Lauren Pell
Staff Reporter

After being adopted from Romania, senior Emily Winks felt a special connection with an unusual shoe company. Toms Shoes has a simple business policy: for every pair of shoes purchased, Toms gives a pair to a child in need. According to their website, they have given away 130,000 pairs in countries around the world including Argentina, Ethiopia, South Africa, and the US.
Winks learned about Toms when the band Hanson held a barefoot walk before their concert in 2007, raising awareness about what people without shoes go through every day. She became a “high school intern” at the beginning of the school year. “I wanted to get involved and help kids that could have been me,” Winks said.
As an intern, Winks has to hold two events every semester. At her first event, many guests bought Toms and were able to decorate their shoes with paint and fabric markers. Then they watched a documentary to learn more about the history of the company. For the second event, Winks and some friends walked barefoot around her neighborhood. Even though it was cold and her feet hurt, junior Courtney Zachary said, “I know I was doing it for a good cause.” On April 16th, she’ll be holding another barefoot walk.
“People might think that it’s a dumb idea or just a way for people to make money but you’re helping real people,” she said.
The shoes come in various fabrics and styles including canvas, suede, and corduroy and have leather insoles. The basic styles cost $42 each. Sophomore Jacob Ray owns a pair of navy canvas Toms. “They’re like heaven for feet,” he said. Winks owns four pair of Toms; her favorite pair is inscribed with the quotation “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Blake Mycoskie started the company in 2006 after a trip to Argentina. When he saw how many children couldn’t afford shoes, he wanted to help. Toms are a new version of alpargatas, the shoes that almost all workers in Argentina wear. Mycoskie wanted to bring the alpargatas style to the US while also helping the kids in Argentina.
“By wearing Toms, you’re saying something about your style and your values. You can do more than just make a fashion statement,” Mycoskie said in the March 2007 issue of Teen Vogue.