FirstCuts: IUPUI Coach Going Shoeless Tonight

By Chris Littmann
Sports don’t start and end with a referee’s whistle. FirstCuts, a blog dedicated to sports culture, will cover everything outside the lines, from games to gear.
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I spend plenty of time talking about the latest news in kicks, but this is one of those rare occasions where no shoe company can get their hands on a basketball coach -- at least for one night.
IUPUI coach Ron Hunter will go shoeless on the sidelines during his team’s game against Oakland this evening. Hunter is going shoeless to raise awareness for needy children. He is trying to gather support to have 40,000 pairs of shoes shipped to Africa in honor of the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches made a gesture of their own in conjunction with the American Cancer Society in 2005 when coaches wore gym shoes instead of traditional dress shoes. This is where we’d make a joke about stomping or someone stepping on his feet, but it’s a good cause, so we’ll just leave you the website for the Samaritans Feet charity and call it a day.↵