Meet the Sneakers Good for the Soul

Say the name Macy Gray around 80s babies and they’re likely to start humming her Grammy-award winning 1999 hit, “I Try.” The singer-songwriter has stayed busy andGray is now adding sneaker designer to her resume. On April 29th, Gray collaborated with sustainable footwear brand, Twins For Peace to release three genderless slip-on sneakers for a good cause.

A portion of sales from each sneaker sold goes towards My Good, the 501(c)3 organization Gray founded alongside Charyn Harris and Grace Blake in July 2020. My Good is dedicated to providing support to families who have lost an immediate family member due to police brutality.

The brand and the non-profit’s pairing is perfectly in tune. Gray spoke of this synergy saying, “I have always been a fan of sneakers and partnering with Twins for Peace was a no-brainer, their values soulfully align with My Good. This collaboration is an effort that will benefit families in need, as well as draw attention to the incredible work Twins for Peace does worldwide. While on the road and even during this past year where comfort is key, sneakers have been a staple in my wardrobe and it was an honor to be able to help design this collection that is not only fashion-forward, but gives back in such a humanitarian way.”

Twins for Peace has had humanitarian roots since their inception. While playing a game of soccer in Madagascar, Max Mussard offered his shoes to a child. He observed the child’s immense happiness and gratitude from a single pair of shoes and that experience inspired him to found Twins for Peace in 2009 alongside his twin, Alexandre Mussard. The France-based duo has been able to donate the equivalent of more than 15,000 shoes working with NGOs in Colombia, Cameroon, Mozambique, India, Haiti, Mali, and Senegal. 

The collaboration with My Good marks Twins for Peace’s first humanitarian initiative in the United States and the support for these families cannot come soon enough. The toll on families who have lost loved ones to police brutality is not just emotional but also financial. Even with increased media coverage of these crimes, the families often seek answers but rarely receive justice. And no amount of justice will ever bring their loved one back. 

In an interview with WWD, My Good co-founder Harris discussed the impact of these murders: “When everything goes away, these families are left to their own devices. The residual effect is on not only the families, but the communities. It is really profound and there is a lot of work that has to be done to make sure they’re OK [and not] re-triggered, re-traumatized.” 

Twins for Peace hopes this collaboration with My Good can be a chance to engage and educate the public on police brutality while also helping to uplift and support these families with resources. On the product page for the sneakers, you have to scroll first through the statistics - 1,127 people were killed by police in the US in 2020; 58% of those police killings were traffic stops or police responses to mental health crises; officers were not charged in 99% of the 2020 killings. 

While the donations to My Good make a big impact, these sneakers are making a low impact on the environment. The soles of these slip-on shoes are made from 50% natural rubber and 50% recycled rubber. The natural rubber material is extracted directly from rubber trees. This raw material releases zero CO2 emissions into the atmosphere while keeping your sole grounded with elasticity and comfort. Recycled rubber adds durability and resistance while reusing a material that would take years to decompose. 

The shoes themselves combine the colors of the American and French flags - red, white and blue. The MG Velcro in Black/White features the words “Peace” and “Love” across the straps. The MG Slip-Ons keep it classic with the Twins for Peace elephants on shoe tongue and My Good in gold foil stamped on the back. They come in two colorways - navy, red and white as well as black and white.