Communal Sole Club

Using sneakers, sustainability and collectivity as its emblems, Communal Sole Club is helping people connect through a diverse series of community-minded programming.

Throughout the pandemic and the months that followed, founder Rhee Andrews was inspired by New Yorkers’ eagerness to socialize and care for one another in spite of any barriers. She wanted to continue fostering that energy by creating spaces around the city where people could celebrate, recalibrate, and bond.

“What started as a giveback brunch quickly turned into a B2B2C ecosystem through sole (soul) enriching programs — from wellness, to creative play to casual connections. We cultivate spaces to return to the third space during weeknights,” she said. “Your job shouldn't be the only reason you find yourself out during the week days. We want to show you other ways to have fun and get back outside while helping bolster local businesses.”

Through Communal Sole Club, Andrews creates events and activities that bring people together IRL. The club hosts walks, workshops, watch parties, and discussions in public spaces and small businesses around the city. 

Utilizing an organic means of organizing, Andrews produces the club's diverse programming to empower both the businesses she partners with as well as the attendees and community members looking to connect in more intimate, intentional ways.

“Our connections aren't manufactured through a feed or algorithm. We just send out open invites to those looking to gain a moment to reset,” she explained. “We ask for feedback and implement what our Sole Mates want to see in a way that is natural to us. Our experiences shape our surroundings, so we mirror what we want to see, the media we're consuming or the topics we all can't stop discussing, and then create that space.”

In the coming months, Andrews will continue hosting the club’s regular programming, including its monthly walk series that takes place at Prospect Park every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. She has also introduced new recurring events to the club’s calendar, including Club House — the after school kick back for adults.

“Like an adult boys and girls club! It's where you come to craft, play board games, color and talk with some good soles on a Tuesday over coffee,” Andrew said.

More about Communal Sole Club can be found here.