TOMS Shoes sponsors Barefoot Walk

Local efforts could benefit Rainbow House and Sol House.

By Megan Pearl

Published April 9, 2010

MU students walked a mile without shoes Thursday for the Mizzou One 4 One Barefoot Walk.

"We're trying to raise awareness," said Shannon Whitney, Mizzou One 4 One member and event planner. "This is a national event that TOMS is running."

The barefoot walk, beginning at Tiger Plaza, was a mile long. The event is a part of a nationwide event, "One Day Without Shoes," which is dedicated to going barefoot to better understand the need for shoes, an idea created by TOMS Shoes.

"I didn't know about the march until last class," freshman Bethany Weathers said. "I had known about the without shoes though. My feet are pretty gross already."

TOMS Shoes is an American company created in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie. The motto of the company is that for every pair of shoes purchased, they give a new pair to a child in need of shoes. Many children in developing countries grow up without shoes.

According to the TOMS Shoes Web site, soil-transmitted diseases are common and can be transmitted through bare-feet. Soil-transmitted diseases are a leading cause of disease in developing countries.

Wearing shoes also decreases potential for cuts or sores, both of which can be a cause of dangerous infections. Another benefit of having shoes for children in developing countries is the ability to attend school, as shoes are a required component of many uniforms. The company has given out more than 600,000 pairs of shoes since May 2006.

"We're raising awareness for kids who don't have shoes," Mizzou One 4 One President Brittany Heenan said. "In Missouri, it's a small amount, but we wanted a goal we could meet."

Whitney said they were trying to employ the TOMS Shoes ideology for developing countries in Columbia by raising money to send shoes to Rainbow House and Sol House.

Rainbow House is an emergency shelter, advocacy center and transitional living program for children. Sol House is a shelter for teenagers.

"I think it's really cool that they're taking his idea and helping locally," junior Michael Bond said.

Mizzou One 4 One became an official campus organization this year.

"I was the TOMS campus rep last semester," Heenan said. "They wanted me to start a campus organization."

There were other activities to complement the walk. Students in attendance could make bracelets, paint their feet and participate in a cakewalk. The foot painting is an idea by the TOMS Shoes Web site.

Heenan said it was developed after the "Style your sole" feature of TOMS Shoes Web site that allows customers to design their own shoe.

"I wear TOMS Shoes a lot, and I think it's a really cool idea," Bond said. "It makes you think because rather than just reading about it, you're doing it."