My First Pair of Toms!

(the following is off a blog that supports toms; telling you all about them.)

TOMS began in May 2006, founded by Blake Mycoskie. Mycoskie got the idea for the slip-on style of shoe made with lightweight fabric from the traditional alpargata after his trip to Argentina. The poverty and health issues he encountered on his trip hit Mycoskie pretty hard and moved him to market alpargatas in the US to help the poor in Argentina. His idea was to match every pair of shoes in the US sold with a pair to a child in need. TOMS’ slogan of One for One is a fresh way of helping the poor that has caught Americans’ interest and is becoming somewhat of an icon.

 The disease that TOMS is helping to eradicate is Podoconiosis. It’s a disease that is transferred by walking or working barefoot in volcanic soil that is rich in silica, which is a fairly common practice in rural parts of developing countries. The disease causes ulcers, extreme swelling, and deformity in the legs. Many countries in Africa, Central America and northern India are affected by this debilitating disease. In Ethiopia, between five hundred thousand and one million people are afflicted by Podoconiosis. Those afflicted experience intense pain and are considered pariahs in their society, no longer able to work to support themselves. It’s a serious problem with a fairly easy solution. If those living in the areas with silica-rich soil had shoes to wear consistently from early childhood, they would be able to avoid the disease. TOMS shoes is working to provide durable footwear to at-risk children living in these dangerous areas in the world. I got my information and statistics from the TOMS website, so they have done their research and really know their stuff.

 Sounds cool, right? You can easily support TOMS by buying a pair of their shoes. The best part is, you’re not simply giving the company money, you’re getting a great product out of it, too. You can buy online at their website or search for stores near you that carry TOMS shoes. Visit TOMS shoes homepage at http://www.tomsshoes.com

My new Toms :)