Style Your Sole

Above is an advertisement that was inspired from the work of Blake Mycoskie and TOMS shoes, one of my all time favorite shoe companies. At TOMS they have this inspiring program they call "One for One." The success of their mission is dependent on the buying power of consumers.

For every pair of shoes that TOMS sells, the company donates a pair to a child in a third world country. So far they have donated over 150,000 pairs of TOMS shoes in the three years that the program has existed have been. TOMS has donated to children in Argentina, South Africa, and they are currently helping out to prevent Podoconiosis(Podo) in Ethiopia by donating shoes and working with organizations to find the cure to the debilitating disease that causes deformity, intense pain, ulcers, and social stigma and exclusion.

The best part about this company donating shoes to poor communities, is that they don't just box up the shoes and send them away. Volunteers from TOMS and Friends of TOMS go on Shoe Drop Tours and hand deliver the shoes to the children in need of shoes. TOMS shoes really succeeds in building the bridge between what could be the very selfish shopping expenditures to the reaching out and helping the greater good. It is an inspiring system that other companies should start thinking about doing themselves. It's all about giving back.

TOMS shoes also offers ways that you can join the TOMS family other than volunteering for Shoe Drop Tours and buying shoes for the One for One program. You can also intern at TOMS, become a TOMS rep at your school, or even have a Style Your Sole party. On their website (which you can visit if you click.....here) they provide all the details about how you can market and promote your event and also a checklist to make sure you have all your materials.

Style Your Sole parties can be achieved in three easy steps:

1) Set a date that works with you and your guests. Make sure you get the money upfront to order the shoes.
2) Place your order for the shoes AT LEAST 2 weeks before the event. If you order 25 or more pairs you can get them for 10% discount.
3) Contact local retailers, bands, and artists to see if they would like join in and/or sponsor your event. Provide decorations and paints to decorate the shoes. And don't forget to document it, upload images onto flickr, and tag TOMS shoes.

[[GREEN ALERT!! GREEN ALERT!! TOMS shoes are not only aware of social responsibility, but they are also aware of being green by having certain styles that are made of vegan material like recycled twill and recycled rubber!]]

**Photo Shout out to TOMS shoes!!