Toms Shoes - Review

Ever heard of Toms Shoes?  I didn’t until just recently and I think they’re awesome.

Not just because they have great shoes but because for every pair of shoes you purchase at Toms, they give a new pair of shoes to a child in need. 

Since their beginning, Toms Shoes has provided over a million pairs of shoes to children in need around the world.

Have a look at what they’re doing:

Toms Shoes was started by Blake Mycoskie, a 32 year old American who traveled to Argentina and was moved by the small children who had no shoes.  Blake would soon find out that walking barefoot in the regions of Argentina exposed children to cuts, infection and disease, specifically a disease called podoconiosis, which causes extreme swelling and deformity of the legs.  But Blake also found out that the disease is preventable, even reversible by wearing shoes.

After realizing this, Blake was compelled to make a difference in those children’s lives and created Toms shoes, and his shoe company would give a new pair of shoes to a child in need with every sale he made.

Toms shoes are a little like the hippie shoes from the 60’s. They’re simple, casual shoes with a few basic styles.  Blake modeled his shoes after a rope soled slipper worn in Argentina called the alpargata.  The shoes consist of a canvas or corduroy upper, soft leather insole, durable rubber outsole and have arch and heel support and they come in a huge array of colors.

For the vegan enthusiast you can find elastic, Velcro and rubber outer soles and their shoes are made with repurposed materials.  Blake says anytime they can reuse and recycle, they try to do that.  

But that doesn't mean their shoes aren't comfortable.  Blake simply took the simple alpargata shoe idea and added cushioning and arch support for adding amazing comfort.  He basically took a simple shoe, made it better and added a lot more comfort.   

In 2007,  Toms shoes received the people's design aware from the Smithsonian, Cooper-Hewitt design museum, and in 2009 they were presented with the award for Corporate Excellence which recognizes companies committed to corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices and democratic values worldwide.  And it was just this year, 2010, that Toms celebrated giving 1 million pairs of new shoes to children in 25 countries.