The proceeds from the sales of what is being coined as “A Shoe for Change” aim to bring positive and lasting transformation to the Louisville community. Mitchell and adidas worked closely with the to determine which scholarships and academic initiatives to fund to best serve its diverse student population. These initiatives include the Woodford R. Porter Scholarship Program, the Muhammad Ali Scholar Program, the Health and Social Justice Scholars Program and an expanded emergency fund to help increase retention rates of the impacted students, allowing them to focus on their studies and work toward graduation.

Alongside Mitchell and adidas, WNBA star Angel McCoughtry also is supporting the efforts tied to her alma mater.

“I am so proud of Donovan and Angel for their commitment to the university, the local community and our ongoing diversity and equity efforts,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “We all know that both of these former Cardinals are fabulous basketball players, but they also are great leaders and role models. The impact from the sale of this shoe will be felt at their alma mater for years to come. We are so honored to have both in the Cardinal Family.”

Members of the UofL men’s and women’s basketball teams will wear the limited-edition colorway in upcoming games. Donovan will also debut the new colorway in his preseason game today, Dec. 17.

“With my mom being a teacher and based on the values she taught me from a young age, I have always understood the importance of education, which is why adidas and I worked with my alma mater, the University of Louisville, to ensure proceeds from the Louisville colorway of D.O.N. Issue #2 would fund scholarships to support Black students,” Mitchell said. “I am passionate about giving back, so having the opportunity to support the Louisville community, a place that helped shape me, is really special and it’s great my friend and champion for equality, Angel McCoughtry, is supporting these efforts as well.”

“Donovan Mitchell is a special talent on the basketball court and an even better person off the court. I’m proud to call him a friend and fellow ‘Cardinal Forever.’ I’m excited to work with him and adidas to support the Louisville community that means so much to me. I’m always proud to wear Donovan’s shoe on court, and I know these scholarship funds generated by the shoe’s sales will leave a lasting impact on the Black students who receive them and the greater Louisville community,” McCoughtry said.

D.O.N. Issue #2 x Louisville (A Shoe for Change) drops on Dec. 17 for $100 at 1 p.m. EST on . “A Shoe for Change” represents the first sneaker available for fans to purchase among adidas, Mitchell and the Cardinals.

The sneaker’s name, D.O.N., remains a testament to Mitchell’s Determination Over Negativity, aiming to be a vehicle for positive disruption on the court and in communities. The D.O.N. Issue #2 x Louisville portrays the familiar UofL colors and its iconic mascot, Louie the Cardinal, featured inside the rubber outsole dunking. The shoe’s lace overlay includes the Cardinals’ rallying cry, “Louisville First, Cards Forever,” and the heel features “THE VILLE” as a tribute to the city’s long-standing nickname.

Angel McCoughtry, the , rebounding and steals, led UofL to its first NCAA title game in 2009. She now plays for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. Earlier this month, she helped create the WNBA/WNBPA Social Justice Council to address issues like inequality and systemic racism. 

, this season’s WNBA jerseys will include the names of people who have experienced social injustice – a way to bring the conversation to a bigger audience.

McCoughtry announced this initiative by posting an Instagram photo of her Aces jersey with Breonna Taylor’s name on it. Taylor was fatally shot by the Louisville Metro Police Department in March after officers executed a no-knock search warrant.

“This is a way to use our platform to be a helping hand during these trying times,” McCoughtry wrote in her post. “Silence is an ally for EVIL and when sports resume WE WILL NOT BE SILENT.”

The WNBA season is expected to return later this month.

Meanwhile, former UofL Football and current Atlanta Falcons player Jamon Brown has done plenty of activism work in his former community recently. , who was selected in the NFL draft in 2015, established the Jamon Brown Foundation to help those in need in Louisville.

In March, Brown launched a through that foundation to specifically provide financial support for those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Most recently, Brown has been using that platform to attend and speak at local protests, , “I’m a citizen before I’m a football player. I’m a Black man before I’m a citizen. But I’m a human before I’m any of those … I’m trying to do what I can to shed light on what’s going down.”

Brown has influenced a number of current UofL players to join him in using their voice to raise awareness. Indeed, a number of those players have marched beside Brown and have led efforts to clean up the community and participate in other service events.

UofL’s football staff has also encouraged current players to use their voices. 

Defensive coordinator Bryan Brown told the Courier Journal that this encouragement comes from head coach Scott Satterfield: “That’s one thing Coach Satt said, we need to make sure we don’t let this thing die, you know about racial diversity, racial tension and police brutality against people of color, we don’t need to let it die down.”