DENVER — At Valverde Elementary School, Friday morning looked a little different. The gym had been transformed into a shoe store filled with bright colors, smiling faces, and bins of brand-new shoes. Preschool and kindergarten students at the southwest Denver school got to pick out a new pair of shoes and socks, free of charge.
The event was part of a partnership between Wholly Kicks, an Aurora-based nonprofit, and Denver Public Schools. Wholly Kicks brought 127 pairs of shoes for the school’s youngest learners, many of whom come from families working hard to make ends meet.
“We check them in, we partner them off with an adult that can help them out a little bit. But the children are choosing their own shoes,” said Tyg Taylor, founder of Wholly Kicks. “For a lot of children, they’ve never had that experience of saying, ‘Hey, this is the shoe I’m going to pick.’ And no economic stress for mom and dad.”
Taylor started Wholly Kicks in 2018 after an unexpected encounter with a man experiencing homelessness inspired him to give back. What began with Taylor handing out shoes from his truck along Colfax Avenue has grown into a community movement, one that now works heavily on providing new shoes to students in Title 1 schools across the Denver metro area.
“Everybody’s worth it,” Taylor said. “We believe everyone deserves a brand-new pair of kicks.”
For Cynthia Eames, the dean of culture at Valverde Elementary, the moment is more than just about new shoes, it’s about what they represent for the students.
“It’s so important and validating to the kiddos,” Eames said. “To see them choose their own pair of shoes, in the color they like and that actually fit, is just so special.”
Eames has worked at Valverde for nearly 13 years. She said the school serves a diverse community, including many families in financial hardship. Events like this, she said, take one more worry off a parent’s list and give students a boost of confidence that carries into the classroom.
“We’re always trying to help our students and our families and meet them where they’re at,” she said. “Being able to provide an experience like this takes one thing off of our families’ list of something their kiddos need.”
Taylor said that sense of dignity and pride is the reason Wholly Kicks continues to expand.
“We see a lot of children jumping, dancing, running,” Taylor said. “There’s an enthusiasm when you get a brand-new pair of kicks that translates back into the classroom, the joy, the dignity, the excitement. Teachers tell us it helps them capture kids’ attention differently.”
For the Valverde community, it’s a reminder that even small acts of kindness can make a lasting impact.
“To see our students so excited that they get a new pair of shoes, and they’re not being judged by how they look, it gives them confidence,” Eames said. “I guarantee that at recess and lunch, they’re going to be telling us, ‘Look at my new shoes!’”
Taylor says Wholly Kicks relies entirely on donations and volunteers to make its work possible.
“It’s just myself, my work partner Tay, and hundreds of volunteers,” he said. “When we’re together as a community, amazing things can happen.”
Wholly Kicks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides brand-new shoes to individuals and families experiencing economic hardship across the Denver metro area. To donate or volunteer, visit the Wholly Kicks website.
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