TOMS Shoes is a company committed to providing shoes to children in need.
For every pair of shoes purchased, another pair is made to sent on a Shoe Drop Tour where the shoes will be given to underserved children.
Since 2006, Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS, has been matching purchased shoes with a pair of new shoes for a child in need - one for one - to prevent diseases that children can contract through the feet and to aid them in walking long distances necessary to get food and medical help.
"TOMS has so many young supporters who are passionate about the One for One movement, and who share the story and inspire others every day they wear their TOMS," Mycoskie said. "Seeing them support this business model is proof that this generation is ready and able to create a better tomorrow."
Many Auburn students are among those young supporters, and TOMS Shoes are available in Auburn at Therapy, Kinnucan's and Stamp Your Feet.
"TOMS has done it right," said Ansley Stephens, a senior in psychology and Spanish and owner of two pairs of TOMS. "They are making a difference with something as simple as shoes, and no, TOMS isn't going to solve all the problems in Third World countries, but it is a step in the right direction."
According to the TOMS Web site, Podoconiosis is one of the diseases TOMS is fighting. It is caused by walking barefoot in silica-rich soil, but the disease can be prevented completely if children wear shoes, so TOMS is working in Ethiopia to provide the shoes needed to fight it.
Mycoskie said the small steps in the right direction that most meaningful.
"On our first Shoe Drop in Argentina in 2006, there were three boys who had just received their TOMS shoes, and they led me to a field where they loved to play soccer," Mycoskie said. "It was full of rocks and glass, yet they had been playing barefooted. The first thought when they had received their shoes, was that playing soccer would be easier and even give them speed. Experiencing that with the boys was one of my most fulfilling moments."
Also, many schools won't allow children to come to school without shoes as part of their uniform, so TOMS is directly helping children get an education.
Trent Williamson, a senior in marketing, said the success of TOMS Shoes is due to the popularity of the cause.
"Right now, it's cool to be socially aware," Williamson said. "I think TOMS knows that, but if something is going to be trendy, I guess this is one of the best things possible. We might just be buying shoes because we think they are cool, but I am sure that the kids in Africa don't care why we are buying them so long as they get shoes."
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