Way back when Alvies the company was just a gleam in our eyes, we knew we wanted to make giving back to the community a part of it. But we didn’t want to have just another corporate giving program — we wanted to use it to celebrate the people who make Austin, Austin.
Since launching this summer, we’ve been giving a portion of every sale to two great causes: Health Alliance for Austin Musicians and the Southern Smoke Foundation's Emergency Relief Fund.
Now we've officially launched Alvies Kicks Back to make our goal of giving back through noted Austinites a reality. Here’s the deal: Each of our boots and flops will have a Kickback Ambassador who will choose where its charitable proceeds go. Ambassadors (KAs, if you’re hip) are people who have contributed to the culture and character of the city: artists, entrepreneurs, musicians, people unafraid to rock a bold haircut, etc.
Here are the Kickback Ambassadors for our current line of boots:
Stacy Franklin, The Rainey
Stacy is a serial entrepreneur and co-owner of Austin’s smoky, delicious institution Franklin Barbecue, as well as Franklin Barbecue Sauce and Franklin Barbecue Pits. She’s giving back a portion of Rainey sales to Les Dames d'Escoffier Austin, which is dedicated to inspiring, advancing and supporting women in the culinary and hospitality industries.
Jackie Venson, The Rio Grande
Jackie is a guitar phenom, songwriter and classically trained pianist whose guitar skills have been recognized by the Austin Chronicle and Guitar.com. She has selected E4 Youth to receive a donation for every Rio Grande sale. The organization helps find and nurture creative talent from traditionally under-represented groups, including people of color and women.
Juan Meza, The Congress
Juan is the owner of the Eastside classic restaurant Juan in a Million, where he serves up great Tex Mex and the most solid handshake in town. Juan has chosen Con Mi MADRE as to receive a portion of all sales from The Congress. They empower the mothers of young Latinas through education and support services that increase success in their educational journey.
Eric Tessmer, The Comal
Eric is a gifted guitar player, singer and songwriter who has been named Best Guitarist in Austin. He has chosen Austin Pets Alive! as the recipient of charitable contributions from sales of The Comal. APA is an animal adoption and advocacy organization that has saved more than 80,000 animals and made Austin the largest No Kill city in the country.
Laurie Gallardo, The Guadalupe
Laurie is a famous voice in Austin as a host and producer at public radio station KUTX, an evangelist of Austin music and an advocate for Austin musicians. Laurie has chosen to give back a portion of every Guadalupe sale to Project ATX6, which is part career incubator and part documentary with the goal of supporting Austin music and sharing it with the world.
Gordy Quist, The 6th Street
Gordy is a prolific Austin musician and producer who is a founding member of The Band of Heathens and owner of the Finishing School recording studio. He has chosen to send a portion of every pair of 6th Streets sold to The SIMS Foundation, which provides mental health and substance use recovery services and support for musicians, music industry professionals and their families.
Alvie, Jr., The Lamar
The Lamar is our original boot, inspired by the collection of classic cowboy boots my grandpa handed down to me when he passed away. So we wanted to do something a little different to honor the man that inspired the company and its name. My grandpa, Alvie Franklin Faulkenbery Jr., was my hero and a decorated veteran who served in World War II. To celebrate his life and his service, we give the chratible portion of Lamar sales to The Iron Freedom Foundation, which organizes outdoor experiences for veterans that offer them constructive challenges and a lasting support community.
Featured Boots
We’ll also continue donating a portion of sales from all our other products to HAAM and Southern Smoke to help Austinites in need get back on their feet.
We’re incredibly excited to officially launch Alvies Kicks Back as a unique way to give back through some of our favorite Austinites. We’ll be adding additional Kick Back Ambassadors as we expand our products in the months and years to come.
If you’re interested in becoming a part of our Alvies Kicks Back program or know someone who would be a good fit, hit us up at holler@alvies.com.
About Alvie
Alvie is the founder of Alvies (makes sense, right?), a man obsessed with boots and flip-flops. He spent six years designing and selling them out of an Airstream. That time was like his vision quest, where he learned everything he could about traditional bootmaking and leatherworking in order to build the best boots and flip-flops on the planet. In addition to being our Presidente and chief product designer, he’s also our resident boot expert and dropper of knowledge on the blog.