Fundraisers but not on a shoestring

The pandemic has seen people step forward to help others out, whether it is amplifying leads about oxygen or SOS messages to volunteers assisting the affected with various services.

Joining this list in putting their best foot forward are sneaker shoe enthusiasts or ‘sneakerheads’ who are putting their sneakers up for auction to fund organisations involved in relief work.

As collectables, these shoes often fetch a handsome amount.

Jaideep Singh, an entrepreneur based in Bengaluru, came up with the idea and put up a post on Instagram announcing the auction of two of his "rare" shoes.

"I aim to help people right now. Everyone needs to do their bit because we are in this together. This is an initiative for people," says Jaideep, recounting his recovery from Covid last August, adding, "When you see so much suffering around you, you have got to do something, anything."

Jaideep had plans of putting up even rarer shoes for auction if he was able to raise Rs 50,000 from the sale of both the shoes — the bidding started at Rs 14,000 for one of the shoes and the auction ended with both pairs being sold for Rs 81,000.

Jaideep says that the proceeds will go to Hemkunt Foundation, which helps people with medical oxygen in Delhi, but says that the choice of NGOs rests with the shoe buyer.

Now, many sneakerheads are stepping up and holding similar campaigns, including customising sneakers, following a similar initiative of customised poetry.

A collective of sneakerheads called ‘Soleculture Bengaluru’ too has been putting up shoes for sale for Covid relief with the hashtag — #deedsfromthesole.

Another sneakerhead, Nandith Jaisimha, a filmmaker and photographer, hasn't taken the auction route but has put up 11 pairs of shoes from his collection - each with a fixed price - for sale to raise money.

"Fixed price because we know that ‘X' amount of money will come. I just want people to buy them and hence have priced them less than the retail."

Nandith hopes to raise anything between Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

He sums up why it's time to help in relief work saying: "We are doing our bit to give back to society. We can do without a few pairs of shoes. It is important to save people's lives."