$2 Tuesday — $2 a week, given together, changes everything.

Right Size Shoes

Every child deserves a joy-filled childhood. Every child deserves shoes that fit.

Proper shoes empower children to run free at recess… participate in sports… engage with peers shame-free… get a boost of confidence… concentrate in class… and experience less stress. Shoes can do so much for kids. It’s a simple solution that changes everything! When kids have shoes that fit, they can easily run and jump and skip. They can participate fully in sports and recess. They can enjoy all the typical experiences of childhood. They can learn, play, and thrive at school each day. That’s why every child deserves shoes that fit.

Meet Micah

Micah was four years old when a school counselor called us. His shoes were entirely too small. We went in and measured him — his shoes were three sizes too small. He had corns and bunions, bad. His feet hadn’t yet reached the point of needing a podiatrist, but we had to act, and act fast, before the damage became permanent. We put a new pair of socks on his feet… and a new pair of shoes that fit. David will never forget what happened next. Micah took off like Speedy Gonzales — running around, jumping and jumping. Then he looked up and said:
“I now know that I’m loved because somebody took care of my shoes.”
Kids in kindergarten and first grade can be brutal. They pick at the child who doesn’t have good shoes. But that day, everybody looked at Micah’s feet and said, “Man, those are cool.” That’s what a pair of shoes that fit can do.

The Problem in Numbers

About 65% to 67% of children are wearing shoes that are the wrong size — and the vast majority are too small.
  • About 47–48% of kids wear shoes one size too small
  • About 18–19% wear shoes two sizes too small
  • Only about 33% of children are in the correct size — and only around 10% have proper room to grow
  • About 60% of kids have a half-size or more difference between their left and right feet
(Sources: My FootDr; Hawley Lane Shoes survey, March 2025.)

What Shoes That Don't Fit Do to a Child

A child’s foot isn’t small adult bone — it’s soft, developing cartilage. A tight shoe acts like a mold, and the foot grows into the wrong shape.
  • Bunions and bent toes. Squeezing the toes forces the big toe inward. Shoes just one size too small raise a child’s bunion risk by about 14% — two sizes too small, about 30%. Cramped toes can curl into hammertoes, and tight toe boxes drive painful ingrown toenails and infections.
  • The whole body pays. Kids shorten their steps and walk unsteady to escape the pressure. That changed stride travels up the chain — knees, hips, and back problems arriving years too early.
  • Slower development, more falls. Properly fitting shoes support the milestones of childhood — running, jumping, galloping. Tight shoes keep toes from spreading and gripping the ground, which steals balance and brings more trips and falls.
  • Circulation and muscle harm. Crammed feet mean shortened muscles, tendon pain, restricted blood flow — numbness, tingling, cold little feet.
All of it from something this simple to fix: a pair of shoes that fit.

How It Works

Most of our children come to us through the people who see them every day — school counselors and teachers. When they spot a child in shoes that don’t fit, they reach out to us, and we go in, measure the child’s feet ourselves, and fit them with new socks and new shoes that actually fit. These shoes are for any child whose family can’t afford them. A child doesn’t have to be homeless to need help — some families have a home and still can’t stretch the money to shoes. The test isn’t where a child lives. The test is need. We help the needy, not the greedy. Every request goes through a background check and a needs review before a single pair goes out. The money behind this program was given by people who trusted us with it, and we are determined to be good stewards of every dollar. If a child is truly in need, we’ll be there — that’s a promise.

Your Impact

1.4 million kids. That’s how many children have gotten a new pair of shoes through this work so far — and we’re not done. Thanks to your caring gifts of support, kids across the country have the shoes they need to reach their full potential. Here’s the impact we’re making together. Right now, a new pair of shoes costs us about $35. $35 puts a brand-new pair of shoes on one child who needs them. It doesn’t pay for any salaries. No paid employees. 100% of the money goes to the cause.
Give to Right Size Shoes
One Spark Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 27-1799429. Your gift is tax-deductible. Love, David A2J

Need Shoes for a Child?

If your child needs shoes that fit, ask for help here:
Request Shoe Assistance

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