06-04-2025
First Step WF hosts 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes'
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)—Some men and women might have sore feet after participating in the 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes' movement hosted by First Step Wichita Falls.
The event, geared towards supporting sexual assault survivors, was supposed to be an outdoor walk at Sikes Lake Center, but due to Saturday's inclement weather, the Bill Bartley YMCA was gracious enough to host. This is the first time the movement has been held in Wichita Falls, but outside of Texoma, it's an international movement.
With the event taking root in cities around the world, First Step Outreach Coordinator Kiawa Chambers thought now, at the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month was a perfect time to bring it to Wichita Falls.
'So, 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes' has been going on since 2001,' Chambers said. 'We wanted to bring it to Wichita Falls because it is in the bigger cities like Boston, Chicago and big cities like that. So, we thought, you know, why not bring it to Wichita Falls, raise awareness in a fun way.'
While wearing heels was optional for the walk, a pair of heels should at least be carried by each walker. Chambers explained what carrying or wearing the heels is meant to represent.
'It represents walking a mile in somebody else's shoes, walking a mile in a survivor's shoes,' Chambers said. 'A lot of the times survivors have a hard time speaking on what has happened to them. And you don't know what somebody's gone through until you walked in their shoes.'
First Step invited representatives from the WFPD and Crime Stoppers to the walk as well. Chambers hopes the walk helps encourage survivors of sexual assault to seek the help that they need whether it comes from the police department, Crime Stoppers, or First Step.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
