Cover More Than Feet

Do you ever wish you could do more for people in other countries without having to leave America? Do you ever feel guilty about shopping for a new outfit with the knowledge that some kids only have one outfit to wear every day? The other night while at campus assembly, I heard of the company TOMS Shoes for the first time. It dealt with poverty and footwear- it had gotten my attention.

TOMS Shoes began in May 2006 and since then has distributed thousands upon thousands of shoes worldwide. Their cause is “One for One” which means every time a pair of shoes is purchased from this company, they send another pair of shoes to a child in need. Over 10,000 pairs have gone to Argentina and over 50,000 pairs to South Africa. The plan for the year 2008 was to distribute 200,000 more.

TOMS Shoes makes footwear for men, women, and children. They have also paired up with the brand Element. One pair of women’s shoes is around $45 and there are many styles to choose from. Recently they started selling boots as well. The men’s shoes are the same style with a manly touch that cost close to $69. Besides the company’s cause, their shoes have a very unique look. They are a cross between Vans and a house shoe. Along with shoes, there are also hats, shirts and sweatshirts with TOMS Shoes logo on them for sale.

If the shoes aren’t your style but you still want to get involved, then the site offers opportunities to do so either by joining their email list or team. If you do buy a pair of these shoes you will walk around with the constant reminder that somewhere in the world there is another kid walking in shoes just like yours because of what you did. That is very awesome!

A special thanks to Emma Brobeck for editing this article.