On June 2, 2022, and for the first time since 2019, the Foot Locker Foundation hosted its On Our Feet Gala, an annual tradition that raises funds for youth initiatives and programs on behalf of the Foot Locker Foundation. Since 2004, the Foot Locker Foundation has raised more than $10 million for the Foot Locker Scholarship Program, the United Negro College Fund, and more.
The gala’s theme was titled “Getting Back On Our Feet,” a celebration of the progress within the past two years and an essential reminder of the work that lies ahead.
“The On Our Feet gala has long spotlighted the importance of community service, empowerment, and investing in the next generation of changemakers,” said Chairman and CEO of Foot Locker, Inc., Richard Johnson. “This year’s event is particularly poignant as we get back on our feet to acknowledge how much progress we’ve made together and the opportunities that lie ahead. Now, more than ever, we must take a critical eye to how we invest in initiatives and programs that can affect real change in communities across the country.”
The gala included an A-list of celebrities, athletes, and more, including Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway, Flo Ngala, NBA personality Christian Crosby, and others.
We spoke with the gala’s Master of Ceremonies, Christian Crosby, ahead of the event to discuss the importance of the gala, his full-circle moment with Foot Locker, and more.
SoleSavy: The On Our Feet Fundraising Gala, especially this year, highlights everything going on in the world and the sneaker space. From challenges to changes to progress, how does it feel to be a part of this event as the Master of Ceremonies for this event, given the times we’re living in?
Christian Crosby: It’s an absolute honor. I started in Foot Locker in the stock room as a part-time employee as a young kid growing up; I loved sneakers and my community. When you’re growing up, Foot Locker is the coolest place you can work because you want that sneaker discount. To see my journey, start a brand, work with Foot Locker on a higher level and receive empowerment from them, and be honored as MC at such an incredible gala is such a huge honor.
One of the things that mean so much to me over the last two years, which we’ve seen in our society and within the Black community with COVID-19, has been a huge opportunity for awareness. Companies like Foot Locker put their money where the mouth was the last 20 years, but they’ve doubled down on it now. These are issues we’ve been dealing with for a long time. But the power of social media and the world shifting brought more awareness to these issues.
For Foot Locker putting its money where its mouth is, for this gala to be honoring that, looking forward to doing more of the work that needs to be done, and to pick me as Master Ceremonies? That’s insane. It’s a full-circle thing for me to have their trust and support.
SS: Every time we do a Foot Locker-related interview, everyone seems to have an FL story; it’s telling and inspiring that everything comes back around.
CC: You’ll notice something with the greatest companies in the world — they’ll keep it in-house, in the family. They give the opportunity for their people to grow. That’s why what you’re saying is true. You hear these stories about Foot Locker because they’re true.
I started from working in Foot Locker to now selling my own brand out of the store ten years later. You don’t hear those stories in a lot of places. But at Foot Locker, it’s a common theme.
It’s an honor to represent them, especially at this critical moment in time where a lot of our younger generation is struggling; we had it a lot easier than these kids. Foot Locker recognizes that and is committed to investing in these kids who really want to do these despite the things happening in our world.
SS: The last two years have been very challenging in different ways: spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It’s been a grind in every sense of the word. How has your perspective on life, work, and brand changed?
CC: What’s happened over the course of 2020 between the pandemic and a lot of people waking up & realizing inequities and social-economic barriers that have been in the way of many young people and African-American people in our country, it was really hard to go through that. It brought out a lot of emotions that I never faced or spoken about. It was a “shut up, put your head down, work hard, and push through it” mentality my whole life. It felt like the world started to care at the same time.
What shocked me was that people didn’t know that this was a thing. For people to realize it and then act on it, it went from this stressful moment in time for me to face these feelings to a moment of hope because I saw people rally to try to do something about it, which felt incredible.
It’s been a shift in time for sure. As we’re all recognizing these social issues, it’s important not to get caught up in the bad of it but rather focus on solutions. That’s exactly what Foot Locker is doing. They’re focused on education; they’re focused on economic development by investing; they’re doing the community with local stores which sell brands of the people from the community.
Although it’s been painful and challenging, overall, the world has changed for the better in the last two years. As we push through COVID-19, it’s been challenging. A lot of companies had to scale back, but for Foot Locker to double down on its investment in this time, says a lot about what they’re dedicated to.
The world is more aware of social issues. It wasn’t cool to know what was going on in the world. Now it’s almost uncool if you don’t — that’s great. More people are talking.
SS: Going back to the gala, how important is something like this in a time like this?
CC: We’re back. The last gala was hosted in 2019. The theme is getting back on our feet, and you know I’m coming in with the heat on my feet. It’ll be a celebration. It’s important to celebrate how far you’ve come and the accomplishments you’ve had.
Everybody’s showing up to celebrate what’s happened the last two years, but it’s also going to serve as a reminder, “look what we’ve done but look at what we need to do. Here’s the work that lies ahead.”
It’s a dope event with dope people. It’s important. We’re back baby.
SS: I have to ask then: what’s going to be on feet?
CC: I’m going to be honest, I really don’t know.
Crosby went with the Air Jordan 1 High OG “Mocha” from 2020.
SS: Your brand, LiveLifeNice, has a very similar ethos to the gala in some ways. How important is your brand and its message in the last two years?
CC: I felt like it was meant to be. The mission aligned with the launch and where the world was at the time.
Shoutout to Foot Locker; they’ve been my most consistent customer, supporter, and partner. We started in one store and expanded to 12 within the first few months of working together. It’s been a great run.
LiveLifeNice‘s mission is to empower, inspire, and motivate people to be nice and do nice.
I’ve noticed that negative things get the most attention. I remember as a kid I told my mom, “why are bad things always on the news?” It bothered me. Instead of complaining, I wanted to promote being nice & doing nice and empowering that, pushing that.
SS: Foot Locker, aside from the sneakers, has always been about community and giving back. From your perspective, how is that gala specifically continuing Foot Locker’s commitment?
CC: It’s important that we’re honoring these young leaders whose lives had been affected by these efforts. A lot of time you hear about this money was donated, that money was donated and it sounds good, but you don’t know what happened from that money or who was affected. At the gala, you get to see the fruits of the labor from these donations with the leaders who will be there.
To see where these young leaders are now because of Foot Locker’s support, it’s powerful.
You have to stop and look at what you’ve done, acknowledge it & celebrate it, for people to get the mission and not get lost in the work, in the flow — that’s what this gala does.
Learn more about Foot Locker Foundation here, and stay tuned to SoleSavy for more from Foot Locker and other industry news.
