Pic: Vans
Vans’ "Foot the Bill" programme – which is meant to support small business partners throughout the country - is making a comeback. For this, Vans will join hands with independent shops and community driven spaces to create custom footwear and apparel that will be available online. Proceeds from the merchandise will help partners navigate difficult times.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a devastating toll on small businesses, the net proceeds from the "Foot the Bill" merchandise will be going directly to each of the partners involved and help them in these difficult times.
Each participating partner's "Foot the Bill" footwear and apparel will feature unique artwork that best represents its business. Through the Vans Customs website, customers will be able to support a business by selecting its unique design to create a custom pair of Vans. Participating partners will choose one Vans Classics shoe silhouette and it will serve as a canvas for the artist of their choice. Customers will then have the ability to use the Vans Customs tools to select colour, print, and the material combinations to design a truly custom pair of Vans.
To kickoff this year's "Foot the Bill" programme, Vans is partnering with small businesses and venues, Guerrilla Tacos (Los Angeles, CA), Smartbar (Chicago, IL), The Parks Finest (Los Angeles, CA), Red River Cultural District (Austin, TX), and Black Cat (Washington DC). For each of these businesses the funds raised by "Foot the Bill" will be beneficial for ensuring that their employees and establishments can continue contributing their services to their respective communities.
The widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented these businesses with obstacles and stress as they have been tasked with adapting to state mandated closures of non-essential businesses and new guidelines for restaurant operations. Each of the "Foot the Bill" partners is a vital part of the community in which they reside.
"Last year's `Foot the Bill’ programme sold 20,962 pairs of Vans globally and raised over $4 million for the participating partners," said Carly Gomez, VP Marketing of Vans the Americas. "This unique opportunity to offer support to our extended Vans family is the least that we can do to show our appreciation and thank them during hard times."
Vans will add two to three small businesses to the list of "Foot the Bill" partners each week. Vans will produce up to 1000 pairs of custom Vans and 250 t-shirts per business partner and once they're sold out, that design will no longer be available for purchase. In conjunction with Black History Month all of the partners in the month of February will be Black-owned businesses. Also, Vans will be highlighting three Black-owned businesses each week in order to direct consumers to Black-owned businesses throughout the United States.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SV)
Vans' "Foot the Bill" programme – which is meant to support small business partners throughout the country - is making a comeback. For this, Vans will join hands with independent shops and community driven spaces to create custom footwear and apparel that will be available online. Proceeds from the merchandise will help partners navigate difficult times.