TOMS founder changes lives with shoes

Mycoskie explained the importance of shoe donation.

By Justin Whaley

Published Oct. 28, 2009

TOMS shoes founder Blake Mycoskie spoke Tuesday night at Jesse Hall about his experiences of losing "The Amazing Race" by four minutes, playing polo with Argentines and his experiences changing lives with shoes.

Mycoskie sparked the idea for TOMS while on a vacation in Argentina.

A group of Americans he met on his trip were donating shoes to people in need and invited him to join them in their efforts. While donating shoes, Mycoskie had a thought.

"What if we actually started a for-profit shoe company where every time we sell a pair, we give a pair back," Mycoskie said.

Mycoskie and his friends began making shoes, modeled after those of Argentine farmers, in their garages. With a simple slip-on design in mind, the crew added a rubber insole, arch support and smooth leather lining complementing the canvas material.

After completing 250 pairs of shoes, Mycoskie returned to the U.S. to try to sell them. American Rag, the first buyer, purchased 80 pairs and featured them in a window display.

Two days after the display was up, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour saw the shoes and contacted Mycoskie.

Vogue printed a feature about Mycoskie, and TOMS began its upward climb, Mycoskie said.

On the first big shoe drop, the crew hand placed 10,000 pairs of shoes on children and adults in need. The crew travels to many different countries to donate. Mycoskie said watching his mom and friends give shoes to children was life changing.

An attendee of the TOMS event, freshman Courtney Lewis, said hearing about TOMS inspired her to spread the word and invest in a pair.

"It's amazing how one small idea can grow into something so big," Lewis said. "The fact that buying something you like that can also help people will make me more willing to buy it."

One for One at Mizzou, a TOMS-based organization at MU, signed up many TOMS advocates at their promotional table after Mycoskie spoke.

"One for One at Mizzou reaches out to children in surrounding areas," One for One member Aleigh McKay said.

McKay said she appreciated that Mycoskie related his success story and contribution to society to people young and old.

"Our passion at One for One is TOMS," McKay said.

Mycoskie set a goal for TOMS to donate 300,000 pairs of shoes by the end of 2009.

"We're very close," he said, indicating he might change the goal to 400,000.

Although TOMS is on its way to becoming a household name, the majority of its advertising is by means of TOMS advocates spreading the word.

TOMS's focus is donating shoes for children to be able to attend school and eliminating the development of Podoconiosis.

Mycoskie explained TOMS determines where to donate shoes by the conditions of Podoconiosis, as well as the amount of children who cannot attend school without shoes.

"We're not only giving these kids shoes to get to school, but also preventing this horrible disease," Mycoskie said.

Podoconiosis is a disease caused by walking barefoot in silica-heavy volcanic soil, common in Africa and Central and South America. The swelling of the feet and lower legs makes walking and working difficult and painful.

Wrapping of the legs and feet in the earlier stages of Podoconiosis can prevent the disease. In the later wooden stage, surgery is the only route. The simplest route to prevent it is by wearing shoes.