Naturalizer and Dress for Success Partner in "Give Shoes.Give Hope." Footwear Donation Program
ST. LOUIS, April 25, 2008 – Naturalizer, one of the first footwear brands to offer women feminine style combined with comfort, is partnering with international non-profit organization Dress for Success in a program to help thousands of women take their first step to a new life, in new shoes.
As a key initiative in Naturalizer’s “Start Something Beautiful” program, the “Give Shoes, Give Hope” program encourages women to bring their gently-worn, work appropriate shoes to any of the 134 Naturalizer retail and outlet stores in the U.S., and Naturalizer will donate them to Dress for Success, which promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women. Naturalizer will contribute a total of 4,300 new pairs of career footwear to participating Dress for Success affiliates. For every consumer who donates a pair of shoes, she will receive a 20 percent off coupon towards her next in-store purchase. “Give Shoes, Give Hope” takes place May 3 through 11 to coincide with Mother’s Day.
“Naturalizer is inviting consumers to start something beautiful by helping women pursue a new career, and perhaps an even better life, with a donation of one or more pairs of shoes. We love the idea of not only supporting Dress for Success, but involving our customers as well by building a community of women helping women,” said Brown Shoe Senior Vice President-Marketing Terri Rawson. “Shoes are an emotional purchase for all women, and we hope participating in this program will make them feel as good as that moment when they find the perfect pair.”
Dress for Success clients are typically women that have suffered some kind of hardship, and are returning to the workforce or entering it for the first time. As many of these women are single parents, the Mother’s Day timing is a natural fit.
“As a result of the support from Naturalizer and their generous customers, thousands of our clients will move one step closer to a new life of self-sufficiency and success,” said Joi Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Dress for Success Worldwide.
Launched in 1927 as one of the first comfort-driven fashion footwear brands, Naturalizer strives each season to deliver just the right blend of style and comfort for the busy lifestyle of today's woman.
ABOUT DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Founded in New York City in 1997, Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization offering services designed to help our clients find a job and remain employed. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and can return for a second suit or separates when she finds work.
Since 1997, Dress for Success has served almost 300,000 women around the world. Each year DFS reaches more than 40,000 women in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. All Dress for Success organizations are not-for-profit entities, with Dress for Success Worldwide and its U.S. affiliates having 501(c)(3) charitable status.
ABOUT BROWN SHOE COMPANY
Naturalizer is the flagship women's brand of Brown Shoe Company, Inc.. More information about Naturalizer is available at http://www.naturalizer.com. Brown Shoe is a $2.4 billion footwear company with global operations. Brown Shoe’s Retail division operates Famous Footwear, the approximately 1,100-store chain that sells brand name shoes for the family, approximately 300 specialty retail stores in the U.S., Canada, and China under the Naturalizer, Brown Shoe Closet, FX LaSalle, and Franco Sarto names, and Shoes.com, the Company's e-commerce subsidiary. Brown Shoe, through its Wholesale divisions, owns and markets leading footwear brands including Naturalizer, LifeStride, Via Spiga, Nickels Soft, Connie and Buster Brown; it also markets licensed brands including Franco Sarto, Dr. Scholl's, Etienne Aigner, and Carlos by Carlos Santana and Barbie, Disney and Nickelodeon character footwear for children. Brown Shoe press releases are available on the Company's website at http://www.brownshoe.com.