According to We The Best representative Taylor Rodriguez, the invitation for this particular event went out specifically to students already connected to the foundation, giving them first access to a shopping experience most families only dream of. Students were able to pick up shoes, clothes, bags, and hats at some of the best prices available, all while stocking up for the upcoming school year. Every student who came through left with more than just a fresh fit, walking away with a We The Best backpack and a matching We The Best insulated tumbler, gifts that turned a shopping trip into a full back-to-school care package.
One of the standout moments of the event had nothing to do with sneakers at all. A company set up on site allowed students to fully customize their own school supply baggies, giving kids the chance to personalize their gear before ever stepping foot in a classroom. Some students added their names, others opted for music inspired patches, and many chose school friendly and teen friendly designs that let their personality show without needing to say a word, a detail that echoed the exact messaging Khaled has pushed throughout the larger Pull Up Fresh campaign about style being a form of self expression.
Jadai Shinault, an 11th grade student athlete attending her second year of the event, spoke about what makes this shopping experience different from a typical back-to-school run. She explained that events like this give kids a rare chance to actually get what they want, something she pointed out is not always possible for every family.
She also noted that this year’s event felt noticeably more organized than in the past, saying everything moved smoothly from start to finish. As an athlete, Shinault said SNIPES was the perfect stop for picking up athletic wear that matched her personal style, which she described simply as cool, calm, and collected.
Parent Olivia Walker, who also works as a case manager for Chapman Partnership, attended the event with her own children and offered a perspective that went beyond the shopping itself. Walker spoke candidly about the pressure many families are under right now, particularly single parent households navigating a difficult economy.
“Sometimes it’s so hard on the parents these days with the economy lacking, especially in a one parent household,” she said. “Community events like this need not to only happen just school time, but we should always be backing those parents and helping them invest in their children’s futures.” Walker also praised the quality of what students were able to walk away with, specifically pointing to the shoes. “High quality shoes, you don’t have to worry about them peeling in the next couple of months,” she said, adding that she was grateful for organizations like We The Best that consistently show up and serve their community with excellence.
This event is part of a much larger effort from We The Best and SNIPES that has grown over the past several years. The Miami based partnership previously gave away 1,000 free backpacks at the We The Best SNIPES location on South Beach, and this year’s Pull Up Fresh campaign expanded that mission nationally, combining community activations like this one with a broader push around confidence, individuality, and showing up to the new school year feeling prepared. Khaled has been vocal about how personal this campaign is to him, noting that having his own children involved in the larger Pull Up Fresh rollout made the entire initiative feel even more meaningful.
For the students who walked through SNIPES that day, the event offered far more than discounted prices. It gave them a moment to be seen, to make choices about how they wanted to show up for the new school year, and to leave with something that felt like it was made specifically for them. Between Shinault’s excitement over finally having the right gear to match her game and Walker’s reminder of just how much these moments matter for families stretched thin, the event captured exactly what We The Best Foundation and SNIPES set out to build, a back-to-school experience rooted in community, confidence, and care.
