What do you think about the idea of shopping for stylish footwear & helping the underprivileged at the same time? If the idea seems pure absurd or just another cheap marketing gimmick to peddle stuff, then read on. Tom’s Shoes, an American footwear maverick, was established keeping the upliftment of the underprivileged in third world countries in mind. Based on a unique idea conceived by an American traveller Blake Mycoskie, Tom’s Shoes combines business with charity by providing a durable pair of shoes to poor children free of cost, for each pair of shoes sold through its retail web store.

The story began when Blake Mycoskie traveled to Argentina to learn to play Polo. Argentina being a traditional poor farming country, Blake was moved by the plight of the farmer’s children, who trudged around barefoot in their muddy fields. While anyone else could have hardly spared a thought on that, Blake took it upon himself to develop a feasible and self-sustaining business model, which could build a steady balance in helping these poor children without being a drain on the pockets of others. Thence was born Tom’s Shoes, the first of its kind to implement a one-to-one movement. Along with Alejo Nitti, his friend from Argentina, Blake started Tom’s Shoes at his apartment in 2006, with a staff of just 3 interns. Keeping an Argentinian touch, the shoes were designed on the lines of alpargata, a rugged type of farmer’s shoe used by polo players.

Why Only Shoes

You might ask, when the third world countries are riddled with lot more widespread problems like hunger and diseases which need to be prioritized. The answer is quite simple. Children being the future of any country, their health and welfare have to be safeguarded at any cost. Moving around barefoot through forest and fields makes them highly prone to cuts, bruises, soil-transmitted diseases, snake and scorpion bites, and so on. Moreover, such children are deprived of proper education since they are unable to move barefoot over long distance to attend school. With this object in mind, Tom’s Shoes donated 10000 shoes in Argentina in 2006 itself.

Thereon, Tom’s Shoes one-to-one movement has been very fast to catch on, with everyone joining in the movement to do their bit for poor children. Till date, Tom’s Shoes has donated more than 600,000 pairs of shoes to deprived children in US, Argentina, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Guatemala, & South Africa.

With lots of new offerings in the men, women and children segment, Tom’s Shoes also garner support for their endeavor through tie-ups with lots of NGOs, college campus awareness & co-branding with other leading apparel houses. Excited at the prospect of helping the unfortunates, people from all corners of US, young & old alike, are chipping in for the social cause with their purchases.