As eating places and meals manufacturers proceed to work collectively to assist these affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, Hedley & Bennett — overlords of the soft-yet-durable apron sector— and Snibbs — the chef-founded footwear firm — simply introduced a brand new kitchen-ready sneaker collaboration that may profit the non-profit Eating places Care, which has been offering grants for meals and beverage employees impacted by the fires.
The collaborative shoe is a brand new colorway takes on Snibbs’ well-liked kitchen-friendly Orbit sneaker, which is designed to be slip-resistant and made out of recycled and biodegradable supplies. As a sensible bonus, it’s additionally water resistant and made with a excessive stretch cloth for extra consolation and suppleness. One of many shoe’s new colorways, Illy, makes a particular nod to Hedley & Bennett’s branding with its vivid purple accents.
Hedley & Bennett’s founder, Ellen Bennett, explains that the lack of her mom’s home within the Eaton Hearth was a giant driving power for her to assist these affected (H&B can also be donating proceeds of its LA Purple and LA Blue caps to the Los Angeles Hearth Division). Snibbs’ founder, chef Daniel Shemtob, additionally misplaced his dwelling within the Pacific Palisades Hearth, and explains how that have helped catalyze the footwear model’s assist efforts on this essay for Eater. As Shemtob says, “I just like the visceral expertise of truly choosing your palms up and serving to folks. That’s what cooking is all about.”
For these unfamiliar with Snibbs, the LA-based model was based by Shemtob in 2020 to supply a sustainable, fashionable work shoe excellent for many who work in kitchens. No disrespect to our beloved, albeit crusty Crocs, however Snibbs’ clogs — I’m particularly referring to the electrical blue colorway — really feel just like the lovechild between a Dansko clog and a few conventional Moroccan babouche slippers. I’m a latest convert to the Snibbs kitchen clog, and was first launched to the shoe by Eater’s particular initiatives director Lesley Suter. They’re spill-proof (I’ve wiped off espresso drips and turmeric juice alike), straightforward to slide on and off, and simply usually make me really feel extra pulled-together after I dip out to the bodega.
As an LA-based model, Snibbs has been enjoying a really proactive position in offering assist to restaurant trade people affected by the fires. Its workforce has been distributing free meals and sneakers at varied drop-off places in Los Angeles to service employees, and it’s donating a share of the proceeds from its ROVR sneakers to World Central Kitchen, a company offering assist to these impacted by the fires (moreover, it’s giving 100% of the earnings from its Smorgasburg clog to Eating places Care). It additionally began a Snibbs Neighborhood Giveback Program, which can present as much as $500 and a free pair of Snibbs footwear to pick candidates. This newest collaboration with Hedley & Bennett is one more feather in its initiatives to supply assist inside the LA restaurant neighborhood.
The Orbit shoe launches Friday, February 7, and may be discovered at Snibbs and Hedley & Bennett. Snibbs has additionally launched a GoFundMe alongside The Lime Truck that may profit fire-affected households.
