When Spokane Valley–based bootmaker JK Boots saw wildfires ravaging their community, they sprang into action. First, the company turned its headquarters into a recharge station where fire-fighting crews could rest, rehydrate, and get a hot meal between shifts from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Next, the family-owned and -operated brand donated 50 pairs of their handmade boots to firefighters on the line, hand-delivering them in some cases—and going over the allotted number when requests kept pouring in. Then, yesterday, the manufacturer took efforts a step further by creating a Homefront Day during which 100 percent of the August 5th profits from online orders, in-store purchase, and dealer sales nationwide were donated to Spokane residents who lost their homes in the fires.
“We asked ourselves what we could do as a group to help and did everything that came to mind,” says Will Khadzhi, who co-owns JK Boots with his brother Tim Khadzhi. Both are sons of founder John Khadzhi. “Our company is particularly close to the wildland firefighter community, and it felt right to do something ourselves and give anyone out there who wants to help a way to participate.”
“This is in our backyard. It affected our employees, our friends, and our families. When something happens in your hometown, it hits on a different level, and you feel a greater sense of responsibility,” Will continues. “Your normal day-to-day life gets shaken up, and you aren’t really thinking about your typical plans. You’re just trying to do everything possible to make this bad thing go away and get back to normal life.”
When news spread about JK Boots’ relief efforts, people started reaching out asking how they, too, could help. So the Khadzhis created a Sponsor a Firefighter program. Anyone looking to help can buy a pair of boots for a firefighter on the brand’s website for the regular retail price of $624.99 and include an optional message of thanks or encouragement. The company will allocate the boots to a crew member in need, print the donor’s message and put it in the box, and deliver the boots to the individual.
This isn’t the first time JK Boots has gone the extra mile to support firefighters. During last year’s California wildfires, the Khadzhis reached out to the firefighting community through social media to ask whether any crews needed boots. Their Instagram post got millions of views and triggered a flood of requests. In response, the brand donated dozens of pairs.
JK Boots was founded in 1994 by John Khadzhi (“JK”), who got his start in bootmaking as an apprentice cobbler during his teen years in a small Ukrainian town before moving to America. The company, which sells online and through a handful of its own stores in the western U.S., specializes in high-quality handmade fire, work, and western boots made from American materials in its own local workshop.
The Khadzhi family of JK Boots
JK Boots founder John Khadzhi with sons Tim and Will
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