Hav A Sole’s mission is to provide underserved youth with quality footwear to encourage healthier lifestyles.
When Rikki Mendias was 10 years old, he was living in a shelter with his mother. Money was tight, and something as simple as a good pair of shoes felt out of reach. He remembers walking around in sneakers with holes in them, embarrassed and trying not to draw attention. One day, a woman who had once lived in the same shelter noticed and, without making a big deal of it, bought him two new pairs of shoes.
As he got older, he couldn’t stop thinking about all the other kids who might be feeling the same way. By 2014, at age 31, Rikki decided to give away his beloved sneaker collection to people in need across Los Angeles. He turned his passion for photography into a way to document each pair’s journey, and his life found purpose.
What started with one pair of shoes and one childhood memory grew into Hav A Sole, a nonprofit focused on giving more than just sneakers. Through mentorship, community support, and programs like Dream Out Loud, Hav A Sole helps young people feel confident, inspired, and reminded that their story matters.
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.
Dream Out Loud is an innovative program created to inspire and equip underserved youth with the tools, skills, and mentorship needed to pursue their dream careers. Each workshop is tailored to a different industry, whether it’s sports, fashion, music, or creative arts, giving participants hands-on experience guided by industry professionals. To further set them up for success, Hav A Sole ensures that each participant receives the right pair of sneakers for their workshop, making sure they are both comfortable and confident as they embark on their journey of self-discovery and growth.
In San Francisco, Hav A Sole teamed up with the Warriors and Starry to host a hands‑on Dream Out Loud Creative Film workshop led by film industry professionals. Youth participants learned storytelling and production techniques, then worked in teams to conceptualize and shoot their own mock commercial, bringing creativity and teamwork to life. At the end of the day, Hav A Sole surprised every participant with a brand‑new pair of sneakers, sending them home inspired, confident, and ready to step into their next creative opportunity.
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.
