Sandals for kids grow as they do

A UK design student has created Grow, a pair of sandals that can be adjusted to cater for bigger feet as children get older.

Any parent will tell you that kids grow at an alarming rate, meaning that clothes and other products have a ridiculously short lifespan as their bodies and personalities change. Some product developers have attempted to tackle this — take The Froc chair or Orbea bike for example. Now a UK design student has created Grow, a pair of sandals that can be adjusted to cater for bigger feet as children get older.

Created by Elizabeth White, a design undergraduate at Brunel University in England, the shoes are made from a durable plastic and use detachable straps and a lining system to adjust to wearers' feet size. The straps can be replaced with looser ones when they become too tight. Additionally, the sandal comes with rubber linings that can be fitted around the base. Every time a lining is added, the shoe grows in size. As well as enabling parents to save money by simply adjusting the shoes they already have for their child instead of buying a whole new pair, the idea also helps companies to reduce resource waste.

The idea was the winner of the New Designers Mars Award 2014. Although White is still a student, could this idea be brought to market with some investment? Are there other fashion items that could be designed to grow as children get bigger?