Nobody can deny that shoes are an integral part of any outfit. Accordingly to Cosmopolitan, the average woman owns 17 pairs of shoes. But not everyone is so lucky. In many developing countries, children must walk barefoot for miles to school, clean water and medical help, and hundreds of millions of children are at risk of injury, infection and soil-transmitted diseases that most can’t afford to prevent and treat.
What can you do to help? Two things:
1. Purchase your new kicks from TOMS Shoes. In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need with their One for One™ campaign. To date, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children through giving partners around the world.
2. Go SHOELESS tomorrow. On April 5th, you are encouraged to go without shoes to raise awareness of the positive impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life. Last year, more than 250,000 people went without shoes! You may even know some of the Canadians supporting this year’s campaign: Danny Fernades, Aliya-Jasmine Sovani of MTV Canada and Jacynthe. This is the fourth year that the march has taken place.
Watch this:
Back from Safari, the Kenya Stripe Wedge. Attention-grabbing bold lines over coarse hemp makes any spot along your journey a destination. Native design meets city style, the Kenya Stripe Wedge. TOMS classic suede insole with rubber cushion for comfort; Soft suede heel insert for added comfort; Durable solid rubber outsole with “One for One” script design.
Love them! I especially like that the TOMS brand is synonymous with giving, so that little blue logo tells everyone I’m fashionable – and charitable!
To find out more, go to www.OneDayWithoutShoes.com to get all the latest updates, create and join events in your area, download an event tool kit, etc. You can also stay connected through mobile apps on iPhone and Android – see website for more details.
Consider ditching your shoes tomorrow for this incredibly worthy cause. And in case you were wondering, TOMS just doesn’t donate any old pair of shoes: the shoes are made to order and constantly evolving. They are only created in the sizes that the children need, and adapt the shoes to best fit the children’s lives – whether it’s thicker soles, water-resistant materials or school uniform colours.
Have a Shoe-Free Tuesday!