potential!! Just think! Shoes for people who need them..... Take that government....They were faster
Hope they are Made WELL, because with that much wear time, they better be Tough....GREAT idea...
Sorry, but the foot is a precious instrument to walk barefoot. We are wrecking our feet by mostly improper shoes.
An 8 yr. old is making a difference. You Can Too! https://www.facebook.com/ShareTheLovewithCamron?fref=ts
I hope to see him at Ted Talks and on every station of tv. Id also like to buy a pair for a child.
Will they last 5 years. It took 2 months in Kenya to kill a pair of my daughters Toms. Great idea but maybe not realistic.
Practical? Sandals lasting 5 years? In that kind of environment ? Instead of sandals, shouldn't we invest those 10$ on schools hospitals and
other important stuff for them? Damn you letter cap -_-"
Load More Replies...Amazing idea this is great news for the poor and of course the inventor . Way to go . I hope to see your product invention workwide .
Cost is may be 2.50...I wanna know where the rest of they money goes? Can you give me an answer,?
Amazing god bless u and all those beautiful children u have helped the world needs more wonderful people like u.
It's fabulous that they are already out of stock for every country!. Will be looking for them to be available again soon!
Such a thoughtful item! When kids grow quickly, adjustable personal items is AWESOME.
Congratulations for taking the time to consider the problem - and then do something about it. How is it being funded?
Marvelous! I love that someone came up with something so simple, and so useful to help impoverished children. Many blessings on this project
God bless you with such a beautiful talent and heart, and your invention is a blessing for everyone who receive it.
Not only is this an incredible shoe !!! I would like 2 know if this shoe is made with recyle material ?
Amazing! Genius! Simply but changing lives for the better great work
Wonderful, the first step is done, a noble idea and a good soul. Design ideas please for more comfort now...
Love it, they should hire people from impoverished countries to make the shoes so that they are getting much more than shoes.
Love it, think it would be great if they hired people from impoverished countries to make them so that they are getting more than shoes.
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