The gym at Bayles Elementary School in East Dallas was turned into a shoe store on Wednesday morning. All 417 students were fitted for a pair of free Nike shoes.
"I remember myself being in their shoes," WNBA star Isabelle "Izzy" Harrison said. "I think footwear is important, and when we feel good, you're gonna play good, you're gonna be good with your friends."
Harrison helped students find the right fit and pair.
The boxes of new shoes were given away by Nordstrom and Shoes That Fit nonprofit.
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"It builds their confidence and their self-esteem. It helps them to participate with energy in school," Nordstrom Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Fanya Chandler said. "One of every 5 kids lives in poverty in the U.S. We think that Shoes That Fit is a great organization to partner with to battle that and to change that for our communities."
At Bayles Elementary, 99% of the student body is of lower socioeconomic status.
"So...they may get new shoes, but not the quality of a Nike shoe," Principal Gloria Kennedy said. "It does a lot for their soul, their spirit, their self-esteem. It's important for them, as we think about their mental health, that they think 'I'm important here.'"
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"It makes me feel good," 5th grader Rosalia Escamilla said, as she and her friends imagined where new shoes would take them.
"Like, be a basketball player, too, or a soccer player," 5th grader Khamora-Hall Walker said. "I want to be a dancer."
"A pair of shoes can take you anywhere; all the places you can go," Kennedy said. "Being a leader, a great citizen, being a great scholar; these are all the things that shoes help you walk into."
For information about how to make a donation to Nordstrom/Shoes That Fit, click here.
