Social Status Is Letting People Pay It Forward With Latest Nike Collab

The Social Status x Nike Air Max Penny 1 “Recess” launch took place last week and although the sneakers are currently out of stock, the Whitaker Group store will not only be giving people another chance to buy the collab, but will be offering customers the chance to help out the community with a unique release.

Aligned with the start of the back to school season, this secondary drop is intended to bring awareness to the difficulties that parents and families face in getting students prepared to return. When customers check out during the upcoming release, they’ll be able to provide information of a person in need and/or a back to school-focused organization they’d like to donate to. Those who don’t have a person or organization in mind can also choose to have the team behind The Whitaker Group’s non-profit sector, The Whitaker Project, select for them.

The Whitaker Group founder and owner James Whitner spoke about the upcoming release and why it’s bigger than the sneakers. “I remember Christmas and back to school being the worst times of the year—just having nothing, with the hope of excitement of something new but nothing to come,” he said. “It is a demoralizing feeling, especially as the effects of the economic climate begin to affect families deeply at a time of already dire need. We’ve all seen the stats and understand the pressures of back to school on households. We can’t stand idle when we know the collective power of community as a change agent—this is less about sneakers, it’s about enabling this community to show up and help those most at-risk at a time when it can help them focus on what matters most: their education.”

Scheduled for a 9 a.m. ET release on Friday, July 22, select sizes of both the black and desert sand Social Status x Nike Air Max Penny 1 “Recess” will be available from socialstatuspgh.com for a retail price of $190 each.