Tyr Creates Shoe for Operation Underground Railroad
Tyr may be best known for its swim-related products, but the Seal Beach, California-based sports brand manufactures products for other sports as well, including triathlon and running.
It was the brand’s participation in CrossFit where it first connected with Operation Underground Railroad, a global charity that fights against human trafficking and child exploitation.
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Now Tyr has created a limited edition of its CXT-1 Trainer shoe from which 100 percent of the profits will be donated to the organization. It features the organization’s signature black and yellow colorway and the words Rise Up on the sole.
“O.U.R. was doing all these CrossFit activations and we kept running into each other,” said Matt DiLorenzo, chief executive officer of Tyr. So the two decided to create a shoe to raise awareness and funds for the cause.
Tyr has been producing footwear for a little over a year, he said, and the CXT-1 is a “functional fitness” shoe designed to be worn at the gym or to lift weights.
In addition to the shoe, Tyr and O.U.R. will host an all-day workout fundraising event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Aug. 2 during the CrossFit Games, where participants can take on 12 “hero workouts” at the Tyr House inside Connex Gym with the proceeds also being donated to the group.
Although Tyr has worked with other organizations in the past, including USA Swimming Foundation and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, this is the first time all the proceeds from a product are being donated. “It’s a pretty serious cause and we want to raise awareness and help as much as we can,” DiLorenzo said.
Matt Osborne, president and chief operating officer of O.U.R., said the organization was created around 10 years ago to fight against human trafficking, which affects 40.3 million people around the world, 25 percent of whom are children. Over that time, its efforts have helped more than 7,000 people and led to the arrest of 6,500 traffickers, he said.
The group has been working with CrossFit since the beginning and has a special gym at its headquarters in Draper, Utah, dedicated to the sport where membership dues are donated to the cause. Its motto is “Get fit, save kids,” Osborne said.
The CXT-1 Trainer will be sold on Tyr’s website beginning Tuesday and will retail for $150.
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