New shoes to save lives...A simple idea that could mean the end of children having to go barefoot

[Surya Gayatri]

Last edited Sun Apr 19, 2015, 07:49 AM - Edit history (1)

https://vimeo.com/107597899

https://vimeo.com/123747962





http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/a-simple-idea-that-could-mean-the-end-of-children-having-to-go-barefoot--xJYSavusyb

In many developing countries, some families find it difficult to provide new shoes for their children once they’ve outgrown their old ones.

This sometimes forces children to go barefoot, an issue when over two billion people in the world suffer from soil-transmitted parasites and diseases, according to the World Health Organisation.

But there may be a simple solution.

While living and working in Nairobi, Kenya, Kenton Lee noticed a little girl wearing shoes that were too small for her feet.

Asking why this was, he recalls hitting upon an idea: “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?”

This led Lee and his company, Because International, to create The Shoe That Grows, which expands in five sizes to last five years.

_____________________

Love stories like this. Average people doing amazing things to help others.

[enlightenment]

1. Fantastic idea.

Kudos to the inventor!

[Surya Gayatri]

3. Now these are the kind of people who deserve the prizes...

[treestar]

2. An idea made into a reality

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Think outside the box, and look what you get!

[Journeyman]

5. Amazing. So many answers to seemingly intractable problems prove to be quite simple. . .

and in this case, quite ingenious.

[Surya Gayatri]

6. A simple life-saver. Il suffit d'y penser !

You just have to think of it!

[etherealtruth]

7. Thanks for posting, I had read about his ....

....but, had not seen the video.

Absolutely wonderful!

[Surya Gayatri]

8. You're welcome. These kind of stories need more exposure.

It's always the bad news that leads. This gives us hope!

[Hiraeth]

9. What an inspired idea!!

and so simply executed. Really an elegant way to solve the problem. Kudos to you Kenton Lee!!

[Surya Gayatri]

10. Welcome to DU, Hiraeth! Simple and elegant, yes.

[Hiraeth]

11. Thanks.

Big place you all have here. Glad I found it. Excited for the upcoming election and to share it with like-minded people!

[annabanana]

15. Well buckle your seatbelt..

Primary & election season have a history of being a bit.. shall we say... vitriolic?

That said, there are a lot of shared values here. Welcome!

[Hiraeth]

25. lOL ... Thanks for the warning!!

[ND-Dem]

12. That *is* a nice idea, since kids grow too fast to get much wear out of a given pair of shoes.

[LiberalElite]

13. I saw a child in the U.S.A. wearing shoes too small for her feet -

my mother and her cousin also had foot damage from wearing too-small shoes as children - in the U.S.A.

[Surya Gayatri]

14. I got flat feet partly from wearing shoes that were 'bought too big' on purpose.

[yuiyoshida]

16. Those shoes look great, I wouldn't mind having a pair

K&R plus TWEETED.

[Surya Gayatri]

17. Check out his company on the web!

http://becauseinternational.org/

[yuiyoshida]

18. LINK?

Thanks.

[Surya Gayatri]

19. See above ^^^

[yuiyoshida]

20. I did..

Looking for a web address that sells the shoes.

[Warpy]

21. I love the idea

I grew up in the "one new pair of shoes a year" generation, you got them in late August and they were a size too big and you felt like you were flopping around in clown shoes. By December, you could finally run in them, by March they fit, and by June they pinched and it was barefoot weather. I had to wear high top, ugly post polio shoes so I got them more often, but the progression was largely the same and I'd take 'em off in summer when I was out of my mother's sight and go barefoot.

However, the shoes as shown are first world shoes with shaped bottoms, leather (or substitute) uppers, metal snaps and buckles. In the third world, these will have to be made out of plastic, with knobs to go through the straps. It needs a redesign to be affordable to third world children.

It's nice that someone is thinking in these terms, kids in a lot of the third world really need foot protection since there are a lot of really nasty parasites that enter through the feet.

I know a lot of families in the US that would buy the prototype shown, so perhaps they need to make the money on it here while they come up with a design that's cheap enough for third world families to buy. They can't buy 5 years' worth of shoes at a time, which is what these would represent to them.

[Surya Gayatri]

22. Check out his website:

http://becauseinternational.org/

'A shoe that grows from a size 5 to a size 12 and can last up to 10 years. This is the first project from Because International. Learn more about this innovative product that is designed to expand to the size of a growing child's feet.'

Know so well what you mean about '"one new pair of shoes a year" generation, you got them in late August and they were a size too big and you felt like you were flopping around in clown shoes.'

[Warpy]

28. People who might earn a dollar a day

aren't going to be able to buy shoes for their children that have buckles, metal snaps, and molded plastic soles. Flipflops are standard footwear for a reason: they're cheap enough to buy and replace as needed. It looks like the children in the video are making shoes woven of recycled materials (aka garbage) and still the parents can't afford to replace them frequently.

This shoe is a wonderful idea. They just need to rethink the materials. Plastic uppers on old tire soles that would last 5 years are a better idea than unaffordable leather and metal uppers on new soles that last for 10 but are unaffordable.

[Surya Gayatri]

29. Old tires are a god send to poor countries. They get recycled into all kinds of stuff.

Better than burning the damn things!

[Warpy]

31. No shit!

Even we filthy, disgusting hippies were wearing them for a while.

I agree, if they can't be dumped offshore and turned into artificial reefs, they need to go to the third world. Those people are also doing amazing things with dead flipflips.

[Surya Gayatri]

34. Yes, I saw an article somewhere about them transforming old thongs into

all kinds of things! They are amazing...

Necessity truly is the mother of invention!

[mrmpa]

23. This reminds me of the old..........

roller skates (the ones with the key) that expanded to fit my feet. They fit me for years.

[Surya Gayatri]

26. Showing your age my friend! LOL!

[shenmue]

24. Neat!

[tblue37]

27. Wonderful. KnR. nt

[Scurrilous]

30. K & R

'effing hippies!

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. great idea

[sheshe2]

33. KnR~

[Warren DeMontague]

35. k&r

Excellent idea!

[dembotoz]

36. I have hard to fit feet. I wonder...

Adult sizes...

[Surya Gayatri]

37. Here's the guy's website. You could make a donation, too!

http://becauseinternational.org/

[Lifelong Protester]

38. Love this a lot, it is also why I like

TOMS shoes (they donate a pair for each one pair purchased). I wonder if this company does a Christmas "push" for donations-I'd love to donate money in honor of someone (several someones) who doesn't "need" a gift...if you know what I mean. Usually now Heifer International gets a donation in their honor.

[Surya Gayatri]

39. Check out the guy's website:

http://becauseinternational.org/

They DO take donations!

[B2G]

40. Brilliant! nt