Parents of small children often experience difficulty when purchasing new kids’ shoes or knowing when a pair has been outgrown. The youngsters struggle to describe if the shoes are too narrow, pinch at the toes or are loose-fitting. The transparent, double-walled, gel sock is designed to solve that dilemma.

Insert the child’s foot in the one-size-fits-all-kids sock and try on and lace up the shoe. Press the plunger on the gel pump to force blue gel between the walls of the sock to take the place of air cavities in the shoe. It’s not possible to pump too hard.

Wait 30 seconds for the gel to temperature-harden before removing the shoe. By viewing the accumulations of gel around the visible foot, one will be immediately aware of the shoe’s comfort level. The fitting socks can be bought in a box of 20 single-use items or with gel softener to evacuate the sock from gel for re-use in the pump.
-- FarmerJohn, Feb 05 2004

How can you tell if it's just right as opposed to too tight?
-- k_sra, Feb 05 2004


The shoe buying experience would not be right if Mom didn't sqeeze the sides of my shoes and press down to find my big toe.
-- GenYus, Feb 05 2004


I agree with [GenYus] ... its just not the same if mom isn't there to be pushing on my toes and telling me "they're too expensive anyway."
-- Letsbuildafort, Feb 05 2004


[k_sra] Mom would notice that the gel thickness in front of the toes (1-3 cm?) and along the foot's sides (1/2 cm?) is just right.
-- FarmerJohn, Feb 05 2004


When I was a kid every shoe store had an X-ray machine so you could see your feet and bones in the new shoes. It was more exciting than squeezing moms or jelly in your shoes.
-- kbecker, Feb 05 2004


The bone cancer was exciting too!
-- Madcat, Feb 05 2004


Fits... nice.
-- bungston, Feb 06 2004


[kbecker] There's a children's shoe shop near mee that still has one of those machines - they don't use it any more though.
-- hippo, Feb 06 2004


//they don't use it any more though// I wonder that they are still allowed to keep it. It certainly contains some lead lining.
-- kbecker, Feb 07 2004


I thought so too, but then I remembered it can harden to a flexible state, like a soft silicone or urethane can do. The quick cure is the part I'm not sure about. Urethane and silicone I've worked with takes 24 hours for a cure, heating in an oven at 350 F shortenes it somewhat. But shirley there are other substances that can work?
-- oxen crossing, Feb 08 2004


Enhancement to idea:
Keep the gel layer. Now your new shoes have a perfect fit. Every couple of months get a new gel-fitting (which is presumably cheap as it appears to be disposable in the original idea).
Something more breathable (spongy?) might be required for this.
-- benjamin, Feb 08 2004


Like spray foam insulation?
-- mwburden, Feb 10 2004


There's nothing stopping the kid from having a fit and refusing to enter the sock. There needs to be some sort of incentive
-- spiritualized, Feb 11 2004



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