Krafty Kicks
Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and with it the white ban that’s had the fashion law-abiding among us counting down since Labor Day. Colorless-clothes lovers everywhere, rejoice!
But wait... What about those of us who worship many hues rather than seasonal rules? Must we really set aside our brights in favor of washed-out whites? Not if BucketFeet has anything to say about it! In 2007, Aaron Firestein started drawing on white, canvas sneakers.
Dubbed BucketFeet, his masterpieces of the sole were a huge hit. The next year, Aaron moved to the slums of Buenos Aires to work with at-risk kids and met Raaja Nemani, a fellow volunteer who became a fast friend and fan of the crafty kicks.
In the years since, Aaron and Raaja have expanded BucketFeet from a pastime into a labor of love: the creation of wearable art for the sole, with soul. Colorful (the one-of-a-kind designs are by artists from around the globe) and comfortable, BucketFeet also has a conscious.
Proceeds from each pair support kid-friendly organizations: MAGIC, which runs a world-class stringed instrument program for youth in Chicago; love.futbol.org, which builds safe soccer fields around the world; and Children Mending Hearts, which provides resources to art programs for homeless children in the U.S. and abroad.
So slip on a pair. Your fear of having to say a summer-long goodbye to your vibrant duds will find itself dispelled, and your stride, knowing that it’s done good, will be noticeably lighter.
Founded in 2008 by Lysa Heslov, the purpose of Children Mending Hearts is to give children worldwide the power to find and use their voices through creative expression. CMH conducts workshops in the arts in America with local homeless children's organizations, and internationally with NGO's supporting children in conflict zones.