Footwear Aims to Make Positive Impact in a Culture that Glorifies Evil
LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2021 - The Whosoevers, a movement created to empower all people to realize their true life purpose co-founded by Radio Host and Author Ryan Ries, announced the release of the PRAY HARD slip-on shoe.
The PRAY HARD shoe is intended to make a positive impact and offers a hopeful response to the recently released “Satan Shoe,” a collaboration between Brooklyn-based company, MSCHF, and rapper Lil Nas X, which received much criticism not only for the evil message conveyed but also for falsely associating the shoes with Nike’s brand when they had no relation to and were not endorsed by the company.
“When pop culture embraces references to Satan and makes it seem cool, they really don’t understand the reality of the true darkness that they are entangling themselves in,” said Ries. “As Christians, we want to make sure that we always walk by faith and glorifying King Jesus all things while spreading the good news. As it states in Romans 10:15, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’”
Sharing a message of hope, the inside of the PRAY HARD shoe has the Bible verse John 3:16 printed on it, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The words PRAY and HARD are printed on the back of each heel and a praying hand pattern covers the shoe.
“Every time you put on the PRAY HARD shoe and see John 3:16, it prompts you to think about how much God loves you and how we find purpose through Him,” said Ries. “Even a reminder as small as having a message of hope printed in a shoe can quite literally help us walk in the light each day.”
Ries co-founded The Whosoevers in 2009 with Sonny Sandoval, lead singer of P.O.D., and Brian “Head” Welch, a founding member of Korn. The organization inspires people around the globe to break the barriers of substance abuse, sex addiction, mental illness and suicidal thoughts by hosting dynamic live events at schools, skateparks, churches and juvenile detention facilities where young people have the opportunity to be inspired by encouraging messages, music and skateboarding events.
The Whosoevers MEGA TOUR kicked off in March to celebrate the May 11 release of Ries’ upcoming book, “Kill the Noise: Finding Meaning Above the Madness.” The Whosoevers will hold events throughout California, Arkansas Nevada and are adding more dates and locations throughout the summer.
To learn more about The Whosoevers, including information about the PRAY HARD shoe, MEGA TOUR and “Kill the Noise” book, visit https://thewhosoevers.com/about.
About Ryan Ries
Ryan Ries is the co-founder of The Whosoevers movement, host of the national radio show and podcast “The Ryan Ries Talk Show” and a regular speaker at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs, which airs his messages on FM radio. Prior to joining ministry, he worked as the Director of Music Marketing for international brands in addition to managing top skateboarding teams. Today, he continues to work in the skateboarding and music industries and recently launched the new company Custom Branded. Launched in 2020, Custom Branded is a design and production company specializing in footwear and apparel for premium companies and influencers. To learn more visit https://thewhosoevers.com/about.
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