Kids React to New Shoes

“One of my students, who is in our hard-of-hearing program, could not believe her eyes when we told her she was getting new shoes. Her expression was priceless, almost as if she won an award. She kept signing, ‘For me?'”

Every year, we ask all the school staff we work with to send us their favorite stories about children receiving new shoes. We ask teachers, principals, secretaries, social workers, and school nurses. They share the most heartwarming, funny, eye-opening stories about their students and their reactions to new shoes. We’ve gathered a few of our favorites here:

“One of my favorite stories was Lily in kindergarten making some dancing moves as she wore her shoes for the first time. I couldn't resist and danced along with her.”

“One of my students, who is in our hard-of-hearing program, could not believe her eyes when we told her she was getting new shoes. Her expression was priceless, almost as if she won an award.She kept signing, “For me?” Her excitement was such that we all cried just watching her. Thank you.” 

“My favorite memory is giving a Kindergarten student a new pair of shoes. This student was a young and happy little boy whose family experienced several hardships. His teacher noticed him coming to school limping, so she sent him over to me (School Social Worker). I brought the school nurse over to assist in removing his shoes, which turned out to be two sizes too small. He was not wearing socks and had blisters, some bleeding, on his feet. The school nurse and I were able to clean up his feet, provide him with socks and most importantly a new pair of shoes. The student did not stop smiling and kept looking down at his new sneakers as he walked back to his class. We were all super thankful to the Shoes That Fit Program for helping to bring a smile to a child's face and make their day that much better.”

These stories are made possible by the generosity of individuals, teams, foundations, and companies across the country. If you’d like to help make more stories like these and help children step into a bright future, give today! 

You can help kids attend school with joy, dignity, and confidence. Make a lasting difference today!