🧦A Sneakerhead, a Teacher, and a Great Photographer
Andrew Dutton, Class is in Session, Sockless Summer? Gap and Target commit to garment recycling, DJ Lilicay Chill Morning, Arvin Goods
Happy Sunday,
A few weeks back, we saw a reel on IG featuring a teacher from Utah who took his sneaker passion to school—literally. Andrew Dutton, aka @ad__sneaks, wore a different pair of sneakers every day of the school year and documented each one from his classroom desk. And we’re not talking just regular sneakers—we’re talking limited, rare kicks from brands like Saucony, New Balance, Nike, Jordan, Asics, and more. We did not have teachers like this growing up!😀
But Andrew isn’t just a teacher who loves sneakers. He’s also a photographer and an advocate for design. His sneaker obsession started with basketball shoes when he was younger, evolving into an appreciation for the details of design, color, materials, and storytelling.
Andrew teaches digital media and design at a middle school in Lehi, Utah, where he uses his love for sneakers to help bridge the gap between his generation and his students. Kids are always going to be initially skeptical of teachers, but it appears this approach helps engage the kids in conversations about design and culture. During COVID, Andrew took to photography as a creative outlet, and what began as a hobby and a pair of Jordans evolved into a recognized skill and attention from stores and brands.
At Arvin Goods, we’ve always believed that great shoes deserve great socks. We reached out and sent Andrew some of our latest summer styles. We love sharing our brand and our quality with folks; if they re-share it, even better. Andrew not only shared what we sent, but he took the time to make a beautiful shot of our collection, which is the hero image above. We are very grateful for the content and the extra work from Andrew!
We love meeting people who share our passion for detail, quality, and creativity. Andrew’s story resonated with us—not just because he appreciates design, but because he has incorporated it in such a unique way. His photography and teaching inspire communities, spark connections, and encourage genuine conversations around the products we love.
Andrew is definitely a Friend of the People, and we appreciate his work. If you haven’t already, follow Andrew at @ad__sneaks.
Thank you! Enjoy the news below, and we wish you a great week!
Hope you enjoy today’s Clean Up. We would love to hear from you. Comment here on substack hit us on social, or email us at info@arvingoods.com. Have a great week. Cheers,
Team AG ✌️🧦
Stories Of The Week…
Photo
Class Is In Session - Sneaker News
(article from 2024)
If you don’t have a side hustle, are you really making moves? It’s no coincidence that the individuals at the forefront of culture are the ones relentlessly putting in the work while hashing out new ideas. Whether it be out of need or out of scratching that creative itch, it’s become apparent that the ones paving the way for the next generation have one thing in common: they embrace the grind.
Andy Dutton is a full-time middle-school teacher by day. At night, he runs one of the bigger independently-run sneaker fan-pages on social media. How he manages to tie it all together is a truly original plot behind one of the more compelling bios in the digital world of footwear, and in partnership with adidas Originals, we dug a bit deeper to get to know Mr. Dutton and see the secret behind the magic sauce while allowing him to flex his skills by photographing three of the brand’s silhouettes at the forefront of what’s hot.📸👟
Style
Is It Ever OK to Go Sockless in Summer? - GQ
Summer may be synonymous with easy living, but unless you’re getting dressed for the beach or a backyard BBQ, looking good while keeping cool can be hard. On the one hand, you want to be wearing as little as possible, and on the other (except in very few specific situations), you need to wear clothes. Ever has it been thus. There’s no better illustration of the opposing forces at play than the eternal conundrum of socks. Wear them, and your feet could become hot and sweaty. Don’t wear them and your heels might blister, or worse still, your shoes could start to stink. And what kind of socks should you wear with shorts, anyway? In a better world, perhaps, the no-show sock could have been the perfect solution, protecting shoes from sweat and odors while letting your ankles breathe freely. Unfortunately, they’re more likely to end up balled beneath your toes. Also—for reasons modern science has yet to fully explain—they give everyone the ick. So where does that leave us as we enter the sweaty, humid days of summer?☀️🧦❌
Industry
Gap Inc., Target Corp. and Houdini Sportswear Commit to Textile Recycling - Sourcing Journal
Gap Inc., Target Corp. and Stockholm-based Houdini Sportswear have made commitments to reduce waste by partnering with Syre, a new company for “hyperscaling” textile-to-textile recycling.
Syre launched in March 2024 with a mission to help decarbonize and de-waste the textile industry through a process called depolymerization. The process involves breaking down textile waste into its chemical building blocks and then reassembling them into new, high-quality polyester.
Syre plans to establish textile-to-textile plants producing circular polyester, and reducing CO2e emissions by up to 85 percent compared to the production of oil-based virgin polyester. The company’s first ‘blueprint’ plant is being established in Cedar Creek, N.C. It is expected to be operational in 2026 and deliver volumes up to 10,000 metric tons of circular polyester annually. In Cedar Creek, Syre will build a plant adjoining an existing Selenis plant for the production of polyester resins for consumer goods, food packaging and other areas utilizing recycled content.🏬👕
Entertainment
CHILL MORNING DEEP HOUSE MIX | LILICAY - YouTube
Chill Morning Deep House for your coffee ☕️
Follow her IG here LILICAY, and soundcloud here DJLILICAY
'The Clean Up' is a weekly newsletter that mixes in some Arvin Goods news, products, as well as stories we saw during the week that are worth a share. From books to podcasts, sustainability to business news, we try to keep it interesting, and fun. If you are not a subscriber, sign up and join everyone who receives The Clean Up directly in their inbox every Sunday.