Former Olympian Carl Lewis helps Aiden Taylor, 11, pick out a pair of shoes as part of the “Kicks for Class” event at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Houston on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. The event was sponsored by Communities in School, Heil Law Firm, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and Whataburger. Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Olympic champion Carl Lewis helped welcome about 100 Houston-area middle school students to a shopping trip for new athletic shoes Thursday at Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Middle schoolers make their way into Academy Sports + Outdoors for free shoes and back-to-school supplies in Houston on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. The event was sponsored by Communities in School, Heil Law Firm, Academy Sports + Outdoors and Whataburger. Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
The event was part of Kicks for Class, a charitable initiative sponsored by the Heil Law Firm and organized by Communities In Schools of Houston. The program provides shoes to students who might otherwise be unable to participate in school sports and team activities.