Hav A Sole’s mission is to provide marginalized populations with quality footwear to encourage healthier lifestyles.
As a young boy, Hav A Sole founder, Rikki Mendias spent years in a shelter with his mother. During that challenging time they couldn’t even afford to buy a pair of shoes. One day a former resident noticed he had holes in the bottom of his sneakers and took him to buy two new pairs. Rikki never forgot her kindness, but the feeling he got from having new kicks, spawned an insatiable need in him to collect shoes.
Fast forward, to 2014, Rikki had over one hundred and fifty pair of shoes, when he suddenly realized there were people out there who had none. That’s when he loaded the back of his car and drove the streets until he found someone who could benefit from a newer pair of shoes. With their permission, RIkki took a before and after photo and posted it on social media. Inspired, many of his followers started sending in tennis shoes from all over the country, and that’s how Hav A Sole was born.
I want to thank everyone that has shown interest in this project. Together, I believe we truly can help one sole at a time.
-Rikki Mendias, Hav A Sole Founder
Hav A Sole is honored to be named a 2025 grantee of the NBA Foundation, supporting our Dream Out Loud program. This generous funding will enable us to expand our mentorship and career exploration workshops for underserved youth, providing them with direct access to industry professionals and meaningful experiences. We’re grateful to the NBA Foundation for recognizing the power of mentorship and creativity, and we look forward to enriching even more young lives through this partnership. Together, we’re building a future full of hope, opportunity, and possibility.
On March 14th, Hav A Sole launched its sixth and most impactful road trip. Starting in Los Angeles at the Finish Line Store with a big shoe donation, Rikki, Dash, and Matias traveled to Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and St. Louis, collecting nearly 600 pairs of shoes. After six days of driving and giving out shoes along the way, they arrived at Finish Line Headquarters in Indianapolis, greeted with hearts full of love.
While in Indy, Hav A Sole partnered with the Finish Line Youth Foundation, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, and Pacers Sports & Entertainment to host a sneaker giveaway at Outreach Inc. The event was truly magical, bringing people together to share the gift of shoes.
The trip concluded with an invite to a Pacers game, where the team received a heartfelt check from the Herbert Simon and Finish Line Youth Foundations, presented live at center court.
Hav A Sole sincerely thanks everyone for your generosity and support. Your commitment is creating a ripple effect, transforming lives one step at a time.
In 2020, as Covid-19 swept across the globe, Los Angeles became a ghost town. The freeways were deserted, schools and businesses closed and the sidewalks were empty. But as things began to ease up in 2022, we discovered the benefits of delivering shoes from the safety of a sprinter van. It was a no-brainer. Hav A Sole needed a van and we are thrilled to announce that our sponsor, SoleSavy has donated the funds towards the purchase of a sprinter van.
We are deeply grateful to our new sponsors SoleSavy for their support.
