Bronzed shoes

I was digging around in an old box and found these - my baby shoes that my parents had bronzed! They were from my first two years (the plaque is dated with my second birthday) and I had worn holes in the big toe areas - a precursor to future shoe issues.
I wonder how many parents do this anymore? A quick Google search shows that there used to be kits sold (Popular Mechanics had one) that parents could buy and preserve their baby's shoes.
A very endearing find!