TOMS Shoes are a stylish take on the traditional Argentine alpargata slip-on, appealing at once to the Polo Ralph Lauren crowd, surfers, hipsters, as well as those of us who just like a simple, comfortable pair of shoes. You’ll even see them on the feet of Hollywood celebrities like Kiera Knightly and Liv Tyler. Yet, the shoes are more than just that.
When the founder, Blake Mycoskie, discovered alpargatas in Argentina, he simultaneously discovered many poverty-stricken children without shoes to protect their feet. He wanted to create a vehicle that could help him make an impact.
TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: For every pair purchased, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. He calls the idea “One for One.”
“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,” explains a pleased Mycoskie.
Blake Mycoskie’s story is an unlikely one. A former contestant on “The Amazing Race,” he was inspired by the low-cost alpargatas while taking polo lessons in Argentina. Alpargatas are traditionally canvas slip-on shoes, synonymous with gauchos, polo culture, and the Argentine countryside.
A Good Cause ... and Fashionable Too
Mycoskie’s version of the shoe is a fashion statement, with its endless selection of funky fabrics and “California vibe.” TOMS lovers (and the company has a large fan base) claim that they feel great wearing them not only because they’re extremely comfortable but also because they know that, somewhere in the world, a child is happy wearing a matching pair because of their purchase.
Within three years, Mycoskie has grown TOMS Shoes into a company expected to bring in 13 million in sales in 2009. The company recently struck licensing deals with Ralph Lauren and the product can even be found at Whole Foods. Recently, Mycoskie appeared on CBNC’s “The Entrepreneurs” as he opened his flagship store in Venice Beach, Calif. He also won the Cooper-Hewitt People’s Design Award in 2007.
The design blends and functions perfectly in Western culture, and blends and functions perfectly in third world cultures as well; Style and comfort tied to a worthy cause are what today’s consumers are looking for. Mycoskie has hit the nail on the head.
They quickly mold to your feet, creating a custom “ninja-like fit” as one TOMS fan put it.
TOMS is providing kids across the world with a basic necessity, at the same time it’s also providing people with purchasing power a chance to make a difference.
TOMS ‘One Day Without Shoes’ Campaign
On April 16, TOMS Shoes is initiating an international day of not wearing shoes to raise awareness for the cause. Participants are encouraged to leave their shoes at the door for the day, or even just to go to the water cooler or mailbox. The campaign is targeting colleges, with reps at campuses across the U.S. rallying support. At the end of the day, people are encouraged to buy a pair of TOMS. This is great marketing for TOMS Shoes, and good fortune for the shoeless children in developing countries who are at risk of infectious diseases lurking in soil.
Go to www.tomsshoes.com for more on the event, or to purchase your very own pair for the summer.
