“With every pair you purchase, a pair of new shoes will be given to a child in need. One for One;” that is TOMS Shoes’ mission, which transforms each and every TOMS customer into a benefactor of a needy child. TOMS is a footwear company which would match every pair purchased to a child in one of the countries sponsored, of the customer’s choice. The One for One Movement is aimed mainly to children (18 and under), and every “Giving Pair” is designed for the children’s environment.

In many developing countries, most children grown up barefoot, which makes them prone to cuts and soil-transmitted diseases. Also at some schools, shoes are required as part of the uniform. Since most don’t even have even a pair, they can’t go to school, which takes away one’s potential for learning. So giving a child a pair of shoes allows the child to achieve much more than he or she could without them.

During this season, we can give back by buying TOMS shoes. Though they are a little bit on the pricey side ($40-$80), it’s as if you’re buying two pairs and one goes to a needy child in a developing country or area. It’s just one easy way to give back and you would know exactly where each pair would go to. 

TOMS also has a program called “Shoe Drops,” where they invite volunteers to go on an one week trip to one of the twenty-four countries, like China, Haiti, Argentina, and Rwanda, where TOMS Shoes are given. It gives a chance to an ordinary person to do something inspiring, to actually hand place shoes on children’s feet and engage with a different culture.

TOMS’ mission is inspiring other companies to join with TOMS, like Ralph Lauren to create Ralph Rugby TOMS and Element Skateboards to make TOMS + Element shoes as well as the One for One Skateboard, where a board will be given to the Indigo Skate camp in Durban, South Africa for every purchase. TOMS teams up with humanitarians, health NGOs, and non-profit organizations established in other countries to spread the cause. Together we can help those less fortunate, one pair of shoes at a time.