Shop and Give: TOMS

TOMS. Go ahead. Try these Vegan and Canvas Shoes.

For every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for one.

Seriously. How can anyone say no to that? I think this is one of the greatest ideas in a long time. Most people want to help others in need including the poor in other countries, but many people just don't really know how to go about it. Many people falsely believe the contribution they can make just won't or can't make a difference; but they are wrong. This is just ONE simple way of going about helping out a child in another country who has never felt the comfort of a simple shoe; something many of us think is simple and take for granted everyday.

Below is their (TOMS) story copied directly from their website.
One for One
TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about.

Our Story
In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created a company that would match every pair of shoes sold with a pair given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by caring TOMS customers.

Since our beginning, TOMS has given over 140,000* pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. Because of your support, TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.

Our ongoing community events and Shoe Drop Tours allow TOMS supporters and enthusiasts to be part of our One for One movement. Join us.

Why shoes?
Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or just getting around, these children are at risk.

Walking is often the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children can walk for miles to get food, water, shelter and medical help. Wearing shoes literally enables them to walk distances that aren't possible barefoot.

Wearing shoes prevents feet from getting cuts and sores on unsafe roads and from contaminated soil. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected. The leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores. Wearing shoes can prevent this and the risk of amputation.

Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

There is one simple solution...SHOES.

Four of the planet's six billion people live in conditions inconceivable to many. Lets take a step towards a better tomorrow.



And below are the pair of TOMS I purchased today at a local shop in OKC. You can also easily find a pair online. Their are so many different colors and styles that you are bound to find at least one you like. I was torn between the red pair I purchased and a solid light yellow pair. I might go back and get a second pair...you know...because it's for a good cause.




The world has so much to offer us. Show us. Teach us. We just have to be willing and open to all of it's gifts.

Keep on Keepin on.