Every Step Matters: Providing Sandals for Kids in Haiti
In December 2025, Rainbow Sandals and Rainbow Sandals Foundation donated sandals to Chanje Movement. Every kid at Chanje Lakay got a pair, and there were a few extra for kids in the community as well. While the US staff are huge fans of Rainbow Sandals (I grew up in San Clemente and have owned several different pairs since I was 13) we weren’t sure if the kids in Haiti would be fans. Typically, they like slide style sandals, and all of Rainbows were thong style flip flops. The kids were incredibly excited and grateful to receive any shoes, but would these last?
When Dave and Rick returned in June 2026, they brought with them over 100 more pairs of refurbished Rainbow Sandals donated by the Rainbow Sandals Foundation. During the pop-up medical clinic, the Haitian staff and American missionary team set up a little shoe shop right next to the pharmacy. So a patient would get an exam, go to the pharmacy to receive vitamins or medicine, and then go to the shoe shop to get a pair of Rainbow Sandals. People were so appreciative and even days after the pop-up clinic they were telling Ms. M and Dr. L how much they appreciated those shoes.
And what about the sandals brought in December? All of the Chanje Lakay kids still had theirs and LOVED them. The sandals were incredibly well crafted and sturdy and survived hours of soccer playing, endless walks to the beach, thousands of shuffled steps around town. They were worn daily and none of them had broken. Turns out, the only reason why the kids liked slides better is because those were usually sturdier. But Rainbows Sandals were the best they’d ever worn. They were thrilled to be able to give so many more pairs of shoes to their neighbors and friends at the medical outreach.
Thank you, Rainbows Sandals and Rainbow Sandals Foundation, for your generosity and continued partnership in bringing a hope and a future to the children in Haiti. We admire your commitment to integrity, quality, and community.