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RIFRUF Releases Limited-Edition Shoes For National Dog Rescue Day

The tennis-themed shoe is available today

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RIFRAF

So we can all simultaneously agree that we love dogs right? Well, for those of us who are also sneaker lovers, there's a new doggie shoe in town for our best friends to be dripped out in. RIFRUF, the brand that creates modern sneakers for hype dogs, is launching a limited-edition pair of pup-kicks: the RIFRRUF x KK9R Caesar 1 Dog Sneaker, the first-ever philanthropy-driven dog shoe.

RIFRUF KK9R Solo 1
RIFRUF

Decked out in a green and white colorway reminiscent of classic tennis vibes, the shoe is perfect for summer. Made from the same materials as premium human sneakers, the new launch will have dogs thanking owners for the protection of their paws, but that’s not the only thing to get excited about. 50% of the shoe’s proceeds will go directly to KK9R’s rescue efforts of finding at-risk dogs from South Korea new homes in the USA.

Launching today, National Dog Rescue Day, we caught up with RIFRUF co-founder Peter Liu. earlier this week to talk about the new shoe.

RIFRUF KK9R 4side 1
RIFRRUF x KK9R Caesar 1 Dog Sneaker / RIFRUF

ONE37pm: These sneakers are too cute! What makes the RIFRUF x KK9R Caesar 1 Dog Sneaker so special?

Liu: Thank you! This is RIFRUF's very first collaboration project, as well as the first ever philanthropy-led dog shoe, so it's an especially exciting time for us as a young brand. The collab with Korean K9 Rescue (KK9R) especially hits home for us because both of our organizations come from Queens.

We've always been inspired by KK9R's mission of rescuing pups from across the world and bringing them to new homes through our beloved borough, and we're thrilled that we get an opportunity to support them in our own way. As a dog brand, there's nothing more important to us than believing in the dog-to-human connection and KK9R's mission embodies just that.

ONE37pm: What went into the design of the shoes?

Liu: We really wanted to keep this sneaker simple, clean, and to the point. We felt it most fitting to use our most popular Caesar 1 sneaker as the base and added in the hits of the KK9R green in the most eye-catching spots. There was a balancing act of maintaining a sleek and modern look, but at the same time, making it obvious enough that KK9R was the real star of the show, and quite frankly, I think we hit it out of the park!

The best part throughout the process was working so closely together with the KK9R team -- they do such amazing and admirable work over there. All we had to do was translate that into a shoe, so honestly, we did the easy part

ONE37pm: What is the best way to keep these shoes clean?

Liu: Our shoes are made from the same materials that you can find in premium human sneakers (e.g., knitted mesh, 100% rubber outsole), which means you can clean them like any other human sneaker. For an all-over wash, you can machine wash cold, and air dry. Make sure to separate the sneakers using a small laundry bag in the wash however so that the velcro doesn't stick on your clothes. If you need to just do a quick spot-clean, standard sneaker cleaner brands like Jason Markk work like a charm.

ONE37pm: Any more special puppy shoe collaborations in the works?

Liu: You can bet your tail on it! Just like human sneaker brands, there's nothing more exciting than making collaboration sneakers. We've got plenty of fun collaborations in the pipeline coming up that we can't reveal just yet but keep your noses peeled!

We definitely will bet our tails on it! You can purchase the new RIFRUF shoes here.

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