We currently give to communities in more than 20 countries worldwide, and we are expanding – thanks to our
awesome customers!

Giving shoes isn’t instantaneous.
Once a shoe is purchased, it takes about four to six months for our Giving Partners to order shoes and to hand-place them on children’s feet.

The Other Side of One for One™. A Giving Pair is the pair of shoes your purchase enables TOMS to give to a child in need. And giving responsibly is what TOMS is all about. We work with our Giving Partners to determine the sizes and quantities needed for the children they serve.

The shoe that we give most frequently is a black, unisex canvas slip-on with a sturdy sole. Black shoes are required for school in many countries, and the sturdy sole allows children to run and play with their feet protected. We’ve found that the classic TOMS slip-on style works well, because when shoelaces break, many families cannot afford to replace them.

In Argentina, we give shoes similar to our colorful Classics, as this is the common style there.

Shoes are a fundamental resource for protecting children’s health
and providing them with opportunity.

• GROWING UP BAREFOOT
  In many developing countries, children must walk barefoot for miles to school, clean water and medical help.
• INJURY AND DISEASE
  Hundreds of millions of children are at risk of injury, infection and soil-transmitted diseases that most don’t have access to prevent or treat.
• EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITY
  Children who are healthy are more likely to be successful students, and access to education is a critical determinant of long-term success.
• A BETTER TOMORROW
  Healthy, educated children have a better chance of improving the future of their entire community.

“Shoes simply mean everything to a Zambian child. I am called a doctor today because of the shoes my father bought, which motivated me to keep going to school and to work hard. Shoes were and are still a luxury in this country…”
– Dr. Fwasa Singogo, Zambia

Give Sustainably. Give Responsibly.
At TOMS, we are committed to creating the biggest impact possible with the shoes we give – improving children’s health and access to education – for the long-term.

Giving Partners:
We couldn’t do it without them! We work to establish shoe-giving partnerships with humanitarian organizations worldwide that have deep experience and a long-term presence in the countries and communities they serve.

• Identify Communities That Need Shoes
  Together, we find communities that will benefit most from TOMS shoes due to economic, health and educational needs, and where local businesses will not be negatively affected.
• Give Shoes That Fit
  Our Giving Partners order the sizes children in their community need. We make the shoes to order to ensure children are given new shoes that fit them. Learn more about the Giving Pair here.
• Help Our Shoes Have a Bigger Impact
  Children who are given TOMS shoes receive them as part of larger health and education programs run by our Giving Partners. These programs help children get the care and opportunity they need to keep them healthy and in school.
• Give Children Shoes As They Grow
  Children grow fast! TOMS works to give shoes to children in need throughout their childhood. Once we identify a community that needs shoes, we continue to give to the children in that community to help them stay healthy and in school.
• Provide Feedback and Help Us Improve
  We rely on our incredible Giving Partners to provide feedback on shoes’ fit and durability, the giving process and the needs of the community – allowing us to continually improve.

One for One

With every pair purchased, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.
And thanks to our amazing customers, as of September 2010, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children in need around the world.
Check out the One for One model in action.

Blake Mycoskie's Bio

Blake Mycoskie is the Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS, and the man behind the growing One for One movement. As of April 2010, TOMS has given over 600,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need through giving partners around the world.

It didn’t take long for the world to notice this new approach to business – in 2007, only a year after its beginning, TOMS was honored with the prestigious People’s Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. And two years after that, TOMS and Blake Mycoskie were the proud recipients of the Secretary of State’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) presented by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. The award celebrates companies’ commitment to corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices, and democratic values worldwide.

While running TOMS, Blake is a sought-after speaker at campuses and conferences all over the country. He is passionate about inspiring young people to help make tomorrow better, encouraging them to include giving in everything they do, from business practices to day-to-day decisions. His hope is to see a future full of socially minded businesses, and consumers. This unique vision for the future came into focus in 2006, when he witnessed the hardships facing children growing up barefoot in Argentina. He felt a need to help, and the One for One movement was born. He returned the following year with friends and family to hand-place 10,000 pairs of new shoes on children.

Blake has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, starting five businesses before TOMS. His first was a successful national campus laundry service, which he later sold. Between business ventures, Blake competed in the CBS primetime series, The Amazing Race. With his sister, Paige, Blake traveled the world and came within minutes of winning the $1 million dollar grand prize. Blake is an avid reader and traveler. He was born in 1976 and lives on a sailboat in Los Angeles. A favorite quote of his by Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

The TOMS Story

TOMS was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, inspired by a trip to Argentina where he saw extreme poverty and health conditions, as well as children walking without shoes. That’s when he recognized the traditional Argentine alpargata shoe as a simple, yet revolutionary solution. He quickly set out to reinvent the alpargata for the U.S. market with a simple goal: to show how together, we can create a better tomorrow by taking compassionate action today.

To realize this mission, Blake made a commitment to match every pair of TOMS purchased with a new pair given to a child in need. One for One. “I was so overwhelmed by the spirit of the South American people, especially those who had so little,” Mycoskie said. “And I was instantly struck with the desire — the responsibility — to do more.”

Giving

During its first year in business, TOMS sold 10,000 pairs of shoes. Blake returned to Argentina later that year with family and friends and gave back to the children who had first inspired him. Thanks to supporters, TOMS gave the One Millionth pair of new shoes to a child in need in September 2010. TOMS now gives in over 20 countries and works with charitable partners in the field who incorporate shoes into their health, education, hygiene, and community development programs.

 

TOMS’ giving partners are made up of NGOs, charities, and non-profits already established and working in the countries in which TOMS gives. Their expertise guides TOMS to give new shoes responsibly, making sure there aren’t adverse socioeconomic effects, and to ensure that sustainable giving is possible. Giving shoes to the same children on a regular basis is the idea upon which TOMS was started, and is what truly improves the lives of children and their communities.

TOMS’ giving partners are made up of NGOs, charities, and non-profits already established and working in the countries in which TOMS gives. Their expertise guides TOMS to give new shoes responsibly, making sure there aren’t adverse socioeconomic effects, and to ensure that sustainable giving is possible. Giving shoes to the same children on a regular basis is the idea upon which TOMS was started, and is what truly improves the lives of children and their communities.

The TOMS Movement

The TOMS movement was started by young people, and they continue to be a huge driving force. With Campus Clubs and internships, compassionate young people are getting involved with TOMS like with no other brand. To keep their thumb on the pulse of the movement, many TOMS supporters stay connected with the active TOMS Community on Facebook and Twitter.

Enthusiastic college students were also responsible for getting the first One Day Without Shoes off the ground in 2008. One Day Without Shoes is the day in April when TOMS asks people to go without shoes to raise awareness of children growing up barefoot and the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life. It’s grown far beyond college campuses, and in only its third year, people of all ages got involved — in 2010, over a quarter of a million people went barefoot and over 1600 barefoot events took place globally.

Shoes and More

In addition to the alpargata-inspired Classics, TOMS offers several other styles. Cordones, the TOMS you can wear with or without laces, as well as the Botas, are designed for both men and women. Stitchouts for men, the Wedge and the Wrap Boot for women, and Youth and Tiny TOMS for children are also available, as well as many vegan-friendly styles for all ages that use no animal byproducts. TOMS.com also carries t-shirts, hats, and other items that are also matched with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One.

Awards and Recognition It didn’t take long for the world to notice this new approach to business — In 2007, TOMS was honored with the prestigious People’s Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Two years later, Blake and TOMS received the 2009 ACE award by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which recognizes companies’ commitment to corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices, and democratic values worldwide.