Nike has unveiled its first-ever hands-free shoes, the Nike GO FlyEase, which snaps right onto your feet. The shoe was designed for accessibility for those with a limited range of physical abilities and is being praised for the accessibility. The design lets the wearer slip in and out of the shoe without bending over, and to put them back on the wearer just slips in their foot and the shoe snaps back to form.

And it all started with a letter from a student with cerebral palsy. 16-year-old Mattew Walzer wrote Nike to explain his cerebral palsy made tying shoelaces extremely difficult and implored them to be “the forerunner in producing athletic shoes that will make the difference in the quality of so many lives.” This inspired the designer to work on a prototype that would fit (pun intended!) the need.

“the design is so lazy” to YOU but my 19yr old disabled sister who can’t put shoes on w/o assistance would LOVE these bad boys https://t.co/2e46rPrOE6

— gay little monkey in a gamestop (@deathofshe) February 1, 2021

Tobie Hatfield, the shoe designer, said it’s the company’s first hands-free shoe, and it can be for anyone. “While Go is made for people who have difficulty tying their laces—that could be anyone from a pregnant woman in her third trimester to an older adult with arthritic hands—Nike believes its lace-less design will resonate with anyone who’d like to slip into their shoes with more ease,” he told Fast Company.

Hatfield worked with Walzer on the prototype over the years, until it was ready. Walzer said in his letter his dream was “to go to college without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day.” He said tying shoes was the only physical limitation he hadn’t been able to overcome on his path to self-sufficiency. He was blown away Hatfield responded.

The shoe is available on a limited basis now and will be available widely for $120 later this year. One small step for Nike, one big step forward for accessible shoes.

This has been one heck of a year. A freaking pandemic, all the political junk we never want to think about again, there’s a lot going on – and realistically, no person is fully equipped to handle it all. We’ve become accustomed to checking in on our loved ones even more than usual because it’s important to make sure the people we care about are holding it together as well as they possibly can. On a recent check-in, we were reminded that cries for help can come in a million different packages. Sometimes a questionable fad is nothing more than a questionable fad, but uh, we wanted to make sure you’re doing ok out there.

Nearly a year of quarantine has left even the biggest homebodies longing for the days of attending a party for a couple of hours before making an excuse to leave. We’ve had to come up with new and creative ways to stay busy, occasionally leading us to some pretty ridiculous situations. Or in this case, some ridiculous facial hair. The latest beard trend of 2021 is not entirely unexpected, given our deep desire for some sort of novelty during these monotonous days. Recently, photos featuring something called a “monkey tail beard” have been popping up on social media, and it’s – well, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Angus Grant (@angusgrantart)

The bizarre facial hairdo features a single sideburn that essentially runs down the side of your face, swoops down around your chin, and circles upwards over one side of your mouth ending in some sort of long-winded moustache.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Legends of the Monkeytail (@monkeytailbeards)

The trend first popped up in 2019 when MLB’s Mike Fiers showed up sporting the monkey tail beard, and we cannot stress this enough, he did it for laughs. Now, the monkey tail beard is making waves on social media by people who look suspiciously serious about it.

I need all of my non-baseball fan followers to look at mike fiers’ monkey tail beard. thank you. pic.twitter.com/0o3lcH7bjz

— Hobotron (@Hobotron2000) September 15, 2019

Listen, we get it. It’s a weird time, and we’re all just trying to make it through. If what you need to spread your creative wings within the confines of your own home is this thoroughly bananas look, more power to you – sometimes you really just need to monkey around and find out. All we ask is if you do decide to take the plunge, please photograph the evidence.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @sortadandy

For many of us, getting our kids dressed in the morning is little more than a necessary chore to fit into our already hectic days. But for one dad named Michael Gardner, his daughter’s wardrobe became something that helped the pair bond throughout the years. Helping his 9-year-old daughter Ava get dressed doesn’t mean laying out an outfit the night before – for this crafty dad, it means starting from scratch. In fact, Gardner has started from scratch over 200 times, and he has no plans to slow down.

“I decided to start sewing for Ava to teach her to be confident, have high self-esteem, and to believe in herself,” Gardner told The Dad. “I have been creative since I was a kid, I was in search of a new creative challenge and sewing became the catalyst to achieve my mission. My goal was to bond with her through my creativity, which is the most impactful way that I express myself.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael Gardner (@daddydressedmebymg)

When Ava was younger, her dad took creative control. Gardner started sewing dresses for Ava when she was just 3 years old, but as she’s gotten older, Ava has become an essential piece of the creative puzzle. She helps choose styles, fabrics, and once her masterpieces are complete, she helps choose locations for photoshoots.

“Ava and I have been inseparable since she was born,” Gardner explained. “The journey of me sewing and her modeling strengthened our bond. It is truly a collaboration on all levels. We share ideas, inspiration and encourage each other throughout the process. It has also allowed us to have in depth conversations and simply have fun together.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael Gardner (@daddydressedmebymg)

Gardner is self-taught when it comes to sewing, and if he can do it, he truly believes that anyone can. Gardner learned to sew through YouTube videos and Pinterest, and last summer, he was named a brand ambassador for Janome Sewing Machines. This talented dad even started Daddy Dressed Me by Michael Gardner, a fashion brand and social media campaign. Through sharing the creations he and Ava have brought to life on social media, the creative duo has received support from around the world.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael Gardner (@daddydressedmebymg)

“Every time I am thanked for bringing joy, happiness and complimented for being a positive light in what’s been a challenging year I am truly amazed,” Gardner said. “Hearing that I am an inspiration as a creative and parent means so much to me.”

The bond between Gardner and Ava is immediately evident through their photos and videos, and since Gardner’s relationship with his own dad was less than ideal, being a great dad to Ava was especially important.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael Gardner (@daddydressedmebymg)

“I want people to know that it is absolutely possible to be the parent you choose to be, regardless of the circumstances in your childhood,” Gardner expressed. “I am blessed to have an amazing relationship with Ava, it’s a totally different experience than I had with my parents. I put in the work, time and love into providing Ava with all the things I wish I had as a kid, I broke the cycle and for that I am proud.”

I’m no sneakerhead. I’ve never owned a pair of Air Jordans, I never even owned any Reebok pumps. The one pair of sneakers I own are generic dad New Balance running shoes, and they’ve been stuck at my office gym locker since March when my office closed down.

But I am a movie fan, and a Halloween fan, and a Ghostbusters fan. So when I heard that Reebok was releasing not one but two special Ghostbusters-themed sneakers just in time for All Hallow’s Eve, my ears perked up.

And then I saw them. And my ears perked down a little bit. But hey, they’re collector’s items.

First up are the Ghost Smashers, described by Reebok thusly:

“Show ghosts who is boss. These men’s Ghost Smashers shoes have a fearless design inspired by the Ghostbusters movie from the ’80s. The leather upper has a worn, weathered look as if you’ve gone into battle. Signature details from the film give them a legit look.”

They are… interesting. There’s some weird proton-pack deal on the back, complete with neon-looking tubes. These aren’t your Daddy’s sneakers unless your daddy is Ray Parker Jr.! And if he is, I hope he didn’t give all his money to Huey Lewis, because these kicks will cost him $150.

The second pair, also being released on Halloween Day (that’s October 31st, FYI), are “Ghostbusters Classic Leather Shoes,” selling for $100. They are a bit more normal looking.

The official description: “Strap on your proton pack. Or, you know, just lace up these Ghostbusters shoes. It’s time to celebrate Sony’s original Ghostbusters movie. The design includes several tributes to the series, from the logo on the tongue to the slime graphic on the outsole. The shoes are made of smooth leather, with a durable rubber outsole.”

Both sneakers have the awesome Ghostbusters logo on the tongue, which, frankly, is all I really need.

Who ya gonna call to get these sneakers? Reebok’s Website.

The Buffalo Bills have been one of the bigger surprises of the young NFL season. The Bills are atop the AFC East, especially with Tom Brady out of New England and Pats QB Cam Newton on the COVID-list. And it’s no fluke, Josh Allen has continued to deliver in a huge way and offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs has been THRIVING. As good as he is on the field, though, he’s even better in the cleats department.

Custom shoes are just fun. You should either go full cheap and full comfort, i.e. a classic dad shoe (Nike Air Monarch guy myself) or go with something cool and fun, like Toy Story sneakers or Chewbacca shoes.

Diggs knows kicks. For instance, how can you not love him rocking the Hangover-inspired cleats for the Bills game against Vegas?

Stefon Diggs rocking “The Hangover” cleats for Bills vs. Raiders 🔥 @stefondiggs

(via @MACHE275) pic.twitter.com/fYD2hNzCF0

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 4, 2020

Answer: you cannot hate, because the cleats are beyond reproach. And the shoes worked their magic on the field too, as Diggs had more than 100 yards receiving in the Bills 30-23 win over the Raiders.

And Diggs has set the bar high for the custom cleat game in the past, like when he rocked Toy Story cleats.

Not trash. pic.twitter.com/FXF3Wc6gDd

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 18, 2019

He even went the distance and broke out meme cleats. It is hilarious (ok, it was hilarious at the time, before the meme became uncool again), and a trend that more NFL players need to embrace fully, instead of wearing the most boring shoes they can find.

🚫🧢😂 @stefondiggs @MACHE275 pic.twitter.com/ZzK0WvINlc

— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) November 17, 2019

If you’re not gonna be scoring touchdowns in some badass dad shoe-inspired cleats, these are a nice alternative.

There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re a celebrity. Remembering lines if you’re an actor, being on your game in public since the world is always watching – it’s overwhelming (or so I imagine). In Hugh Jackman’s new commercial, the premise is that our favorite former Wolverine got a little mixed up when it came to his endorsement deal. Totally fair – between working on upcoming movies, promoting his Laughing Man Coffee, and the daily demands of life as the world record holder for longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero, dude’s got a lot going on.

In an ad for Australian boot maker R.M. Williams, Jackman meets with a company executive to discuss their nude arrangem- um, new arrangement. Not wanting to insult the man who maintains insane levels of physical strength in order to perform his own stunts, the executive approaches the subject delicately. He paints on a pained smile, telling Jackman how happy he is that the actor is enjoying his R.M. Williams boots.

What can I say? The boots are comfortable. @RMWilliamsUK #ad pic.twitter.com/nVV6lXZdCa

— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) October 1, 2020

Jackman echoes the visibly uncomfortable exec’s sentiment, expressing just how much he loves his boots. A moment later, we realize the source of the executive’s distress – Jackman is completely naked, aside from his boots.

“While we appreciate how literally you’ve taken the clause that stipulates you can only wear R.M. Williams-”

“My word is my bond,” Jackman interrupts.

Generally speaking, endorsement deals require the person under contract to wear one specific brand of that product, but they’re free to wear what they want when it comes to the rest of their outfit. The uneasy exec does his best to explain the confusion to Jackman, but he’s far too busy displaying his – uh, boots, to notice.

Before the wildly unproductive meeting comes to a close, Jackman takes a moment to fully enjoy the executive’s new chair. “Honestly, you should sit in this,” Jackman says, enthusiastically rubbing his nether region against the now defiled chair.

“You can have that,” replies the executive. “I’m just gonna burn it.”

Like The Rock to a broken gate, Ryan Reynolds showed up on Twitter with some concerns for the chair that was far too young to have seen … all of that.

“Is that the chair from my office?” Reynolds commented.

Is that the chair from my office?

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) October 1, 2020

The R.M. Williams commercial was in fact produced by Ryan Reynolds’s studio Maximum Effort, and with the constant friendly ball-busting between Reynolds and Jackman, who knows. Maybe it really was the chair from Reynolds’s office. No worries though – if it was, I’m sure Jackman returned it as soon as he was done.

Let’s just hope the two get dressed for a Face/Off reboot.

Adidas gets it. Shoes should be one of two things; enormously comfortable with little regard for appearance, or they should be plain fun. The brand has been making news in the last few weeks with two new collabs that are deeply entrenched in nostalgia. First, they teamed with Pixar and Damian Lillard for some Buzz Lightyear sneakers. Now, they’ve beyond, beyond infinity by joining forces with the folks at Star Wars and LEGO.

Adidas is known for some big swings, like the “Game of Thrones” inspired shoes that came out shortly before the final season. And LEGO itself is always game for a collab that makes sense, such as teaming up with IKEA. The Adidas Original ZX8000 will sell out, there’s no question there. It’s going to go down in the pantheon of collectible shoes. Not only does the shoe colors remind you of the iconic toy, but there’s literally a Lego brick on the laces. Interchangeable lace options and brick add-ons basically let you customize them however you want, which just makes them more fun.

The shoe became available on the Adidas website on Friday, September 25th.

Incredible collaboration between @LEGO_Group & @adidas for the ZX 8000 sneakers. Expected to be released on Sept. 25. pic.twitter.com/8PWN2dcmTJ

— cohncollab (@cohncollab) September 17, 2020

Maybe Legos aren’t your thing. Maybe you don’t want to protect your feet from stepping on a Lego by wearing Lego, I get it. But you still have options, if you want a shoe to remind you of your youth. Adidas is also releasing a Star Wars shoe, this one dedicated to everyone’s favorite elderly Wookiee.

Chewbacca is an iconic and underappreciated legend in the Star Wars universe. He’s been in more Star Wars movies than nearly every other living character (droids don’t count). You can embrace your inner Wookie with the ‘Adidas Rivalry Hi Chewbacca’ which is a high-top covered in fur. The laces feature Star Wars and Chewie is on the soles. They even added his trademark bandolier to the tongue of the shoe. They’ll be available on the Adidas website on October 21st, just in time to get you hyped for the start of Season 2 of The Mandalorian (the only good new Star Wars content we have).

Chewbacca is getting signature kicks

The Adidas Rivalry Hi Star Wars shoes drop October 21

(via @adidasUK) pic.twitter.com/8tSuDOg3Hl

— Fandom (@getFANDOM) September 17, 2020

To the hoop…and beyond! NBA superstar Damian Lillard has announced the first colorway of his DAME 7 sneakers and they will appeal to the kid in all of us, given they’re Buzz Lightyear inspired. Of course, unlike the movies, the sneaks are for kids only. They feature colors from the Toy Story character’s spacesuit and will only be available in kid sizes. In a perfect touch for the Pixar/Adidas collab, Andy’s name is on the bottom of one of the shoes.

To infinity…and beyond!

The first colorway of my new #Dame7 is just for the kids (yes, kids sizes only). The Buzz Lightyear colorway of my #Dame7 drops October 1.

More details on the @adidas x @toystory collab here: https://t.co/Xk0tPRV70G pic.twitter.com/mUQI6SoXVu

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 28, 2020

Oh, and they glow in the dark. When it comes to shoes, we’ve never had cooler choices than we have today. Especially when you can literally rock a part of your childhood on your kicks, like with Puma’s Super Mario sneakers or the many different Adidas x Star Wars shoes.

And these Toy Story Buzz Lightyear DAME 7s, from the NBA bubble MVP, take things to the next level. They even glow in the dark!

And yes, they glow in the dark. Let me know if you’re getting a pair for your kids 🚀 🛸 https://t.co/Xk0tPRV70G pic.twitter.com/4v9Q8xeCev

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 28, 2020

Lillard’s shoe is just the beginning of the Pixar x Adidas collab, which also features shoes dedicated to Woody, Ham, Rex, and Jessie.

Hog-tie the mailman! The new Adidas collection inspired by Toy Story is available October 1st. #PixarFest pic.twitter.com/ZywKOkqcTa

— Pixar (@Pixar) September 23, 2020

You can get the DAME 7s and all of the different designs in the “Toy Story Friendship Collection” (even a Pixar ball!) starting October 1st. They are so awesome it almost makes me mad to be an adult.

35 has been quite the year for our favorite star-powered Italian plumber. Mario has become so deeply ingrained in the world of video games that even non-gamers can’t help but love the goomba-hopping hero. Nintendo is celebrating Super Mario’s 35th anniversary with a slew of events from September of 2020 to March of 2021, making sure this coin-grabbing hero is properly appreciated after decades of hard work. There will be in-game events, new merch, and exciting Super Mario news released throughout. Even Hasbro joined the party, releasing Mario-themed Jenga and Monopoly games, proving that Mario is a force to be reckoned with in the real world, not just on screens.

The latest brand to jump on the Mario Kart is none other than the shoe giant, Puma. For a while, there were whispers of a collaboration between Nintendo and Puma, but these iconic shoes were only recently confirmed. Nintendo took to Twitter in early September to show off these colorful kicks, captioning the photo, “Ready to Super Jump for #SuperMario35? The RS-Dreamer #SuperMario 64 from @PUMAHoops is available for purchase starting tomorrow!”

Ready to Super Jump for #SuperMario35? The RS-Dreamer #SuperMario 64 from @PUMAHoops is available for purchase starting tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/91l9ucB3FE

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 3, 2020

You could run, jump, collect coins, and crush goombas all day in these bad boys. The RS-Dreamer Super Mario 64™ Basketball Shoes boast lightweight cushioning, full-coverage grip, and a snug fit. Oh yeah, and they look cool as hell.

The Puma website states, “When it comes to dreaming, Nintendo takes first place. Name a bigger legend than the red-hat-rocking, bad-guy-stopping Mario™ – you can’t. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Nintendo to bring you the RS-Dreamer Super Mario 64™. They’re court ready with PUMA Hoops tech like ProFoam and high-abrasion rubber, and feature Super Mario 64™ design straight out of the iconic game. Put up video-game numbers while paying tribute to one of the biggest dreamers in the world. Never sleeping. Always dreaming. The game is never over.”

The RS-Dreamer Super Mario 64™ Basketball Shoes are available in both adult ($125) and Junior sizes ($100) directly from Puma’s website. No word on how long these brightly-colored pumps will be available, so if celebratory shoes are your thing, collect your very own pair today (if you have enough coins, that is).

Most people on some level have an aversion to the idea of aging. Maybe you’re afraid of your looks changing, or that you won’t be able to do everything you enjoy doing now. The reality is, getting older is inevitable – but aging doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to start missing out on things you love. In fact, sometimes the best opportunities present themselves after you’ve already gone gray. Or maybe you’re the type that refuses to slow down, chasing adventure at any age. For this Berlin couple, getting older meant finally being recognized as the fashion icons they are.

Britt Kanja and Günther Krabbenhöft are the epitome of the idea that age is just a number. Not only have they taken the world by storm with their incredible sense of style, but they are both extremely active in their daily lives. Günther is known for dancing pretty much non-stop, sometimes for hours upon hours each day. He hasn’t always been this active – in fact, Günther didn’t discover his love of dancing until much later in life.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Günther Krabbenhöft (@g.krabbenhoft) on Aug 23, 2020 at 11:41pm PDT

Günther has been dubbed the “Hipster Grandpa” after a tourist posted a photo of him looking debonair as ever waiting on a subway platform in Berlin.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Günther Krabbenhöft (@g.krabbenhoft) on May 16, 2020 at 11:45pm PDT

According to her Instagram page, Britt a “Creative Icon of Style at Berlin’s Art, Party, and Cultural Scene.” She’s also a model, club owner, and adorably, a roller skate enthusiast.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Britt Kanja (@britt.kanja) on Jul 9, 2020 at 5:08am PDT

The dapper couple has been known around Berlin for years, but it wasn’t until 2015 when they were thrust into the world-wide fashion scene after Vogue’s Instagram page shared their photo. The photo accumulated over half a million likes, solidifying them as international fashion icons.

Not only is this couple incredibly well-dressed, but their photos have both a sophisticated and joyful energy that leaves their fans wanting more. They are often quirky, always elegant, and definitely make it harder to justify wearing sweatpants every day.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Günther Krabbenhöft (@g.krabbenhoft) on Nov 23, 2019 at 1:49pm PST

The draw of this couple extends far beyond what they’re wearing – their pictures are so full of energy, it’s hard to look away.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Günther Krabbenhöft (@g.krabbenhoft) on Apr 14, 2019 at 9:15am PDT

Günther explained to Sueddeutsche that a big reason he dresses the way he does is to reflect how he feels inside. He often considers “whether it’s all in harmony,” and makes sure his outward appearance reflects who he is.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Britt Kanja (@britt.kanja) on Apr 25, 2018 at 4:42pm PDT

Günther’s advice to the next generation? “Live wild and dangerous!” Now that we can do, if that’s what it takes to become as stylish and full of life as this duo.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Britt Kanja (@britt.kanja) on Aug 20, 2020 at 8:36am PDT

A teenager with Down syndrome is one of the stars of a new Gucci Beauty campaign, making her one of the first models with Down syndrome to work with the iconic brand. 18-year-old Ellie Goldstein was selected for the campaign as part of an Instagram scouting project in conjunction with the Photo Vogue Festival.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

The Instagram scouting partnership between #GucciBeauty and @vogueitalia is celebrated in a special editorial shot by @davidpdhyde—the first photographer selected through the scouting—featuring model Ellie @elliejg16_zebedeemodel wearing Gucci Mascara L’Obscur. #AlessandroMichele @gucci @alessandro_michele

A post shared by Gucci Beauty Official (@guccibeauty) on Jun 18, 2020 at 1:01am PDT

It was photographer David P. Hyde who shot Goldstein for the special editorial featuring the brand’s Mascara L’Obscur, which was described as “for an authentic person who uses makeup to tell their story of freedom, in their way.”

It’s a big win for inclusion and representation for Goldstein to have been selected. She’s been modeling since she was 15 for an agency that aims to “increase the representation of people who have until now been excluded in the media.”

The theme of the photo contest Hyde won was unconventional beauty, and Goldstein’s picture ended up being a hit, as it’s the most popular photo ever on the brand’s Instagram account.

Goldstein told Vogue U.K. that representation is important and she wants to see more models with disabilities.

“Representation is very important to me—let the world see that anyone can model and act with a disability,” she said. She also mentioned that, in public, people tend to look over her and talk to her mom like she isn’t even there.

“Once people realize I can talk and have a great character, they are different towards me and smile,” she said. “There needs to be more positivity out there and people should give us a chance and not be so ignorant.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

SUNDAY MIRROR! Newspaper. Great article thanks to Anna Gizowska @zebedee_management #sundaymirror #inclusivemodel #model #teamzebedee #zbd

A post shared by Ellie G (@elliejg16_zebedeemodel) on Aug 30, 2020 at 1:56am PDT

More brands have begun to include models with Down syndrome in recent years, including the iconic American Girl catalog. Overall, Goldstein said she was thrilled with the reception to her inclusion on the campaign and with the support she’s seen for her picture.

“When I look at the images, I feel happy with myself, and all the likes and comments on social media across the world have been overwhelming.”

If you’ve ever gone to your local Target looking for a bathing suit, chances are you’ve wandered through aisle after aisle of women’s swimwear in hundreds of colors and styles before finally stumbling upon the single shelf of swim trunks. It seems to be a theme across all types of fashion – women getting nearly endless choices to showcase their individuality, while men essentially have to choose from five different combinations of shirt and pants. Two friends from Toronto were fed up with the monotony of men’s swimwear, so they decided to do something (very weird) about it. If women get to wear bikinis, then dammit, men should get to wear Brokinis.

In a style reminiscent of Borat but more absurd somehow, the brokini is basically a speedo with a single over-the-shoulder strap connecting the front to the back. Chad Sasko and Taylor Field describe their creation as a “bathing suit revolution of schmedium proportions”. Can’t argue with that, mostly because we wouldn’t know where to start. Though the entire line of brokinis seems like one big spoof on itself, the innovative Canadians, bless their hearts, built a fully-functional website to showcase their product.

Two patterns are for sale for $45 each on the Brokini website, but even if you’re not in the market for a “Bromingo” or “Fineapple” Brokini, the product’s site is well worth a visit. “We (the founders) excelled in high school and found classes to be a joke. We therefore didn’t develop any work or study ethic and spent most of our time playing hacky sack and sword fighting with meter sticks,” the “about” section explains. “We somehow made it into business school and were both perfectly mediocre and that is why we are stuck running a business that loses money like crazy.”

The pages of the Brokini site are filled with the two friends modeling their creation, posing with inflatable water animals, and frolicking about – my God, there is so. Much. Frolicking. In case you need more information about the Brokinis themselves (pretty sure we get it), the product pages provide some handy facts. ”The perfect swimwear to make your parents question where they went wrong,” the site aptly states. “2 out of 2 moms polled said our website is: ‘it looks great honey.’”

Whether or not Brokinis are the next swimsuit craze to hit Holiday Inn pools around the world is yet to be determined, but there is one thing I can say for sure: if you have the confidence to unironically rock a Brokini in public, you’ve already made it.

It’s exhilarating to watch your favorite superhero beat the everloving heck out of their arch-nemesis, but it’s important to remember that in real life, violence is pretty much never the answer. We’ve seen far too much of it lately, and too often, guns have played a major part. 18-year-old RuQuan Brown of Washington, D.C. knows all too well about the crushing and extensive effects of gun violence. In the span of just over a year, both Brown’s teammate, as well as his stepfather, were shot. Neither survived. Two years later, RuQuan is absolutely crushing it. He’s a star athlete, he was accepted into two dozen colleges, and he even earned 16 full-ride scholarships (!). Through all of his successes though, RuQuan has never forgotten the pain he experienced as a result of his unimaginable losses.

RuQuan is clearly not one to let things continue unchanged when action is needed. Filled with resilience and perseverance, RuQuan found a unique way to cope with the loss of his loved ones. He started a clothing company called Love1 – but this is no ordinary brand. Not only is he donating 20% of the proceeds, but those proceeds go directly to an organization called One Gun Gone. OGG is a New Jersey-based initiative that purchases guns in local communities and transforms them into beautiful works of art.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

One Gun Gone collaborates with adult artists like Jordan Seabury. We gift artists one of our Crayon Gun Sculptures. Since children are the primary users of crayons, we have used crayons and crayon wax to create the physical form of a gun. To us, the Crayon Gun Sculptures communicate that children are learning about gun violence too early. The artist takes our sculpture and transforms it into their own expression of how they feel about gun violence. Here Jordan Seaberry transformed our sculpture into a gun melting or exploding into, onto or through a pile of open books. Whatever the interaction is… the books and the knowledge within them are being changed forever. Is this artwork about gun violence in schools? Is this about the effects of trauma after gun violence? Maybe that is up to the viewer. This work is now in a private collection. The profits were added to our gun buy back, which currently stands at $9000. #contemporaryart #artcollector #collectart #curator #endgunviolence #endginviolencenow #honoreithaction #enough #dosomething #pvd #pvdart #iloverhodeisland #youtharts #giveback #community

A post shared by Scott Lapham (@slapham64) on Oct 19, 2019 at 6:40am PDT

RuQuan told Because of Them We Can, “I started it to honor the lives of my teammate and step dad, who were murdered a year apart. I wanted to beat gun violence to the punch so that our families don’t have to continuously fall victim to tragic losses.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Because of YOU we can help @one_gun_gone end gun violence by donating a portion of our funds. Thank you Love1 Family ❤️❤️ Don’t stop Lov1ng!

A post shared by Love1 Company (@love1biz) on Jul 3, 2020 at 3:00pm PDT

With every step on the road to his company’s success, RuQuan knows that he’s doing something tangible to honor his teammate and his stepfather. Perhaps more importantly, he knows he is taking concrete steps to prevent other kids from experiencing loss as he did. RuQuan explains, “We’re eliminating a small fragment of the problem in order to reduce the amount of our loved ones being taken from us.”

The Love1 website features t-shirts, hoodies, and keychains with the company’s logo. You can make purchases directly from the website if you’d like to support this awe-inspiring teen.