Litefoot's sneakers for diabetics

Cherokee rapper Litefoot designs sneakers for diabetics

By Tesina JacksonIn collaboration with Sole Nation Health, Cherokee rap artist, actor and entrepreneur Litefoot has become the first Native American celebrity to develop and produce a personal brand of sneakers to accommodate diabetics.

“A lot of orthopedic shoes are not the coolest looking shoes, and some of the young people who should be wearing those shoes don’t because it’s not a cool shoe,” he said. “I think this shoe will give them the opportunity to wear something that’s really cool and that they won’t be embarrassed of, and it also speaks to their Native American heritage.”

The shoe idea came about earlier this year when Litefoot met Ernesto Castro, a citizen of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Arizona, who started the Native American-owned company, Sole Nation Health. The company’s mission is to provide footwear for the prevention of diabetic-related foot problems and to offer therapeutic shoe-fitting education to individuals in Native communities.

It was after meeting Castro at a reservation economic summit in April that Litefoot and Castro came up with the idea of producing a stylish shoe for diabetics.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Litefoot's Product Lines and Gong's Shoes in Fashion Showcase.

Below:  Litefoot Aboriginal Footwear black sneaker.