Demetrius Nash Is Walking from Chicago to D.C. to Protest Gun Violence
Bronzeville native Demetrius Nash started his journey on foot from Chicago to Washington D.C. to bring awareness to the issue of gun violence, specifically in Chicago, on Saturday, August 5th.
Fed up with the continuous violence within the city, Nash is walking to bring awareness and protest the gun violence in Chicago. Specifically, he's walking in support of his initiative called Replace Guns With Hammers. Upon arrival, Nash plans to meet with the Black Caucus and Illinois Congressmen.
"That's getting young men out of the streets and into the trades. Rehabbing buildings in their own community. Actually replacing the gun with a construction hammer.", said Nash.
At one point Nash was part of the problem now he's part of the solution. From 2005 to 2013, Nash was incarcerated. Upon returning home he how much the violence was really affecting and destroying families. "I felt like as a man in Chicago I needed to do something and just want better for my community."
To prepare for his 672 mile journey, Nash regularly walked from 167th and Kedzie to 66th South King Drive, around 20 miles.
ABC7 gave us a tip that Nash was looking to find some proper shoes for his high mileage journey. To help absorb that amount of constant mileage on his feet, we put Nash through our fit process to determine which shoes would most efficient. We determined his specific needs for the type of daily mileage he would doing. We assessed his bare foot noting callouses and his metatarsal position.
But that's when Nash was in for a real treat. We pulled out our never-before-seen 3-D Fit ID scanning device made by Volumental. The machine replaces the classic Brannock measuring device and instead uses pressure plates and in-device cameras for a full three dimensional scan of the foot. Using this method, our fit experts are able to come out with 15 points of measurement as opposed to the traditional Brannock device which was 2.
Measurement points such as foot length, ball width, arch height and more give our fit experts the most precise fit and accurate shoe suggestion to date. After assessing the shoe fit including length, width, and heel cup while analyzing Nash in motion.
The shoes that suited Nash's demanding, 10 hour-a-day walking schedule were the Hoka One One Clifton 4. Known for it's maximal cushioning and lightweight silhouette. Hoka One One has found a fan for life with Nash. "When I first started walking I fell in love with them. Hoka, if you're watching, you've got a customer in me for the rest of my life."
After the 22 day trip, Nash is in for a busy few months. When he arrives back home he plans on getting his community together to talk about his experience. "We don't have a lot of ownership in my community so I'm planning on getting the right businessmen and women of the community and changing the landscape for the black community in Chicago.
Kudos to you, Demetrius. We're proud to outfit you with the socks, BodyGlide, shoes, watch, and recovery products for such a great cause. You can follow Demetrius's journey on Instagram at @dnash425 and donate to his GoFundMe page here. He's already reached his $15,000 goal and is now asking for $50,000.
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