An extendable children’s shoe that can stretch a size and a half could soon appear in British stores.
Shoe brand Pip & Henry is developing the new invention for under-sevens, the age where children’s feet grow most quickly.
Founder Jeroo Doodhmal said the mechanism could double the shoes’ lifespan. Young children’s shoe sizes change roughly three times a year.
The out-of-the-box idea is being funded by John Lewis, which gave Pip & Henry £250,000 via its £1million eco fund.
Ms Doodhmal, 38, told The Guardian: ‘I think we’re about a year away from it being in the shops.
‘We have to test the prototypes and then take it to industry experts for their feedback … then come up with a final concept that’s ready for commercial launch.’
Pip & Henry’s sustainable shoes for children cost £60 – and the expanding range would likely cost £20 more, the founder said.
‘It is my ambition to keep the cost down as much as possible’, she explained.
The entrepreneur got the idea while watching Blue Planet with her baby daughter.
She said: ‘On the one hand I was showing her Blue Planet, and trying to get her inspired by nature, but on the other, she was outgrowing clothing and footwear faster than I could effectively recycle it.’
Design proposals include an extendable sole with an interlocking, jigsaw-style mechanism.
‘The funding is substantial enough to take us all the way,’ Ms Doodhmal added.
‘I feel very confident we will be able to come up with something really valuable and robust.’
Brits purchase 80million pairs of shoes each year – including 60million for children.
More than 85 per cent end up on landfill sites, Ms Doodhmal said.
She said: ‘We won’t move the needle on that 85 [per cent] if we don’t take this concept to the mass market.
John Lewis sustainability director Marija Rompani said the Circular Future Fund, which has also given money to Scottish libraries and the University of Leeds, could have ‘real impact’.
She said: ‘Our throwaway culture, and the waste it generates, are unquestionably among the biggest challenges we will face in our lifetime and tackling them will require a different kind of thinking.’
Related posts:
- Trump allegedly joked that his ex-black girlfriend’s parent gave her ‘beauty’ and her white parent gave her ‘intelligence’According to a new book, the former president reportedly jokingly said that his biracial model ex-girlfriend received her “intellect” from her white father and her...
- School children are remaking their school shoesWhen social media users found an unsettling new trend by “Ama 2000,” who employ imaginative ways to “pimp their swag” in school, they were left...
- An inquest heard today that the fiancee of a “loving parent” who shot his partner and their two young children to death in the months prior to the tragedy had discussed their financial struggles and attempted to end things with himAn inquest heard today that the fiancee of a “loving parent” who shot his partner and their two young children to death in the months...
- Children leave bedridden parent to die in ‘filthy conditions’After being discovered in ‘filthy circumstances’ at her house, a crippled and bedridden lady in Texas passed away. Her three adult children were detained as...
- Massachusetts parent Lindsay Clancy battled postpartum anxiety before allegedly killing childrenThe mother suspected of murdering strangling her two small children and attempting to kill her infant before jumping out of a window in Massachusetts had...
- Torque and large batteries cause electric vehicles’ worn tyres to fail MoTDue to their worn-out tyres, electric and hybrid cars fail MoT inspections more often than gasoline or diesel vehicles, but they do so more frequently....
- Buzz cut celebrities are trending. Here are 5 stars who have worn 2022’s hottest beauty trendThe lack of hair is one of the year’s most popular hairstyles. The sleek hairstyle is popular as a result of celebrities that chose for...
- It’s the most comfortable red lipstick I’ve wornRare Beauty has introduced a limited-edition crimson lipstick with brown undertones.All of the product’s proceeds will be donated to the Rare Impact Fund, a mental...
- “I Should’ve Worn a Bra!”Drew Barrymore say as he Struggles to Finish Trampoline WorkoutDrew Barrymore can now add workouts to the list of must-watch segments on The Drew Barrymore Show. During today’s episode, the actress-turned-talk show host took on...
- Concerns Raised Over Lack of Body-Worn Camera Usage in London’s Police Stop and SearchesThe usage of body-worn cameras by police officers during stop and search encounters has come under scrutiny in London. Advertisement These devices are designed to...