NBA star Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks is making a difference off of the basketball courts. Marbury is the creator of his new line of sneakers called Starbury. These sneakers are identical in quality to sneakers produced by other well-known athletes, but they cost only a fraction of the price. Marbury’s sneakers cost only $14.98.
This may not seem like such a big deal, but to a lot of children it is. In a lot of inner cities, sneakers and clothing mean status. The more you can afford to pay for fashion, the more you are liked and respected. Having expensive sneakers has caused a lot of fights and even death in some cases. News headlines in many cities have told the stories of young men and children who have been brutally robbed, beaten, and killed for their sneakers.
Stephon’s inspiration to create an affordable product came from his own childhood. He remembers not being able to afford the kind of clothing or shoes he wanted as a child. He wanted to make quality and stylish sneakers available to everyone while also attempting to eliminate the unnecessary symbol status that sneakers create. Marbury is happy to be making a difference. He is constantly being praised by thankful parents and children who would not be able to afford high quality sneakers if not for Stephon Marbury’s vision.
Marbury was recently featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. On the show he explained why created the sneakers. He also talked about his recent trip to a school in Brooklyn, NY. He visited a class of fourth graders who had written book reports for him. Their book reports were about the book The Toothpaste Millionaire. The book is about a sixth grade boy who found a way to lower the price of toothpaste, making it affordable for everyone. The students said that the story reminded them of Stephon Marbury and his Starbury sneakers.
After meeting with the class, he gave each student in the class a New York Knicks backpack filled with books and other goodies. Marbury then surprised the entire student body with a gift certificate to purchase Starbury sneakers for all of the students. He also amazed them by inviting the entire school to a Knicks game. The kids were ecstatic, to say the least.
Stephon Marbury’s shoes can be found at Steve & Barry’s retail stores. Check the website to find a location near you.
