The Giving Sole Story

Giving Sole was founded by then 10-year-old Gavin Henss and his parents, Shawn, and Alia Henss. Giving Sole has a simple yet powerful mission: to remind foster children that they are more than their circumstances and that their voices matter. It’s a mission that’s been close to the Henss’ hearts ever since they became a short-term foster family to a little girl.

Gavin and his parents weren’t sure what this help would look like until the basketball game that catapulted Gavin into Internet stardom. In March of 2018, Gavin and his dad attended a Cavaliers and Suns NBA game. Gavin had made a sign for LeBron James, showing his support for all the things LeBron does off the court to help his community.

“After our [foster daughter] left our home, we weren’t emotionally ready to foster another child,” says Shawn. “But Gavin still wanted to find a way to support children in foster care. He wanted to help.”

LeBron showed some love back to Gavin by giving him his shooting sleeve that he wore in the game that night. This exchange was not only captured on live tv but also went viral the next day all over social media. After Gavin realized that he was all over social media, he asked his dad if he could use this newfound fame to help children in foster care. It was shortly after that that Giving Sole was born.

After seeing the impact his sign made on so many sports fans, Gavin and his family decided to use this same message as the platform for Giving Sole.

In homage to the charity’s inspiration, Giving Sole gifts children in foster care brand new athletic shoes in a branded Giving Sole bag. Along with each pair of shoes is a handwritten note from Gavin with inspiring messages like, “I can’t wait to see what you’ll grow up to be” and “You are so much more than your circumstances.”

Gavin and his parents hope each message reminds kids that their voices matter and that the shoes are a constant reminder of their inherent worth. It’s also why Giving Sole gifts only brand new, brand name shoes.

“When you’re a kid, walking into school with a brand-new pair of Nike or Adidas shoes is a big deal,” says Gavin’s dad, Shawn. “We want to give these kids not just what they need, but what they deserve.” When the Henss family fostered a little girl for almost a year before she moved to her forever home, they became aware of all the challenges these children face. When the Henss’ went to pick her up from the DCS office, all she had was the clothes on her back and a clear trash bag with a couple pieces of clothes (which did not fit her) and a little stuffed animal. That experience has stayed with the Henss family ever since, which is why they want to give these kids the best experience possible with new shoes.