| With all of the scrutiny and demands placed | | | | bought two pairs of shoes at a time for most |
| on Barack Obama and John McCain in their | | | | of their lives, there are probably many |
| campaigns for President, it is difficult to | | | | millions of mismatched and never worn pairs |
| imagine a president as a polio victim. | | | | of shoes of every style sitting in closets. |
| However, Franklin D. Roosevelt, possibly the | | | | Rather than continuing to buy two pairs of |
| most famous polio survivor in history, was | | | | shoes and wasting half of the shoes, people |
| President of the United States from 1932 to | | | | with mismatched feet can now exchange their |
| till 1945. While he was the thirty second | | | | unused mismatched pairs of shoes with others. |
| president of the United States, he wore heavy | | | | |
| steel braces on his legs, which made walking | | | | Users of can make whatever arrangements they |
| very difficult. He was a great inspiration to | | | | want for paying for shoes, but PayPal seems |
| many polio survivors. | | | | to be a favored means of doing so. The site |
| | | | allows users to ask questions about shoes |
| Many polio survivors have mismatched feet, | | | | posted on the site and to post pictures and |
| which may lead them to ask for mismatched | | | | descriptions of the shoes they want to sell |
| footwear when shopping for shoes. They also | | | | or exchange. |
| may search online for mismatched pairs of | | | | |
| shoes. However, very few shoe stores, | | | | also offers opportunities to entrepreneurial |
| manufacturers, or online suppliers of | | | | types. Many shoe stores - especially |
| footwear offer mismatched shoes. Polio | | | | self-service shoe stores - have a problem |
| survivors - and others - with mismatched feet | | | | with customers swapping out shoes to buy one |
| can resort to several organizations that | | | | shoe in each of their sizes. This leaves the |
| offer single single and mismatched shoes and | | | | stores with pairs of shoes that they cannot |
| organizations that match people with | | | | sell. Often, the stores give those shoes |
| complementary sizes of mismatched feet. Such | | | | away or sell them for a very low price - |
| organizations and matching efforts have met | | | | usually less than a dollar/shoe. |
| with mixed success. Their tasks become more | | | | |
| difficult as the number of brands and styles | | | | A load of thousands of mismatched shoes can |
| of shoes available multiply. | | | | look intimidating, but with a little effort |
| | | | the shoes can be sorted to find matched pairs |
| Several websites now offer single and | | | | and mismatched pairs of shoes in the same |
| mismatched shoes in a variety of brands and | | | | brands, styles, and colors. With the |
| styles. At least two websites, and | | | | millions of people with mismatched feet, |
| OneShoeTwoShoe.net, are retail sources of | | | | there is a large potential market for even |
| single and mismatched shoes. | | | | the mismatched pairs of shoes to be found |
| | | | among the shoes that would otherwise be |
| OddShoeFinder.com, on the other hand, is a | | | | thrown away. All that is needed is a way to |
| free site that allows users to buy, sell, and | | | | connect the people with the shoes with those |
| swap single and mismatched shoes among | | | | who need them. The way is now available. |
| themselves With millions of people having | | | | |