Homeless man who was given shoes by a jogger in viral photo now has a job offer

Homeless man who was given shoes by a jogger in viral photo now has a job offer - ABC News

Homeless man who was given shoes by a jogger in viral photo now has a job offer - ABC News
These Shoes Are Made From Excess Waste Leather - Forbes
What was up with Brooks Koepka's shoes at the Tour Championship? - Golf Digest
These Stylish Shoes Look Like Sneakers but Take a Beating Like Work Boots - Inverse
Kylie Jenner's Shoe Closet Is as Massive as You Expected - HarpersBAZAAR.com

Homeless man who was given shoes by a jogger in viral photo now has a job offer - ABC News

Posted: 23 Aug 2019 02:23 PM PDT

A homeless man in New York City who was given a pair of shoes by a stranger passing by him while jogging earlier this week has now been offered a job and a second chance.

A Twitter account by the name of @NYorNothing posted a video on Sunday showing a man dressed in a red shirt and dark shorts giving his shoes to a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk.

"It was 9 a.m. in the [World Trade Center] area," the tweet said. "I watched as a jogger took off his sneakers, gave them to a homeless man and walked the NYC streets barefoot."

The homeless man, identified as Joe Arroyo, 30, spoke to ABC News station WABC-TV in New York on Wednesday about that random act of kindness in lower Manhattan.

"I was sitting here with a sign, saying that I'm homeless and hungry and that my shoes, that they're broken. … He was jogging from down the block. He just saw me and stopped," Arroyo said. "I never thought somebody would just come out and take their shoes off and just give them to me."

Arroyo told WABC-TV that the jogger, whom he did not know, had walked by and noticed that he had holes on the bottom of his sneakers. Arroyo told the news station what the stranger said to him.

"[He said], 'I've been blessed pretty much my whole life. God has been very nice to me. … Feels like I should bless you too. Here, take my shoes.' And, he took them off and gave them to me. I was surprised. … It was something from the heart. … I wanted to...hug the guy or something but then a homeless man hugging somebody is not normal out here."

During the interview, Arroyo said that although he'd been living on the streets for years, he was looking for a job and open to any opportunity offered to him.

That's when Andrew Zurica stepped in. Zurica had seen the TV piece and wanted to help Arroyo. Zurica, the owner of Hard Times Sundaes, started with a food truck and now owns three additional eateries — Andrew's Roadside Classic Burger, Brooklyn Bagel and Luncheonette.

He said he also knew about hitting hard times and second chances at life; in the 1990s, Zurica went to prison for four years for international drug trafficking, according to WABC-TV. When he got out, he created Hard Times Sundaes and the rest is history.

"If we could figure out a way to get you a job and get you active, I have openings in three of my restaurants, where we'd be happy to have you," he told Arroyo when they met Thursday. "The one thing that makes me happy is being able to be in a position where I can give back and help people in some way."

Arroyo told WABC-TV that before that meeting with Zurica he'd been losing hope.

"I was in a hole," he said. "I didn't want nobody to pick me up out of the hole. [All] I needed somebody to do is just throw a ladder and I would climb out myself. This [is] the ladder. … This is more than a blessing right now."

These Shoes Are Made From Excess Waste Leather - Forbes

Posted: 23 Aug 2019 01:17 PM PDT

Sarah Watkinson had had stints at Topshop, Dr Martens, Harrods and the Pentland Group when she realized she wanted to give designing her own shoes a go "mainly for a bit of fun and experience".

Her aim was simple: produce colorful and wearable ladies shoes with "good ethics and sustainability", at affordable prices. But the reality was a little harder. "The women's shoe industry is an incredibly saturated market. And finding your place in it is very difficult," 29-year-old Watkinson, who is based in London, says.

"It's a tough market to break into. One of the biggest challenges has been that growth in the shoe industry requires more working capital and stock. If we want to sell on top platforms, we need to have the stock and supply without it actually being bought outright from the distributor until it is sold to the customer.

"For a small business it is sometimes too much of a risk. As the wholesale market is moving more to this way this is more of a challenge that we face."

But Watkinson didn't let this faze her. Eight years ago, in 2011, she launched Yull while at university. Last year the company sold more than 800 pairs in the six week lead-up to Christmas.

"If you have a good niche you can see positive and quick reactions," she says. "Word can travel very fast through social media these days and the world is our market. We ship to every continent."

In her time in the industry, Yull says she's seen "tremendous" changes.

"When I first started Instagram didn't even exist. But it's made a huge impact on our business. The way people shop is now more than 50% on mobile. People's styles have even changed; heels used to make up the bulk of a wardrobe collection, now it is trainers."

The company, which has just two full time staff, is funded by The Prince's Trust, and has an annual profit of around £220,000 ($268,000). Its main unique selling point is that all the leather used in the manufacturing of the shoes is a by-product from the meat industry, mainly coming from Spanish wholesalers.

For the brand's SS20 collection, Watkinson is pushing the sustainability boundaries even further; using soles made from recycled rubber and uppers made from PET recycled bottles. All glue used is non-animal based, and all mailing bags are recyclable, with the shoes coming in canvas cotton bags, rather than wrapped in plastic.

"Because we're a small brand, we can really be on top of sustainability," Watkinson explains. "We also manufacture the shoes in the UK, so we keep everything local. We're so proud that we have such a broad range of customers, as we have buyers from all over the world, and from all age ranges.

"I feel that the market is moving more to a just in time delivery. Our next challenge is to manufacture quicker and be able to manufacture in season. as we have long lead times for our shoes we have some very popular styles where we have a lot of excess demand and therefore that is a lot of sales that we are missing out on due to lack of supply."

"My dream is to become more of a global brand, and to be able to manufacture on a 'just in time' basis," Watkinson adds, "with stock holdings in different parts of the globe."

What was up with Brooks Koepka's shoes at the Tour Championship? - Golf Digest

Posted: 24 Aug 2019 06:40 AM PDT

ATLANTA—For much of the week, it's been what Brooks Koepka hasn't worn that's garnered attention. But on Friday, the four-time major's fashion choice sent golf fans scrambling for answers.

Cameras caught Koepka wearing what appeared to be a zip-line tag on his Nike shoes, a piece that didn't seem conducive to play. Following his round, one that saw the reigning and likely Player of the Year take a one-shot lead, Koepka was indignant that fans hadn't picked up on his trendsetter look:

Q. People were asking what's on your shoes, Oasis?
BROOKS KOEPKA: The Off-Whites? It's fashion, Bro.

Q. No, the other.
BROOKS KOEPKA: This is such like a typical golf nerd, like 40-year-old white man like --

Q. I've got two kids.
BROOKS KOEPKA: I don't know how to explain it. It's Off-White. It's fashion. I guarantee the whole golf world has no clue what Off-White is, but it's fresh. If you're a sneaker head, you'll get it -- or into fashion. Sneaker heads know, yeah.

Q. Sneaker heads know.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah.

Q. Will I explain to the 40-year-old white golf guys? No.
BROOKS KOEPKA: The average guy won't know what the deal is.

Well, this average 32-year-old white golf guy remains lost.

According to fashion site Hypebeast, "the collaborative sneaker has also been embellished with contrasting white details found on the Swoosh insignias and Off-White's signature text branding located on the medial portions. To finish off the pair, the updated Nike Air Max 90s have been re-soled with a grass-ready spiked outsole."

As for that tag? What signifies an Off-White product—designed by Birgil Abloh, an artistic director for Louis Vuitton—is a zip-tie that hangs from the laces. Essentially similar to keeping a New Era sticker on a hat ... only if that hat cost $800.

Personally, this feels like something out of "Zoolander." Conversely, perhaps golf has become so easy for Koepka that he now challenges himself by playing with a fork sticking out of his sneaks.

These Stylish Shoes Look Like Sneakers but Take a Beating Like Work Boots - Inverse

Posted: 24 Aug 2019 12:26 AM PDT

Americans love sneakers. We love them so much that we buy roughly $20 billion worth of them every single year. And it's not hard to understand why. Sneakers are light, comfortable, and stylish. One thing they are not, however, is durable. But now even that's starting to change thanks to Indestructible Shoes.

As you probably guessed, the folks at Indestructible Shoes specialize in making footwear that can take a serious beating. But that in itself is hardly original. There has always been footwear that can take a serious beating. They're called work boots. The problem with work boots, however, is that they're heavy and uncomfortable. Also, they look like work boots. And that's not always what you want.

What makes Indestructible Shoes unique is that they give you the protection and durability of work boots—steel toes, skid-proof grips, shock-absorption technology, anti-puncture heels, electric shock insulation, and ultra durable materials—but they look and feel like sneakers. That means you can wear them straight from the job sight to the bar, from the back yard to the family BBQ, and no one will bat an eye.

That may sound impossible, but it's not. If you wear work boots on a daily basis, or you're looking for the perfect pair of shoes for doing typical weekend work around the house, you've got to take a look at Indestructible Shoes.

One of the newest designs from Indestructible Shoes, the CamoX is the ultimate year-round all-in-one shoe. The outsole is extremely flexible and the insole features extra padding and 3D arch support, providing you with superior all-day comfort. They're also easy to slip on and off, saving time and your back. But the CamoX doesn't just offer comfort. With European steel toes, a puncture-resistant sole made from military grade kevlar, and shock-absorbing cushioning in the midsole, the CamoX also offers serious protection. And it's completely waterproof, so you can always count on your feet staying dry and comfortable.

Most people would probably be happy to pay over $200 for a shoe of this quality. However, the regular price of the CamoX is just $160, and right now you can get them for just $79. That's a deal that's simply too good to pass up.

The Ryder is very similar to the CamoX. For convenience, the it's easy to slip on and off with its no-tie lacing system. For comfort it has an extremely flexible outsole and a padded shock-absorbing insole. For safety is has European steel toes, a puncture-resistant sole made from military grade kevlar, and shock-absorbing cushioning in the midsole. However, whereas the CamoX provides protection from the elements, the Ryder features a "flymesh" upper that provides ultimate temperature control and breathability.

Though it normally retails for $160, right now you can get the Ryder Grey for just $79.

Indestructible Shoes' Camouflage Gray is part of their military inspired Battlefield Series, which is designed to provide maximum style, comfort, and protection for work, exploration, adventure, or play. Their modern style make them look like a sneaker-hiking shoe hybrid. However, underneath they've got special shock-absorption technology to minimize pains and aches after a hard day's work, an anti-puncture sole with skid-proof grips, and special insulation to protect against electrical shock.

Just like the CamoX and the Ryder Grey, the Camouflage Gray normally goes for $160, but right now is on sale for just $79.

So if you're looking for a pair of shoes that look great and can handle any job or adventure you throw at them, you need to take advantage of these deals from Indestructible Shoes.

Inverse may receive a portion of sales from the post above, which was created independently from Inverse's editorial and advertising team.

Kylie Jenner's Shoe Closet Is as Massive as You Expected - HarpersBAZAAR.com

Posted: 23 Aug 2019 01:15 PM PDT

In photos posted to her Instagram story yesterday, Kylie Jenner showed off the most delectable shoe collection to ever grace social media.
From Gucci to Balenciaga, from pumps to slides, Jenner proves that she has a shoe for every occasion.

It's official! Kylie Jenner's shoe closet is bigger than my entire apartment.

Yesterday, the known fashion lover took to her Instagram story to share her unbelievable collection of shoes. From Gucci to Balenciaga to Bottega Veneta, Jenner proved that American excess can look sharp with some killer heels.

In the first photo, she wrote, "went shoe shopping today," and flaunted her haul. The make-up executive modeled a pair of black Gucci Shea Crystal-Embellished Canvas and Neoprene Sandals (you know, the dad sandals that somehow made their chic sartorial debut earlier this year?), which cost $1,250. She posed next to two pairs of the same pointed heels–Balenciaga's Knife Fringed Leather Pumps–with one in black and the other in white because why not when you can afford it?

Instagram

Next, she gave us her best calf flex while donning a hot red, ballet-styled slip by Balenciaga. A cute golden anklet was also visible in this snap.

Instagram

Jenner also modeled a pair of the Bottega Veneta Padded Flat Sandals, which retail for $690, next to her stylish collection of black heels.

Instagram

Then, she gave us a brief and probably tiny glimpse into the rest of her entire shoe closet, captioning it, "I have a problem??"

Instagram

This isn't the first time Jenner took us inside her wardrobe. Earlier this month, she also showed off her incredible purse closet, which could just as easily be classified as a glorified sanctuary for handbags.