The Shoe That Grows

Children grow quickly, especially their feet. But many families can’t afford new shoes each time a child needs them. As a result, about 300 million children around the world go barefoot. These children risk picking up diseases and parasites from the soil. Kenton Lee from America may have a solution for these barefoot children — a shoe that grows. Kenton Lee is the creator of The Shoe That Grows. The shoe grows in three places: the front, the side and the back. It can last up to five years. The bottom is rubber and the top is just quality leather. The shoe comes in two sizes: small ones that fit children aged 4 to 9 and large ones for children aged 9 to 14. Now more than 50,000 pairs of these magical shoes have been sent to about 70 countries, with most to East Africa and some to Central American countries. Kenton Lee said that many of these areas did not have a healthy living environment. As a result, illness spreads easily. Children pick up diseases and parasites through their bare feet and fall sick. “It’s really heartbreaking. They stay sick for a long time, because they are not able to afford the medical care. So, a lot of them just really fall behind. They don’t go to school. And they don’t learn and grow as normal children should do,” said Kenton Lee. “A pair of shoes,” he said, “gives more than protection. It gives a child self-worth and more chances to succeed. Though it’s a small thing, it really makes a big difference to keep them healthy and happy.” Kenton Lee added that his goal was to help get The Shoe That Grows to as many children as he could around the world.