The Volunteer Plimsoll. For the low, low price of $78. This report by Bruce Pask, from the New York Times Style Section:
Steven Tiller, a co-founder of the retro SoCal sneaker brand SeaVees, was driving to work recently when he heard on NPR that the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps was coming up. Initiated by an executive order issued by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps Act was passed in 1961, instituting an “army” of volunteers to aid those in developing countries. Sensing an opportunity right in line with SeaVees’s revisionist design philosophy and midcentury aesthetic, Tiller and his business partner, Derek Galkin, began sifting through old photos of Peace Corps volunteers. On their feet? Narrow plimsolls, a common canvas and rubber sneaker for that era. “The idea was to go back in time, reimagine these shoes and hopefully make them cooler,” Tiller said. The resulting slim-lined sneaker in salt-washed canvas has a contrast suede stripe around its rims and a distinct vintage look. Donations to the National Peace Corps Association will be made for each pair sold exclusively at seavees.com and jcrew.com.
