Questions we hear a lot

A nonprofit founded by Colton and Taryn in honor of their mom, Leslie Morman. The mission is simple: brand new school shoes for kids who need them, with their dignity protected the whole way — one less thing for families to worry about.

Our mom worked three to five jobs while raising us alone and battling breast cancer. No matter how hard things got, she made sure we started school with brand new shoes. She understood something important: walking into school feeling confident matters. No child should feel less-than before the first bell rings.

It was supposed to help about 25 kids in our small East Texas hometown. Then the internet did internet things. Within days there were more than 20,000 requests from all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories. Now we're building something much bigger — together.

Fair question — you should ask it about anyone taking donations. Leslie's Laces is a Texas nonprofit corporation. Every checkout shows the exact total before you pay. A request only gets crossed off the board after a real person confirms the shoes were actually purchased and shipped — never automatically. And our Donation Policy, Privacy Policy, and Terms are public.

Use the request form — it takes about a minute. One form per child, every time, so each kid gets their own spot on the board.

No — and we want to catch you before that costs your child a spot. The contact form sends us a message, but it can't create a request. Only the request form puts your child on the Shoe Board. If you wrote to us about needing shoes, please go fill out the real form — it's the only way in.

Yes — submit the form once for each child. The system is built around one child per form, and that's what keeps every child's size and request accurate.

Every request is reviewed before it's posted. With tens of thousands of requests, review happens in stages — your submission isn't lost, it's in line. If we spot a problem with it (like several sizes typed into one box), we'll reach out to sort it out together.

No, and we won't pretend otherwise. Requests currently exceed donations. What we can promise: every request on the board has an equal chance of being covered, and we're working to cross off every single name.

We hear this a lot, and we get it. There's no judging panel and no popularity contest here — supporters simply pick requests off an anonymous board, and the board is shuffled every time it loads so every child gets a turn near the top. The more people share Leslie's Laces, the more names get crossed off.

Never. The public board shows a request number, a shoe size and category, and a city and state. No names, no photos, no schools, no stories. Protecting kids' dignity is the whole point — no child should ever feel publicly displayed.

Not up front — on purpose. The request form asks only for your name, a way to reach you, your city and state, and your child's size. If your child's pair is covered, we ask for a shipping address privately, one-on-one, at that point.

We'll reach out using the contact you gave — email, or text if you opted in — and the board itself shows your request crossed off. Keep your request ID from your confirmation; it's the easiest way to check your spot and to reference your request when you write to us.

Email info@leslieslaces.org with your request ID and what needs updating — shoe size, contact info, anything entered incorrectly. We'll fix it.

If you check the text-updates box on the request form, we'll text you about your own request — nothing else, ever. Reply STOP anytime to opt out. If you didn't opt in, we won't text you; watch your email and the board instead.

Families submit requests, one child at a time. Each request is posted anonymously. Supporters browse the board and cover a pair — either by donating the cost so we purchase and ship the shoes, or by buying and shipping a pair themselves. The goal has never changed: cross every name off the list.

By the community. There's no voting and no ranking — supporters simply pick the requests they feel called to cover.

Pending means a supporter has covered that pair and the shoes are on their way to being purchased and shipped. Done — the crossed-off ones — means a real person confirmed the shoes actually went out. We never cross a child off automatically.

About $60 covers most pairs — some sizes run less, some more. Checkout always shows your exact total before you pay, with the card processing cost itemized so the full shoe amount reaches the child.

Absolutely. Can't cover a whole pair? Every dollar joins the general fund and moves another child closer to being crossed off.

Yes — cover one pair, several, or give to the general fund. Some supporters cover a pair in a loved one's memory; some cover their own kid's shoe size; some just pick the next name on the list.

Please do. Businesses, churches, schools, sports teams, clubs — all welcome. Write to info@leslieslaces.org and we'll figure out the best way to plug you in.

Not yet — and we'd rather be straight with you than optimistic on your tax return. Leslie's Laces has applied for federal 501(c)(3) status; once approved, donations will be tax-deductible retroactive to our formation date. Details in our Donation Policy.

Donations are generally final — once given, they go to work. Real mistakes (duplicate charges, processing errors) are reviewed case-by-case: email info@leslieslaces.org within 30 days. Full details in the Donation Policy.

This one is huge. One Pair. One Share. If you can't give right now: share the website, share the videos, tell your church, your local businesses, your newspaper. Every share puts the board in front of someone who can cover a pair. Awareness puts shoes on kids too.

Yes — we need people all over the country spreading the word and connecting us with businesses, churches, and organizations that want to help. Reach out through the contact form.

No — Leslie's Laces provides brand new shoes only. That comes straight from our mom's values: she worked incredibly hard so we could start school in new shoes, and for a lot of the kids on this board, this will be their first brand new pair.

Nothing against secondhand — plenty of us wear it ourselves. But Leslie's Laces exists to give a child one specific feeling: "these are mine." That feeling comes in a box, unworn.

We understand the concern — any program like this carries some risk, and there's no perfect way to verify every family's circumstances. But we refuse to let fear of a few stop us from helping the many. Our hope is that everyone uses this honestly, because abusing it takes from a child who truly needs help.

Every submission is reviewed before it's posted, and we remove duplicates and obviously fraudulent entries. Beyond that, Leslie's Laces runs on trust and community — the same things it was built from.

Leslie Morman was a mother, teacher, counselor, administrator, cancer warrior, and community servant. She worked three to five jobs while raising two kids alone and battling breast cancer. She taught us: do what you can. Find a way. Help people when you can.

Because this is exactly the kind of thing Mom would have cared about. Every pair is a little bit of her, still loving people.

Colton Lane is an independent artist from Texas and Leslie's son. His song "All Grown Up" features his mom's voice — and it's what sparked Leslie's Laces.

Yes. For July 2026, Colton pledged $1 per stream — up to $1,500 out of his own pocket — toward shoes. Press play, help a kid.

The advertising budget got redirected to kids' feet. Helping people felt more meaningful than making social media companies richer.

No. It started in a small East Texas town, but requests — and supporters — now come from every state.

Honestly? We're figuring this out one day at a time. What we know: we're a Texas nonprofit, the need is national, and the mission doesn't change with the map.

The same as it was at 25 kids, and at 20,000: cross every name off the list.

Cover a pair. Or share. Both put brand new shoes on kids' feet. One Pair. One Share.