For generations, parents have despaired at their children’s laziness in crushing the backs of school shoes by pulling them on with the laces still done up. The habit is estimated to cost British families £700 million per annum in premature shoe replacement.
Now Clarks has announced a solution: a range of footwear incorporating pressure sensors in the shoe back, linked wirelessly to a password-protected app which the parent installs on the child’s mobile device. If the child attempts to jam their foot into an already-laced shoe, the app emits a deafening, high-pitched screech and blocks all social media use until the foot is removed.
Aimed at children aged from 4 to 39, the shoes will be on sale from November 1st.
It’s very good of Clark’s to come up with such a brilliant idea for children’s shoes. They have always been amazingly hard wearing and good value for money. Except of course their school sandals of my youth whose soles were absolute crepe!
It would be good if they could come up with something like that for the older generation. Possibly with Velcro fastening and a detachable shoe horn.
I suppose it is something to do with old age that although I am getting shorter my feet seem further away from my hands every day! Perhaps my arms are shrinking.
Also useful would be some form of call system so I could call my shoes from my phone to remind me where I put them this would have to work both ways so I could find my phone from my shoes.