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For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Easy Spirit has partnered with Shoes for a Cure, a program under the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation (FFCF) and the footwear industry’s leading fundraiser for breast cancer research, once again.
As part of their partnership, the comfort brand has launched the limited-edition “Move for Pink” Maxine Sneaker, available today. The shoes retail for $99 and a portion of the proceeds from this sale will support internationally renowned breast surgeon and researcher Dr. Lisa Newman’s groundbreaking breast cancer research, while parent company Marc Fisher Footwear will donate $25,000 to further her efforts.
Easy Spirit also partnered with Katie Couric and Katie Couric Media for a live podcast recording, which took place on September 25th, to amplify the cause.
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The issue is personal for Couric, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022.
As part of Couric’s acclaimed “Next Question” podcast series, the iconic journalist sat down with her surgeon Dr. Newman, along with Sharon Joseph, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
During the talk, the women focused on prevention and empowerment, while highlighting inequities in research and treatment for marginalized and Black communities.
According to research, white women and Black women are diagnosed with breast cancer at the same rate, but Black women have a 40% higher mortality rate.
“I couldn’t stop thinking what would I have done if I had to wait to get my lumpectomy, if I had to wait to get my mammogram, if my doctor didn’t automatically give me a breast ultrasound every time I was checked,” said Couric. “Your health should not be determined by your zip code or your bank account, and it so often is. That’s why I am so passionate about not only giving the people the information they need, but supporting them because it’s just unfair that a person of means is a survivor, and a person who doesn’t have means is often not. The inequities are maddening.”
The limited-edition Maxine Walking Shoe is available through EasySpirit.com, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Amazon, and Zappos throughout October. Proceeds will continue to fuel life-saving breast cancer research, advancing the fight to find a cure.
For the past three decades, the footwear industry has raised more than $60 million for the cause. Last year, the Shoes for a Cure charity shoe sale raised $600,000 for breast cancer research.
