Memphian Edward Bogard is a self-proclaimed "sneakerhead" whose infatuation for shoe design began in elementary school. At the time, Air Jordans were the most sought-after sneakers and Edward deeply admired Tinker Hatfield, Nike’s creative designer. When at Campus School, he sketched innovative sneaker designs during math class, admittedly not his favorite subject, drawing the attention of his classmates. Edward was creating his own “Air Bogards.” The designs were so popular that he autographed his drawings and gave them to his classmates. After graduating from Overton High School, he attended Savannah College of Art and Design where he deepened his study of design.
Edward credits his parents with his innovative career path. His mother taught elementary school in Orange Mound for 35 years. She routinely took Edward’s gently used clothing and shoes, stored them in her classroom and gave them to her students in need. His father was a Vietnam veteran who was very creative and artistic. He was an artist “who could do Marvel comics better than Marvel.” Edward most admired his father’s drawing of Clark Kent running while transforming into Superman.
Combining these two early influences, Edward created SoGiv, a non-profit organization and shoe company which raises awareness for worthy causes and donates 100% of the proceeds to them. The name SoGiv is derived from their slogan, “every pair sold, we give.” The first SoGiv shoe was an espadrille style shoe designed for the Memphis Food Bank in 2014. Now the shoes are slip-on runners with a laced, sock liner design and memory foam soles. For the most part, the shoes are limited edition releases and they change in design to stay on trend. Each shoe design comes in two colorways, providing two tiers of giving. The pre-release, higher level sells for $1000 a pair and the general release sells for $200.
Originally SoGiv adopted 20 causes that ranged from eradicating homelessness and hunger, finding a cure for childhood cancer and fighting heart disease to Down syndrome awareness. As they’ve grown, the number of causes they can partner with is limitless. Today SoGiv supports local schools by partnering with Memphis Shelby County Schools creating district-wide workshops. One such workshop, Design “Shoerette,” is a Shark Tank style contest where students learn how to identify a need and solve the problem through creative footwear. Last year’s winning design came from Germantown High School with a breast cancer awareness shoe. SoGiv also partners with different MCSC schools doing SoGiv Code Crew seminars to teach students how to write code.
Each shoe’s design contains details from the cause it’s showcasing. For instance, the “Hush Y’all” shoe, designed for the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship, was created in the FedEx colorway. "The logo is symbolic of the entire world racing toward what we all believe is the finish line,” explains Edward. In this case, the finish line is the cure for childhood cancer. Each shoe design includes its own unique “SoGiv CauseCode” TM, which is a QR code that takes you to the partnered organization’s website to learn more about their mission or to become a donor.
The Stax shoe design, released in June for Black Music Month, includes musical notes and lyrics from Isaac Hayes’ song “Wonderful.” It also includes black and white piano keys on the inside medial of the shoe, plus the original tile design at the entrance of the Stax museum. Each shoe sold provides 10 students with 10 free lessons at Stax Music Academy. The legendary Bar-Kays shared their excitement for the Stax shoe promoting it on social media.
Edward says it best when describing SoGiv’s slogan, “We are changing the world through a shoe.” He feels deep pride in helping the Memphis community, but his ultimate goal is to partner with causes on all seven continents in the world.
To learn more about SoGiv, visit sogiv.org.
My infatuation for shoe design began in elementary school.
"Every pair sold, we give."