Deckers delivers new shoes to kids in need

Local students in need took home a new pair of shoes for the summer.

One by one, the names of students at Washington Elementary School were called to collect the shoes they picked out and tried on at Deckers Brand Showcase in Goleta, a week earlier.

Simon Dixon runs Magoo’s Shoes, a non-profit which operates out of Washington Elementary where it started decades ago.

This year, Magoo’s Shoes gave away new shoes to 130 children from five Santa Barbara schools.

Some of the kids have been wearing ill-fitting shoes all year, while others have never owned a new pair.

“This is the culmination of it all. It’s kind of like Christmas Day. The shoes show up and the kids have that magic moment,” Dixon said. “They picked out the shoes and they’ve been waiting for a few days and now they show up. It’s a beautiful day and it’s also the last day of school, so that’s tied into it as well.”

Magoo’s Shoes partners with Deckers to make the giveaway possible. Deckers gives the non-profit a hefty discount, fills the order, then helps to deliver the goods personally to the kids.

“In my world, where I work for a shoe company, I’m used to seeing people get new shoes all the time, and it’s exciting for me and heartwarming for me to see people who truly need them get them and love them.” said Stephen Coyne of Deckers. “It basically brought a smile to their faces and it touches my heart.”

Magoo’s Shoes hopes to reach more students for the next giveaway.

“We have six or eight months of fundraising and we do it all again, hopefully bigger and better next year.” Dixon said.