YOUNGSTOWN — By merely being in the right place at the right time, Lisa Johnson found herself as a recipient of a 100-percent off sale.

“Most of the time, I spend $50 or $60 for shoes for her,” Johnson, of Youngstown, said about buying shoes for her granddaughter, Destiny Johnson, 4.

Johnson might as well have kept her money at home this time, however, because as she was driving on Belmont Avenue, a young woman holding a sign that mentioned a shoe giveaway caught her eye. A short time later, Johnson was being handed a free pair of size 12 Geer brand shoes, courtesy of the third annual giveaway event Friday afternoon at Union Baptist Church, 528 Lincoln Ave.

Hosting the one-hour outdoor driveup event was Relaced330, a Liberty boutique shop that opened late last year and specializes in restoring numerous brands of tennis and dress shoes, as well as purses, hats and designer bags.

In early 2015, Maeson Green, Relaced330’s owner, developed an interest in and became talented at repairing his own shoes to always look new. Soon after, he began his own business called MBG Restoring, which has repaired and restored more than 1,500 pairs of tennis shoes, boots and dress shoes, according to its website.

In February 2020, MBG Restoring announced its decision to expand to Relaced330, the website states.

We make shoes look brand new,” Green said Friday.

He and a team of five volunteers, most of whom are fellow Austintown Fitch High School graduates, were on hand to give away 150 pairs of new and restored shoes of all sizes for those age 1 to 18, as part of their effort to also give back to the community, he explained.

“People need help, and this is just the avenue for you to get some help and go on about your day,” Green said.

The merchandise included pairs of popular and special brand names such as Nike, Reebok, Puma, Skechers, Rock & Republic, Stacy Adams, Dockers, Totes, Catapult, Sonoma and Fila, along with special ones named after singer Marc Anthony and basketball legend LeBron James. Also on one of two long tables were pairs of Crocs.

Among those happy to assist with the effort was Lainie Simons of Austintown, an Ohio State University sophomore majoring in biochemistry.

“I’ve known Maeson since elementary school, and he’s always been trying to do what’s right, and Youngstown is struggling a bit,” Simons said in explaining her main desire to be part of the giveaway.

A highlight of her experience was giving a 5- or 6-year-old girl in a vehicle a free pair of Adidas tennis shoes, Simons added.

Green and his team of volunteers also were happily surprised when Sydney Hull of Boardman pulled into the church parking lot.

“I had them in the back seat and saw the sign and decided to donate,” Hull said about having dropped off a pair of size 7 Nike Free Running shoes she had owned.

Green recalled that during the first event he hosted, only about 25 pairs of shoes were given away.

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