“We‘ve Got Work to Do!”
The Most Positive Person I Know
The first time I met Steve Muir was at an event in midtown Manhattan. D’Wayne Edwards was running a Pensole event with Footlocker and asked me to be the old guy on a panel of industry experts — a recurring theme in our conversations. Along with Nigel Langley (the future) and Cubby Golden (the present), I (you know what Dwayne designated me as)spoke about the realities of being a footwear designer.
In attendance that evening was a bearded man with a baseball cap. I don’t get out much but I could see that the three people I knew at the event also knew this guy with the hat and beard. I decided to introduce myself — which I rarely do — and learned that this bearded man with a hat ran a not-for-profit that gave shoes away to those in need.
I had assumed that Steve Muir was another sneaker expert or designer or marketing head but he wasn’t. While he has a full-time jobe and a healthy appreciation for sneakers, his focus in the industry is to put shoes on feet.
We spoke for a couple of minutes and exchanged the standard cordial emails.
Then I began to follow Steve on social media.
“We‘ve got work to do!” is his standard call-to-action when it comes to delivering sneakers and gear to those in need. From at-risk school kids in Brooklyn to the homeless in Houston, Steve packs his truck and gets product door to door.
And this product is far from ordinary. Steve has a Rolodex of collectors and stores that donate amazing inventory to his cause so the product is far from basic. Jordan, Nike, New Balance, Adidas, Timberland, Asics. Foot Locker, Extra Butter, Rime. Everything. Donated. These are hand-me-downs but from All-Star big brothers and sisters.
When ‘bait trucks’ were used to tear apart the Chicago’s Southside, they called on Heeling Soles to help bring pride to the community. We were excited to throw in a few bags when Steve flew south to put gear on kids where he grew up in Jamaica.
Over the next year I bump into Steve at the occasional event that I attend every three months or so, until one day when I land on the JON project.
I reached out to Steve with very little vision aside from ‘giving away shoes to seniors’ and hope he emails me back.
“Call me!” was his response.
Over the next couple of months Steve helped our team sort out how to effectively reach out to communities with our offering. He was integral in navigating the spaces of sneakers, nonprofits and the city of New York. We landed in Brooklyn’s Borough Hall with BP Eric Adams thanks to Steve.
But that’s not why Steve is Steve.
At our first event in East Harlem, Steve was there fitting shoes on seniors with his trademark hat, beard and smile.
That’s when I noticed the smile.
For more than a year I interacted with Steve in settings that were industry relevant. All business.
In East Harlem there were people in need of quality footwear and explanations to what ailed them. Steve was all smiles for three hours. When the lady accused us of stealing her new shoes, Steve was smiling. When the old man worried about us not having his size, Steve was smiling.
In Brooklyn the audience was even more critical and Steve was still smiling. “My friend skipped church to come to this raffle and she didn’t win any shoes!” one lady complained. Steve was smiling. We all shared stories of how we can’t let those 2 or 3 unhappy ‘customers’ outweigh the hundreds of folks that are truly happy.
You see, my Aunt Margaret was a lot like Steve. She volunteered at church with folks who were the most in need. So when she came home she had zero interest in hearing about any one else’s petty complaints. Yet, when she sat with the folks who were really in need, she was an excellent judge of who was there to get something for free and who was there because they were truly in need.
There’s a difference.
If you are in line for a free pair of shoes but have a preference between Jordan 11’s and 12’s, you probably aren’t in need. But you certainly deserve a smile.
So the smile on Steve’s face is a combination of joy in the work that he does and the undeniable entertainment you receive in watching the dance of people trying to get free stuff. You’re not there to feel sorry for them. You are there to help.
And Steve is there to help.
When people ask me who I want to help with my projects, I tell them that I want to help heroes. I want to help Steve. I want to help Heeling Soles.
I want to make shoes that make life better for teachers and journalists. I want to make boots for Doctors Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity.
I want to make products for people that smile when they are helping other people.
I want to help Steve because he’s got work to do.
Good things.
PS — Make sure you get him a S’Medium t-shirt so he can flex at your event.
