FDRA Press Release Center

October 4, 2023 Press Release

Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation (FFCF) to Return to NYC with Shoes for a Cure, a Charity Shoe Sale for First Step Breast Cancer Research

This October, the footwear industry will band together to host a 5-day shopping event to find a cure for breast cancer. Nearing its 30th year, with more than $60M raised, the footwear industry is ecstatic to bring its charitable effort back home to NYC.

The Shoes for a Cure Charity Shoe Sale will take place Wednesday, October 18th through Sunday, October 22nd at NYC’s Iconic Chelsea Market. Partners include Allen Edmonds, Birkenstock, Crocs, Easy Spirit, Hoka, Marc Fisher Footwear, Michael Kors, New Balance, Nordstrom, ON, Rack Room Shoes, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sam Edelman, Steve Madden, Timberland, UGG and Zappos.com. Additional information and partners can be found at shoesforacure.org. Key supporters of Shoes for a Cure will gather at Nordstrom’s New York headquarters on the evening of Tuesday, October 17 to kick off this amazing initiative.

Shoes for a Cure will fuel the FFCF’s mission of transforming the shoe industry’s donations of footwear into dollars for first-step funding at leading breast cancer research organizations in the U.S. This year, Shoes for a Cure is thrilled to be partnering with Dr Lisa Newman, internationally renowned breast surgeon and researcher, in support of her life changing first step breast cancer research. Dr. Newman recently conveyed “FFCF has always been visionary in supporting breast cancer research that has been transformational from an oncologic perspective and most importantly lifesaving for our patients. I am incredibly proud and honored that they have supported my team’s international research, which has been unraveling the genetic causes of triple negative breast cancer, as this biologically aggressive form of the disease contributes substantially to the 40% higher breast cancer mortality rates that we see in African American compared to White American women.”

Previously, Shoes on Sale, the FFCF began as a shoe sale in a tent in Central Park in 1994. It was an inspired call-to-action of the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) and Co-Founders Jodi and Jerome Fisher to join the generosity of the shoe industry alongside compassionate customers to raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer.

Sandi Mines, President of the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation (FFCF) and Vice President of the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA), celebrated the launch of Shoes for a Cure saying, “Today, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the Shoes for a Cure charity shoe sale, an extraordinary initiative that aims to make a profound impact in the fight against breast cancer. Breast cancer affects millions of lives globally, and through Shoes for a Cure, we can join hands as an industry and make a tangible difference. Every purchase made during the Shoes for a Cure charity shoe sale will directly contribute to the advancement of groundbreaking research. These funds will empower researchers and scientists to push the boundaries, seeking innovative solutions and ultimately bringing us closer to a world without breast cancer.”

About Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation (FFCF): The FFCF was created to support ongoing research and education programs to fight breast cancer. Funds donated from “SHOES FOR A CURE” are distributed to leading institutions for breast cancer research and education across the United States.

About the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY): FFANY is dedicated to the footwear industry in New York and seeks to serve and promote this vibrant, global business in New York City, the center of many of America’s leading footwear companies. FFANY strives to make it easy for the footwear community—retailers, brands, designers, buyers, and sellers—to do business in New York City.

About FDRA: FDRA is governed and directed by footwear executives and is the only trade organization focused solely on the footwear industry. Serving the full footwear supply chain, it boosts its members’ bottom lines through innovative products, training, consulting on footwear design and development, sourcing and compliance, trade and customs, advocacy, and consumer and sales trend analysis for shoe retailers around the world. FDRA supports 500 companies and brands worldwide, representing 95% of the total U.S. footwear industry.