The Bay Area churns out creativity and activism like nowhere else I’ve ever been. So it’s no surprise when the two commiserate to feed you aesthetically, artistically and philanthropically at the same time. This is exactly what the upstart BucketFeet is striving to do. The brainchild of Berkeley-bred Aaron Firestein and Indiana-raised Raaja Nemani, BucketFeet is a shoe company with a mission. Three actually.
The first is to bring you detailed original designs. In a world of fashion-minded men and women and folks eager to stand out, BucketFeet are providing a much sought after accent to any person’s wardrobe. The shoe structure itself is reminiscent of Vans, but the designs that adorn the canvas surfaces puts an artistic twist on the old standard. The hand-drawn and painted geometric designs on the first run were created by Founder and Creative Director Firestein, and then digitally transferred in order for them to be produced. Each shoe design is a limited edition because they are also exclusive works of art, and because there are more artists to be showcased.
This brings us to their second mission, to showcase a dope international art community in a new way. Firestein started hand-painting shoes for fun and friends during his tenure as a student at the University of Oregon. But then he started traveling the world and took up residence in South America, where he met company CEO Nemani. In his time abroad he connected with a lot of amazing artists that the duo is eager to introduce America to. Subsequent lines of the limited edition kicks will feature an extremely diverse array of artists that you can check out on their website. For BucketFeet, it’s not just about making cool shoes, it’s about spreading art to a generation less likely to visit museums, by artists less likely to be invited into one. There is an altruistic spirit embedded in this upstart that is refreshing, but it doesn’t end there.
The final, and arguably most important, mission of BucketFeet is to contribute to youth development work around the globe. To do this, a portion of all proceeds from shoe sales are contributed to partnering non-profits. The first three organizations that BucketFeet has linked with, do very different things, but do them well. Magic in the south side of Chicago runs a world-class string instrument program for youth. Love.Futball in DC funds and mobilizes communities in the developing world to build safe local soccer fields. And LA-based Children Lending Hearts implements arts programs for homeless youth in the US and abroad via aid missions.
To sum it all up, BucketFeet is both a company and an approach. The thought is that we can look fly, showcase unique artistic creations, and positively contribute to a world we receive so much from, all at the same time. Check out BucketFeet’s website and cop a pair or two. They just launched this past week, so you can be one of the first folks to rock a pair of these limited edition kicks. Upstart businesses face a tough road in this economy, so please support a company trying to do right with the few dollars you have.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment