A friend of mine told me about Inchworm shoes - a shoe that expands up to one full size in half size increments as your child’s foot grows - but I wasn’t quite sure what this meant, or how it worked. I imagined a loose accordion shoe that adjusted as my child walked!

I now own two pairs of these shoes, one for my son and one for my daughter – and it is one of those inventions I wish I had thought of myself!

First of all, the shoe itself is a very sturdy shoe (Inchworms are made for sizes 10 – 13 and 1-5, so they are for children already comfortable walking). Perfect for school, sports, and play of any kind. They also come in a variety of styles and colors. And the “accordion” is far from the slinky I imagined. You almost wouldn’t realize that the shoe stretched just by looking at it. Each shoe has a button on the side and when pressed, you can extend or reduce the shoe half a size, up to one whole size. The button requires a little hand strength so I don’t think it is possible for children to adjust these shoes by themselves. The bottom of the shoe has a small window that indicates the size the shoe is currently opened to. And it is pretty much as simple as that!

I haven’t gotten to the point where my child’s feet have grown into the next size, but I do know – as any parent knows – my children grow out of shoes long before they are ever worn out, so knowing that these Inchworms might last longer than six months is music to my ears!

Inchworm shoes can be purchased at http://www.inchwormshoes.com/.