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Proof of Concept gives ‘growing’ shoes

Portland, OR-based Proof of Concept is collaborating with an Indiana man to realize his vision of distributing expandable shoes to children living in poverty around the world.

Nampa, IN, native Kenton Lee became aware of the needs of these children when working in Kenya. He noticed many barefoot children, as well as children with the fronts of their shoes cut out to accommodate their growing feet.

After deciding the answer to the problem may lie partly in a shoe that can expand as children’s feet grow, he pitched “The Shoe that Grows,” which has snaps that allow it to adjust to fit five foot sizes, to a number of companies before Proof of Concept agreed to develop it.

More than 1000 pairs have been distributed to children in Kenya, Vietnam, and Nicaragua by Proof of Concept’s nonprofit organization, International, which is planning mission trips this summer to impoverished areas to distribute 5000 more pairs of the shoes.

Learn more or make a dona­tion at theshoethatgrows.org.

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