You're not alone if you're a parent struggling to keep up with your child's rapidly growing feet. Depending on kids' ages, their feet can grow as quickly as a half size every two months.
But as one smart Reddit user pointed out, there are creative ways to extend the life of kids' shoes so you won't have to constantly run to the store for new ones.
In a viral Reddit post, a parent shared before-and-after photos of an 8-year-old's peeling sandals revived to a far better condition.
"Painted my 8yo's peeling sandals so they last at least the season," the parent wrote and posted the photos to the r/Visiblemending subreddit.
"Definitely not perfect but good enough," the parent explained in the caption. "I hate replacing things before they're outgrown!"
The cost of kids' shoes definitely adds up when they outgrow them so quickly, especially if you have multiple children in the household. The original poster's pink paint job likely saved the family $35 or more while keeping an otherwise perfectly functional pair of shoes out of the trash.
Another way to save money on kids' shoes is to send them to GotSneakers, a recycling organization committed to keeping unwanted shoes out of landfills. You can request a free sneaker recycling kit, fill the bags with pre-loved shoes, and drop them at FedEx for free shipping, zero guilt, and money back if they're in good shape.
Whether you decide to paint, stitch, repurpose, or donate old shoes, you're doing something significant for your wallet, your creative side, and the planet.
Reddit users were impressed with this shoe-painting transformation and asked questions, seeking advice on how to make repairs of their own.
"What did you paint them with?" a Redditor asked. "Did you prep them before, or seal it after? My favorite heels have started peeling, and I'm thinking of revamping them."
The original poster used Angelus acrylic leather paint and an acrylic finisher, sharing that getting the right shade of pink was the hardest part.
"Great color match!!" one user commented.
"Wow!" another one exclaimed. "What an improvement."
"I just know that if I were a kid, those would be my favourite footwear ever," someone else wrote. "They're so cool/cuuute."
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