TOMS shoes
I heard about this great new brand of shoes called TOMS a few months ago. The basic idea goes something like this - You buy a pair of cool shoes for yourself and they give a pair to a child in Argentine that has no shoes.
In addition to being a great concept you can actually go see photos of the shoe drop they did in 06. Another great thing, they make the shoes in Argentina to benefit their economy.
I just bought my first pair. Go check out TOMS shoes and let me know what you think.
There have been 8 replies so far
I ordered some TOMS at the beginning of May. It takes a while for them to come in (I still haven’t recieved them) but I am eagerly waiting! It is such a great concept, and I am very exciting to get them in! I’ve heard nothing but good things about TOMS.
1 | HayleyC
Tuesday, June 26, 2007, at 8:51am
That is good to know. I will cool my jets racing home to see if they have arrived.
2 | Heather Manning
Tuesday, June 26, 2007, at 8:55am
UPS has informed me that the shoes are en route!
3 | Heather Manning
Tuesday, June 26, 2007, at 9:19pm
I can just see the fine print of their return policy: “All product returns will require the removal of a corresponding pair of shoes from a poor argentine child. Exchanges, however, will allow the child to keep their shoes”.
I like giving kids shoes and all, but does anyone else see something strange about paying $68 for 3rd-world fashion? I wonder what those same children would say if they knew you paid $1 for your shoes, $1 for their shoes and $66 to Mr Mycoskie’s corporation? Is this not just clever millennial/genX marketing?
(disclaimer: Only the retro-80’s-splatter-paint shoes seem to cost that much - the shoes that actually look good are $30 cheaper)
Assuming very conservatively that Argentinean labor can produce the $38 “non-limited edition” shoes for a ridiculously high $3 (which according to Justlanded.com is twice what an uneducated laborer makes per hour in Argentina) that’s $6 for the 2 pairs of shoes. That leaves $32 to the company. That means for every dollar you give, 84% of that goes to the company. On the flipside, look at Compassion International. Last year 84% of donor’s $$ went to the people who needed it, the rest going to administrative/marketing costs. If you want to help impoverished children then TOMS probably isn’t the most efficient course of giving….
… Of course Jesus condemned Judas (John 12:3-8) for wanting to take a more “efficient” course of action with Mary’s perfume so perhaps “efficiency” isn’t always the point.
4 | benny
Tuesday, July 10, 2007, at 10:23am
I think that would make a great return policy! LOL
Actually, the ‘designer’ shoes are for the buyer. I couldn’t find where the shoes were manufactured nor what kind of shoe they actually send to the child. I’m assuming it isn’t exactly the same one you buy for yourself (I have a hard time as well seeing Argentinian children running around in the Retro 80’s Splatter variety). So, you’re paying for the ‘chic’ nature of the shoe, not really for what the children are getting.
I think there are plenty of worthy causes to go around, and if you’re just wanting to make a difference somewhere, buying shoes probably isn’t the most cost-efficient way of doing so. On the other hand, if you can spend the money on some shoes for yourself (that you would have spent anyhow), and benefit a child at the same time - why not?
5 | Chris Ediger
Tuesday, July 10, 2007, at 10:52am
I agree - I don’t mean to be completely cynical about it all. There are also intangibles such as the distinctive look of the shoes. Heather, when you get yours you are bound to have great opportunities to share the plight that Argentinian children have the next time someone you meet asks you where you got those unique-looking shoes. It’s hard to measure the benefit gained by raising awareness about a social issue. Just take me as an example: Before yesterday I didn’t even know Argentinians had feet.
6 | benny
Wednesday, July 11, 2007, at 12:21pm
I hate that I missed all this good back and forth. I leave the country for a few weeks and the conversation gets interesting! Benny I completely agree that if this is the only thing we do we might should think about stepping it up a bit but really for me this is just one of many small lifestyle decisions I am trying to bring in line with what I believe is a command in scripture to care for the least. I am realizing more and more that decisions I consider insignificant have the power to change a life.
7 | Heather Manning
Thursday, July 12, 2007, at 10:25am
On a similar “thread” (sorry, couldn’t resist) Sonic Drive-in partners with soles4souls.org so that you can add a pair of shoes to your brown bag special order. The shoes go to a child in the Sudan. The “Sonic Search 4 a Star” contest (of Taylor Ware fame) is also benefiting the Soles4souls non-profit this year (the $10 entry fee, for instance, get donated to Soles4souls, 100%).
By the way, I believe the contest, the partnership, and the Soles4souls organization are all native to this area (Nashville area) so the donations may not be available in every Sonic. Aparently it’s available at least in Williamson county Sonic Drive-in’s.
Competition site
8 | benny
Monday, July 16, 2007, at 12:51pm
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