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
On March 14th Hav A Sole launched its sixth and most epic road trip to date. The journey began in Los Angeles at the local Finish Line Store where Hav A Sole received a huge donation of shoes. The following day Rikki, Dash and Matias hit the road stopping at Finish Line stores in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, St. Louis until they picked up nearly 600 pairs of shoes. After 6 days of driving and stopping to give out shoes along the way the guys finally reached their destination at Finish Line Headquarters in Indianapolis where there were greeted with a whole lot of love.
During their stay in Indy, Hav A Sole partnered with the Finish Line Youth Foundation, Herbert Simon Family Foundation and Pacers Sports and Entertainment to host a sneaker give away at Outreach Inc. There was definitely something magical that happened as so many people came together to give out shoes.
Hav A Sole was later invited to attend a Pacers game. The guys were stunned when they were presented with a check from Herbert Simon Family Foundation and Finish Line Youth Foundation just before the game at center court.
Hav A Sole would like to extend its heartfelt appreciation to all our friends for your generosity and support. It is through your support and commitment that ‘passing it on’ has become fluid by design. And just like a stone tossed on the surface of the water, the ripple effect becomes wider, transforming the lives of all the people that stand in its wake.
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.
