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These Sneakers Are Sending an Underprivileged Student to College

Mercer Amsterdamn 1
Mercer Amsterdamn 4
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Mercer Amsterdamn 2

are nestled away in the Netherlands, but that’s not stopping them from helping people stateside. The brand’s founder, Pim Dresen, enjoyed free education in Amsterdam because he was schooled in a country that was set up properly, and wants to pay it forward to the less fortunate.

He’s made a sneaker featuring New York University’s flame logo, a riff on the school’s motto, and a purple hue inspired by the violets that grow on NYU grounds. The motif was chosen because all of the proceeds from the shoe will go to putting an underprivileged student through NYU — something that might otherwise be impossible.

As Mercer Amsterdam put it:

In a country where educating people will help them understand the world around them and help them make better decisions, [America’s education] system seems out of control, especially considering one of the ground rules for founding NYU is that New Yorkers at the time believed the city needed a university designed for young people who would be admitted based upon merit rather than birthright or social class.

Stay tuned to Mercer's site for upcoming release information.

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