LIHU‘E — Denise Zumwalt of The Flip Flop Shop turned over 144 pairs of OOFOS footwear to the State of Hawai‘i Organization of Police Officers, Wednesday afternoon for distribution to all of the officers in the Kaua‘i Police Department.
The delivery signaled the end of a long journey through the trying conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the shop at Kukui Grove Center to shut down.
“We were stuck at home with nothing to do,” said Zumwalt, who was helped by her daughter Chloe, a Kapa‘a High School senior who celebrated an alternative graduation, Friday, “But we were committed, and here are the sandals.”
She explained the sizing differences for men and women in the footwear from the Australian company, and any of the pre-measured sizes could be exchanged for the proper fit.
The journey toward getting the footwear to the police department started when Coach Z was impressed by OOFOS technology and the recovery benefits it provides when wearing them.
“The police spend long hours on the job,” Coach Z said. “Most of the time, they’re on their feet, and when they finally get to kick back, it’s nearly time to start work, again. They deserve quick recovery so they’ll be ready to go the next morning.”
That started a campaign on social media to raise enough funds to equip all the people in the department with the OOFOS footwear that combines patented support and footbed impact absorbing technology with the OOfoam.
Additionally, OOFOS offered to contribute to the campaign, adding a pair for every five pairs raised. Denise and The Flip Flop Shop joined the effort, adding two pairs of OOFOS sandals for every pair raised.
“We are not making money on this,” Zumwalt said. “It is a project that we put together to say ‘Thank You’ to our police officers for their efforts during the pandemic — enforcing the stay-at-home mandates and curfew, advising arriving people of the quarantine — at their personal health risk.”
The campaign stuttered through the days when the shop was closed, leaving supporters only social media as a means to support the gesture despite extending the cutoff date several times. But the Zumwalt’s were determined to see this through, and on Wednesday, Denise delivered the 144 pairs of OOFOS sandals after The Flip Flop Shop made up the shortfall.
