‘Shoes for a Cure’ Will Once Again Unite Industry Around Breast Cancer Fight

After nearly three decades of raising fundsfor breast cancer research, the industry will come together again this fall with “Shoes for a Cure.”

The Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation (FFCF) is rebooting the initiative, previously known as Shoes on Sale, with a new moniker and fresh format.

The four-day shopping event, set for Oct. 18-21 at Chelsea Market in New York, is a fitting move for FFCF. Shoes on Sale, founded by Jerome and Jodi Fisher, began as a shoe sale in a tent in Central Park in 1994 and over the years raised nearly $60 million to support first-step breast cancer research.

This year, brand and retail partners for the Shoes for a Cure sale include Allen Edmonds, Birkenstock, Easy Spirit, Faryl Robin, Hoka, Marc Fisher Footwear, New Balance, Nordstrom, Pentland, Rack Room Shoes, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sam Edelman, Steve Madden, Ugg, Wolverine Worldwide and Zappos.com.

“Breast cancer affects millions of lives globally, and through Shoes for a Cure, we can join hands as an industry and make a tangible difference,” said Sandi Mines, president of FFCF. Mines said every purchase made during the sale will directly contribute to research. “These funds will empower researchers and scientists to push the boundaries, seeking innovative solutions and ultimately bring us closer to a world without breast cancer.”

This year, Shoes for a Cure is partnering with Dr. Lisa Newman, internationally renowned breast surgeon and researcher, to support and fund her life-changing first-step breast cancer research.

“FFCF has always been visionary in supporting breast cancer research that has been transformational from an oncologic perspective and, most importantly, lifesaving for our patients,” Newman said. “I am incredibly proud and honored that they have supported my team’s international research, which has been unraveling the genetic causes of triple negative breast cancer, as this biologically aggressive form of the disease contributes substantially to the 40 percent higher breast cancer mortality rates that we see in African American compared to White American women.”

Newman, who is based in New York, has treated legendary journalist Katie Couric, who was diagnosed with an early-stage, curable breast cancer in 2022. And Couric will also lend her support to the Shoes for a Cure cause.