In 2006 American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes 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 their beginning, TOMS has given over 140,000* pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. Through their customers, TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.
Through ongoing community events and Shoe Drop Tours TOMS supporters and enthusiasts will be a part of their One for One movement.
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.
Of the planet’s six billion people, four billion live in conditions inconceivable to many. Will you help TOMS and kids around the world take a step towards a better tomorrow? If you do buy a pair of shoes please come back and leave a comment in the box below about how the process went, what kind of information did you get with your shoe purchase and more importatnly did you learn where the other pair of shoes went?
