EDGE Interview: Thinking Outside the Shoebox, Freshy Makes its Mark on the Community

"The devil's in the details to me you know," he contends. "Our brand is about not taking life too seriously; really embracing life and embracing the joy and not letting life pass you by because you're worried about too many things. Something I do take extremely seriously is our quality and our comfort. If it's not comfortable, we don't make it."

Some people may find being comfortable a difficult task, especially if they have their whole lives ahead of them, for instance, seniors at the Harvey Milk High School in New York. "I donated shoes to all the graduating class there to kind of give them a little encouragement as they step into the world of adulthood. And, go on their journeys, they're just brilliant, brilliant kids going into all kinds of cool, artistic schools and stuff after this."

To further his philanthropy, the brand is currently developing Freshy Cares a non-profit arm that Willman will use to extend his charitable reach, not just for the LGBTQ+ community but anyone who needs a new outlook on life. As much as he wants his shoes to comfort the soles of the feet, he also wants to comfort the souls of people who are feeling defeated. And talking with him, it doesn't feel like Freshy Cares is a social climbing tactic, he genuinely wants to share his success. One of the ideas he has is to help kids aging out of the foster care system. "We want to support them and we wanna donate a bunch of shoes to them so that they can have some fresh new kicks to make them feel confident as they're entering into a new chapter."

The shoe designer used to get asked if being a gay kid had any sway over his creative side. He admits he didn't used to have an answer for that in the past. Eventually, Willman realized his being gay was separate from anything else in his life.

"It's a very personal thing," he says recalling part of the speech he gave to the Harvey Milk graduating class. "You know, it gets very personal for everyone to ask personal questions to gay people these days. But some of the kids I know it seems like it's an enormous part of your life, obviously. But, being gay is the least interesting thing about each one of you guys. It's not gonna say on your tombstone, 'so and so is gay.' It's gonna say 'So and so was a kind, generous person who respected people and loved people and they're a great brother, great mother, great father, great sister, a great friend.' You know, these are the things that people are gonna remember about you. So, you know, I was just encouraging them to not focus too much about it. That's just your personal relationships that you have with people, it doesn't define who you are."

That brings us to June, a month that's supposed to be a time for LGBTQ+ people to define and celebrate themselves. So much so that big box retailers like Target and Walmart bring in the Pride merchandise for what seems like an opportunistic yearly cash grab. Fanny packs that read "I Love Gay People," or a set of folding rainbow camping chairs, or a heart-shaped rainbow cat scratcher are just some of the things you will find. It's 30 days of retail support that some conservatives hate and is arguably being bought by a handful of well-meaning allies. Conversely, Willman's shoes are available all year long, and surprisingly as a gay business owner, he doesn't mind Pride products sold at high-volume retailers during Pride.

"You have a business and maybe they are actually embracing the gay community and whatnot or maybe it's just a marketing ploy," Willman explains. "I mean, who am I to say one way or the other? I don't know, they're the people behind it. So they're strategizing. But, you know, maybe we just give them the benefit of the doubt and they are actually embracing the gay community. I don't know their intentions behind it."

He is also not against working with these businesses if they want to sell his Freshys at their stores, as long as they align with his mission of inclusion.

"If they're a good company with good morals and ethics and a good reason behind it, I'd be open to it," he says.

Shoes are a staple product. They aren't only a lifestyle choice but can be practical depending on your work or pastimes. Not everyone has the same taste when it comes to choosing a pair, and the market is endless. Willman knows his brand might not be for everyone but that doesn't stop him from trying. His company is much more than just decorating feet.

"It's about building a community where we support one another and we help people and, you know, we give back to society and leave our prints –- no pun intended –- on society," says Willman. "I don't want them to remember me as I remember Freshy as you know, this cool shoe brand. I want them to remember Freshy as being a community of people who give back and support one another."

You can visit the Freshy shop and browse the many styles the shoe company has to offer. Or follow them on Instagram.