Edward Bogard and his SoGiv shoes are running a path to social awareness and giving back to community
The first time I met Edward Bogard was at church. The affable young man told our congregation all about his SoGiv nonprofit. I listened intently as he explained that he designs shoes that emphasize social awareness and a charity benefits from each pair sold.
It was a novel idea from a talented and creative Black man who wanted to give back to society. I admired his effort.
Since then I’ve heard and learned much more about Bogard and his shoes, and in recent weeks I again encountered the shoe designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He and his overall concept have evolved and so have his shoes.
This month, 10 years after launching his SoGiv nonprofit, Bogard is introducing a human trafficking awareness shoe in a partnership with Restore Corps, a Memphis nonprofit with a mission to eradicate human trafficking. Bogard's design for the shoe was inspired by a painting by Memphis artist Amy Hutcheson, and incorporates Restore Corps' logo and company colors. The proceeds from the sale of the shoe goes to Restore Corps to support its important work. "Human trafficking is a growing issue. The numbers are staggering," says Bogard.
In celebration of its milestone anniversary, SoGiv also is launching a global awareness campaign with the slogan "Run World Change." The campaign will feature awareness ambassadors on each of the seven continents, "symbolic of the entire world racing towards what we all believe is a finish line," Bogard says.
Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi is among the awareness ambassadors. The singer has worked with Bogard to create a socially charged awareness shoe to shed light on world issues that are dear to her. That shoe features all of the continents on the front panel. Ledisi wears the shoes and regularly posts about SoGiv on social media.
Those continents also are featured on Bogard's shoes in a design element trademark he calls "The Mark." He says it is a great way to teach young people about world geography.
In May, SoGiv will release a Black Lives Matter awareness shoe, on the anniversary of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. (Coincidentally, or perhaps well planned, we are now in the midst of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin’s trial, which is livestreamed daily.)
The BLM shoe is a snazzy black running shoe whose design, according to Bogard, “draws inspiration from the streets in which protesters marched” while paying homage to the Pan-African flag with its red, black and green colors. Buyers also receive a SoGiv marker to write the name of the person they may be running to represent, whether that is George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery (who was jogging in Georgia when he was killed) or some other person who has been a victim of injustice. Or maybe just someone special to the buyer.
Historical Black colleges and universities will benefit from the shoe sales. Lemoyne-Owen College here in Memphis will be the first institution to receive donations. "My mom and my uncle studied there," says Bogard.
While in college, Bogard pondered how to make a career using his creative and entrepreneurial talents to give back. "It's in my heart to help others," he says. "It is fulfilling for me to be able to use my God-given talent, my gifts in art and design to create a product that benefits the community and society. There are so many issues about which I'm passionate, and these are creative ways of expression. I've been blessed to make a career from making a difference in the lives of others."
Bogard was inspired by his mother, a teacher who spent 35 years helping families. She retired from Hanley Elementary in Orange Mound, where she would store a lot of Bogard's clothes and shoes to donate to struggling families throughout the school year. "Ultimately, it taught me how to give back and how to pay it forward at an early age," he says.
At the same time, Bogard credits his creativity to his late father, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam and who was an artist. He says his father viewed art as a hobby, but very well could have been a professional.
Bogard earned a BFA in product design at Savannah College of Art and Design, where he made the Dean's List each semester. Back home in Memphis, he created his shoe company SoGiv in an effort to support social causes. It may be the world's first such nonprofit shoe design company.
Through a Hunger Awareness partnership with the Mid-South Food Bank, SoGiv has provided more than 13,000 meals to families struggling with food insecurity. Each hunger awareness pair sold provides 150 meals.
For Shelby County Schools, Bogard hosted a shoe design competition, where student teams were encouraged to incorporate a cause or social issue into their design. The winning design was available for sale to benefit SCS. He says he especially enjoyed working with students and introducing them to shoe design while also expanding their interest in community causes.
With the Salvation Army, he created a shoe that sported the organization's logo. It was showcased on Facebook in a post from Bucharest, Romania, where two Salvation Army officials wore the shoes in front of the Palace of the Parliament.
Over the past decade, SoGiv has partnered with 20 organizations, including Down Syndrome Association of Memphis and Mid-South and the Memphis Urban League, and donated tens of thousands of dollars to support their causes. Steven Tyler’s Janie’s Fund reached out to Bogard to create a shoe to spread awareness of child abuse. Tyler, formerly lead vocalist with world-renowned Aerosmith band, launched Janie’s Fund as a philanthropic endeavor and partnered with Youth Villages here in Memphis to open a Janie's House to help girls who suffer abuse and neglect. Tyler considers Janie’s Fund to be his life’s true mission.
SoGiv's next release will be its Stop Asian Hate awareness shoe, which will be available for presale in May. "It's simply wrong the way innocent people are being treated," Bogard says. "I'm inspired to once again use my platform to create awareness of this wrongful issue. We stand with our Asian friends in solidarity, and we'll have the shoes to prove it."
Bogard's shoes are much more that functional footwear. They make a statement and impact lives by enhancing awareness of important social issues. Like Bogard himself, they are shoes with a mission to truly make a difference in the world. (For more information on SoGiv and Bogard's awareness shoes, go to sogiv.org)