Agency Footwear and Harry Belafonte‘s The Gathering for Justice Org Create Sneakers to Benefit the Fight for Equity
Agency Footwear has teamed up with The Gathering for Justice (The Gathering), an organization founded by beloved singer and activist Harry Belafonte, for a long-term partnership. This will begin a sneaker release, with proceeds from every pair sold going toward the fight for equity and justice.
“The Gathering is the ideal partner because they’re established leaders in the social justice community on multiple levels, from organizing immediate and focused actions like the Women’s March and the ‘I Can’t Breathe’ protest around the murder of Eric Garner, to their ability to zoom out and build large coalitions under the founding principles of Harry Belafonte,” Agency Footwear and creative director Mathew Drazic told FN. “Coalition building that was an integral part of the civil rights movement and even made ‘We Are the World’ happen.”
He continued, “My personal goal is to be able to bring my whole self to work by becoming a part of the greater solution for the seemingly insurmountable challenges we’re all facing today, such as growing inequality, climate change and social division. For a sneaker brand to do something like that, I believe it needs to highlight the people working hard to make a difference every single day, and for me, The Gathering are those people.”
The first release from this partnership is the Agency Guardian, an existing silhouette from the brand. The silver and white “look”Storm” colorway is dedicated to The Gathering.
The Guardian, as described by Agency Footwear, is a mid-top, general purpose sneaker “with interchangeable purpose-based iconography.” Agency Footwear further stated that the shoes are made with sustainable materials, such as its D-Lite plant-based foam midsoles and D-Vine plant-based rubber outsoles.
“The collection stands out because it doesn’t just stop at style. It’s a conversation starter,” The Gathering president and chief executive officer Carmen Perez-Jordan told FN. “It speaks directly to The Gathering’s mission by embedding core values of justice, equity, and empowerment into something people wear every day. When individuals put on these shoes, they’re walking in solidarity with the movement and with communities fighting for systemic change.”
The shoe will release exclusively via New York-based boutique retailer Extra Butter at its Lower East Side location on Oct. 3. Also, there will be a pre-order on Agencyfootwear.com starting Sept. 19.
What’s more, to highlight both The Gathering’s mission and Agency Footwear’s goal to help shift popular culture towards equity and justice, they have created a launch campaign video that is tied to the notion that “activists are athletes and the sport is change.”
Both Agency Footwear and The Gathering have lofty goals for their partnership looking ahead.
“From the very beginning, we established this to be a long-term partnership, ensuring that Agency Footwear will continue to directly support those fighting for change for the lifecycle of the company. I see the potential for more expansive capsule collections and collective actions all in support of engaging the entire community of activists worldwide,” Drazic said. “Coming from a performance footwear background, the way I think of it is that activists are athletes and the sport is change, so the plan is to continue to promote and endorse activists and build the biggest, strongest team of change makers we possibly can.”
Perez-Jordan added, “This partnership opens the door to deeper collaborations beyond just product releases. We envision future campaigns that combine fashion with education, cultural programming and public dialogue. This could include co-hosted events, workshops, or even the development of educational tools around key issues such as criminal justice reform and police accountability. Additionally, there’s potential to engage other artists and designers to interpret The Gathering’s mission through their own creative lens, furthering the impact of both our work and the partnership with Agency Footwear. Together, we’re looking to not only sustain our movement but also to elevate it through meaningful and lasting initiatives.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.