Pacoima Students Step Into Brand New ‘Shoes That Fit’

The bright-eyed first grader opened up the box of green Nikes, immediately stuck his nose in, and took a big whiff of that new shoe smell. 

“These are the cleanest shoes I’ve ever had!” he exclaimed. 

Last week, the entire student body at Haddon Avenue STEAM Academy and Magnet School in Pacoima received brand new athletic shoes through a partnership between Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath and the nonprofit Shoes That Fit. 

The Title 1 school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade was incredibly grateful that Shoes That Fit reached out, said Principal Lizette Avila.

“We do have some students that are homeless or that are low-socioeconomic, [who] will definitely benefit from a new pair of shoes,” said Avila. “And they’re very happy to wear them already.”

“I run faster!” said one student, who quickly laced up their new black Pumas and took them for a test run. 

“I can’t believe it! I’ve been dreaming of these,” said another, opening up a box of pink Adidas. 

Shoes That Fit was started in 1992 by a single mom who heard about a child whose toes were curling in because he was forced to wear shoes that were too small, said Shoes That Fit Chief of Staff Julie Stevens. This year alone, it has served over 200,000 children.

“Shoes are really hard because they’re not one size fits all, or there isn’t just a small, medium large,” she said. “And kids are outgrowing shoes like crazy, so families cannot afford to be replacing shoes as often as kids are growing out of them.”

Schools receive measuring kits so that the shoes can be specifically sized for each student, explained Stevens. Through partnerships with retailers and manufacturers, they are able to purchase new brand-name shoes at discounted rates.

“I’m thankful for them actually measuring their feet first in advance so they could get the right size,” said Stella Hernandez, a second-grade teacher at Haddon Avenue. “A lot of them [the students] were saying that they usually get hand-me-downs from their older brother and sister, and they don’t fit just right.”

Typically, Shoes That Fit works with a school to identify students in need and discreetly distributes shoes for those children. However, because Horvath’s office provided a $25,000 grant to purchase the shoes, the nonprofit was able to provide sneakers for all of the over 600 students at the Pacoima school. 

“In communities like Pacoima, where the need is great and the promise is even greater, this kind of support ensures every student can participate fully and proudly in their education,” said Horvath. 

According to U.S. Census Data, 24% of children in Pacoima live below the poverty line, 1.5 times higher than the national rate. 

“Shoes are one of the most expensive items for families to provide,” said Amy Fass, executive director at Shoes That Fit. “When families have to choose between putting food on the table or buying new shoes for school, you can imagine that food wins every time. The simple gift of a pair of shoes can increase a child’s confidence, attendance and performance at school.”