TOMS: The Gift of Shoes and Sight

Tom's Charcoal Canvas Men's Desert Oxfords

I love the fact that when you buy a pair of TOMS shoes, another pair of shoes will be donated to a child in need around the world.  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.   As of September 2010, TOMS had given over 1,000,000 new shoes to children around the world.  In many countries, shoes can protect children from serious diseases, stunted physical and mental development, and even death resulting from hookworm, podoconiosis, jiggers, and tetanus. TOMS makes it easy to buy a pair of shoes you will love and to enable a child somewhere in the world to get perhaps their first pair of shoes ever!  Furthermore, all shoes produced for TOMS are made in fair wage factories that do not employ children.

For a man, this year I love TOMS Charcoal Canvas Men's Desert Oxfords ($65.00)   The Movember Grey Black Men's Classics are stylish as well ($58.00, raises awareness for cancers affecting men).  For a woman, I personally love the TOMS Navy Vegan Wrap Boots ($98.00).  I also am a fan of the TOMS Purple Houndstooth Women's Classics ($54.00). 

If shoes are not your thing, you can also buy a pair of TOMS eyeglasses.  For every pair purchased, TOMS will either donate funds for medical treatment, a pair of eyeglasses, or sight-saving surgery for a person in need around the world.

Finally, while you can find TOMS at many department stores, I suggest making sure your default browser is Goodsearch and then buying directly from the TOMS website;  an automatic 5% donation will be made from TOMS to your charity of choice on Goodsearch!