Melvin Morris MOH Shoes

The story of the R.D.C. Shoe Company is one of family and faith. It all began when I met my wife, and we were married in 1999. I owned a tennis store named Stringers, and I also taught tennis lessons to kids. This is where my wife designed colored shoes for the kids to be different on the courts. In the summer of 2001, I was invited to string racquets at the U.S. Open in NYC for some of the greatest tennis players at the time including Venus and Serena Williams. This is where the story of the Glory shoes begins. After the tragedy of 9/11, my wife drew on a pair of Reebok shoes with fabric paint and a red sharpie marker to design the Glory shoes. They were a big hit, but they were not produced yet. All the big shoe companies at the time wanted the design but would only pay $25,000 for the design and I would not own it anymore. I refused to sell my design and I am so glad that I did not. In 2005 I became a police officer for the Roanoke City Police department. I knew after 9/11 that I wanted to either go back on the Marines or become a first responder. I knew I couldn't go back in the military because I was medically retired due to an injury that I received as an M60-A1 tanker. Being a police officer was my way of giving back to the Country that I love so much. Flashforward to 2018 when I met the Marine that would change my life forever, I met Herschel Woody Williams. I met him during a Gold Star Monument dedication that his Foundation does for Gold Star families across the country and now world. I told him that him that I wanted to do something to help his foundation. I kept in touch with Chad Graham his grandson who runs the foundation and Brent Casey his other grandson that runs Valor coins that makes challenge coins for Woody. I told them of my idea of the shoe and how I can help the foundation and they instantly liked the idea. During the 9/11/2021 weekend in Boston for the Congressional Medal of Honor Convention I was able to meet with many CMOH recipients and spoke to them about the shoe project and my idea to help. After Boston, I was able to sign a Co-Operative agreement with both the CMOH society and the Woody Williams Foundation which would give back $10 to each of the organizations with each sale of the shoes. There is now a new addition to the shoe project, and it is probably the most important. While I was in Boston, I met with some recipients that were saying a final goodbye to their family member that has received the medal of honor but had passed on. There is a memorial every year at the convention to say goodbye to their fallen brother. The families were afraid that their loved one would not be remembered, and their story would be forgotten. This is where the idea of putting cards in every box that would tell a recipient's story came about. We are working on getting permission from the recipients, and from families of the ones that have passed and the ones that have received the medal posthumously. We will Never Forget their sacrifice for our incredible Country.

Additionally, winner will receive a custom pair of identical shoes in their size.

VALUE: $Priceless