It has been a devastating season of natural disasters around the U.S., and Twisted X is stepping up to the plate. The Texas-based brand is partnering with Soles4Souls to support relief efforts by donating shoes. The brand supplied 20,000 pairs of new men’s and women’s footwear to the charity, valued at $3 million.
Of the shoes, 10,000 units were distributed for Hurricane Beryl relief in the brand’s home state, with an additional 1,100 pairs going to the Houston Police Department. Soles4Souls spearheaded the sorting, transportation, and vetting of nonprofit organizations, ensuring entire communities can access these essential items. Remaining units are being stockpiled for future disaster relief in the wake of recent devastation.
“At Twisted X, compassion is one of our highest priorities and we feel an immense sense of responsibility to take action to assist those in need whenever possible,” offers Prasad Reddy, CEO of Twisted X Global Brands. “Responding to disasters, especially here in our home market of Texas, is important to us as a company and as individuals.” Reddy also gives Soles4Souls credit for being able to foster such a rapid response. “We’re able to reach out to them with a desire to help, and they have the resources to make it happen quickly,” he adds. “Once we assess the needs together, we tell them how many pairs of footwear we want to send and just move as fast as we can because we know that our footwear is needed and there is no point in waiting.”
Reddy adds that the brand’s partnership with Soles4Souls offers a small sense of normalcy to those impacted. “Soles4Souls has a long history of crisis response, and we continue to be touched by the incredible way Twisted X Global Brands rises to the occasion in the darkest of times,” agrees Buddy Teaster, President and CEO of Soles4Souls. “While getting power and utilities is the highest priority after a disaster, there is a great need for shoes and clothing, and our partnership with Twisted X Global Brands helps us fill those gaps.”
“A mentor of mine once told me, ‘You take care of the community because the community makes you what you are.'” —Prasad Reddy, CEO of Twisted X Global Brands
The donation goes to the brand’s core ethos and its four pillars of: Philanthropy, Sustainability, Partnership, and Innovation. Reddy says the brand aims to contribute more than 10% of profits to various community and philanthropic-oriented projects, but when disaster strikes, they’re able to step up even more.
“A mentor of mine once told me, ‘You take care of the community because the community makes you what you are.’ That has always stuck with me,” the CEO adds. “Twisted X is successful because of our community, including our retail partners and our consumers, and it’s important that we acknowledge that and give back.”
Twisted X Global Brands previously partnered with Soles4Souls to provide more than 15,000 pairs of shoes in response to tumultuous natural disasters across Turkey and Syria as well as Ukrainian relief effort needs. Additionally, the brand has partnered with Two Ten Footwear Foundation to donate footwear for the Share Your Shoes Program that benefited individuals affected by natural disasters.
