DETROIT – A Detroit nonprofit is trying to recover after thieves stole hundreds of brand-new shoes intended for children from a warehouse during a summer community event.
Northwest Goldberg Cares founder and executive director Daniel Washington said about 400 pairs of shoes were taken from the organization’s warehouse near Ferry Park Street and Linwood Street ahead of its annual HoopFest event, where organizers planned to distribute 1,000 pairs of shoes to Detroit youth.
Washington said staff discovered the theft after noticing boxes had been moved around inside the facility.
“When I came in today, I immediately recognized shoes were missing,” Washington said. “We had a selection of Nike shoes, we had a selection of Sambas, Adidas, and then working with our mayor’s (Mary Sheffield) team to get these shoes and procure some of these shoes, it was like, whoa, something’s not right.”
The stolen shoes included donated pairs from several brands, including about 60 pairs provided by USA Basketball.
Washington said roughly 50 pairs of those shoes were among those taken.
The organization was preparing for HoopFest 2026, a four-day community event connected with Detroit’s “Occupy the Summer” initiative, scheduled for July 17-19 at Curtis Jones Park.
Washington said the goal this year was to provide 1,000 pairs of shoes, the largest distribution effort in the event’s four-year history.
“We’ve done everything from 250, 500, 750, but now we’re at 1,000, and we were excited,” Washington said. “This was a huge year for us.”
The theft has left the organization with an estimated 500 to 600 pairs remaining, Washington said.
Without additional support or recovery of the stolen shoes, organizers may fall short of their goal.
Detroit police are investigating the theft.
Washington said officers have been responsive and are working to determine who took the shoes.
The organization is asking residents to report any information about brand-new shoes being sold or advertised, particularly the specific styles and colors taken from the warehouse.
“If you see some shoes brand new for sale that look like this or look like some really colorful ASICS, two specific colorways, please let us know,” Washington said.
Northwest Goldberg Cares is also asking for community donations to help replace the stolen shoes.
Supporters can contribute through the organization’s website, social media pages, or Amazon wishlist.
Washington said the impact goes beyond the loss of merchandise because many of the children receiving shoes would otherwise lack the opportunity to own a new pair.
“A lot of kids we’re going to be looking forward to getting a brand-new pair of shoes,” Washington said. “Some of the kids we serve, they’ve never received a brand-new pair of shoes. They’ve always received hand-me-downs, or maybe they’ve just always got the leftovers and scraps.”
Despite the setback, Washington said the organization plans to move forward with the event and continue supporting Detroit youth.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to try to bounce back from this,” Washington said. “But it is one of those things that just hits you in the gut.”
Watch the full interview below