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Could you go one day without shoes? Around your house, sure... But around your city? Throughout your day? Your week? Your year? Could you imagine sending your children to school without the proper clothing, including, perhaps the most essential item: Shoes? It's almost impossible to imagine...A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of joining a couple of bloggers that I know and admire (Heather Spohr, Rebecca Woolf and Nanette of Say It, Don't Spray It ) at the TOMS Shoes Headquarters in Santa Monica. Walking through their incredibly unique and downright hip space, it was easy to see how passionate TOMS employees would be about their company.
Though I didn't own a pair, I knew and liked TOMS stylistically, but honestly, had very little awareness of Blake Mycoskie, the founder and "Chief Shoe Giver" of TOMS shoes. Blake came and shared with us the mission of TOMS: with every pair purchased, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. Through this One for One program, as of April 2010, TOMS had given over 1,000,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need around the world.
It goes without saying that Blake is one cool dude-- and listening to him was inspiring. Every year, they take their philanthropic efforts one step further... Today, April 5th is One Day Without Shoes (#withoutshoes). It's a yearly global action event to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life. Millions of children grow up without shoes and are at risk of disease and infection. In Ethiopia, approximately 1 million people are suffering from a debilitating disease called podoconiosis, which is 100% preventable with basic hygiene and shoes.
During our visit, we were each given a pair of plain, off white canvas TOMS and equipped with a ton of fabric paints, encouraged to Style our Soles. (Click here to see how you can host an event like this!).
(Um, Rebecca's shoes turned out ADORABLE. She's goddamn stylish, that girl)
Here's what I walked out with... Pretty cute right???
Okay, so my plan for One Day Without Shoes? Spend 3 hours at home this morning without shoes-- that includes chores like moving my car for street cleaning, taking out the trash, and dealing with my ice cold hardwood floor while my coffee brews. It pales in comparison to the terrain that some children have to bare, but it's a start.... Thank you to everyone at TOMS and the always lovely Ketchum team!
Here are more ways that you can get involved:
On this day, families, friends, parents, strangers, and co-workers host or participate in events without shoes. Some go without shoes for an hour, some for the whole day, but all become a part of a greater movement toward change.
· On April 5th , pledge to spend the whole day, or do even one daily activity, without shoes
· Join the #withoutshoes conversation on Twitter
· Spread the word any way we can
· Host or attend a One Day Without Shoes event
1 comment:
you said:
"Could you go one day without shoes? Around your house, sure... But around your city? Throughout your day? Your week? Your year? Could you imagine sending your children to school without the proper clothing, including, perhaps the most essential item: Shoes? It's almost impossible to imagine.."
Wow, the young generation really knows so little about this...ALL of those things are EASY in 'civilized' countries like the US and Europe, as long as the temperatures are above freezing. Those of us who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s often went barefoot the entire summer. Just start early in the spring with short barefoot walks, and by summer your feet get so strong that you can walk on anything all day, and yes, even in the city. And stores, malls, just about everywhere. Young people were doing this even in New York City about 40 years ago. The problem in the third world countries is that they often have no plumbing and sanitation, no sewers, and tropical diseases that do not exist in the US. And we have access to shoes when we want them. The only problem with going barefoot in the US is that since the 1980s it has become SOCIALLY unacceptable. There are few actual PHYSICAL barriers. They are cultural. Add by the way, in New Zealand and parts of Australia, kids are allowed to go to school barefoot, and many do all the time. So those shoes are really only an 'essential' item in poor tropical countries, and TOMS is doing a good job doing that.
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