Toms Shoes provides fashion while changing lives

by Norma Rodriquez, feature editor

The old adage that “actions speak louder than words” seem to hold true in most cases. One can pronounce a dream or a desire, but it’s not until action is taken when others start to see the once-empty words being fulfilled.

A company that started in Argentina is moving its way around the world, by using fashion as its ally. People all over, including the Lubbock community, are getting involved with the idea of changing lives with just a single step.

On Oct. 25, Chrome, located at 2601 19^th Street in Lubbock, hosted an event called “Ties & Toms,” a cocktail event where people dressed their best while wearing their Toms shoes, showcasing not only the new fashionable Toms shoes for the season, but also the true purpose and mission of Toms shoes. The documentary, “Toms for Tomorrow,” not only shows the struggles of starting the company, but also the struggles of the less fortunate and how much passion strangers can have for another.

Blake Mycoskie, an entrepreneur, and Alejo Nitti, an Argentinean polo player, sparked an idea of starting a shoe company when a friend of theirs was holding a week- long shoe drive for children in need. Mycoskie thought of a bigger picture. He and Nitti decided that for every pair of shoes that are purchased, a pair of shoes would be given to someone in need. Instead of just one shoe drive a year, it would be an ongoing drive.

According to the documentary, 40 percent of the people in the world do not own shoes. Shoes are designed to protect people from cuts and infections. Within many communities in the world, filth and poverty linger. The people there are not able to afford necessities, such as shoes.

Patricia, a girl in an impoverished community in Argentina, explained that they have to travel miles to fetch water to drink and to bathe with. Because they don’t have shoes, their feet get hurt.

Mycoskie came back to the United States with a vision.  Hiring a consultant, he was told that he would need $1 million to start this company. The consultant also stated that he would not get involved. This didn’t stop the vision. Disregarding the comment, Mycoskie and Nitti still went on to find a fabric company. The minimum requirement to buy fabric is 1,000 meters. They convinced the company to sell them 10 meters at a time.

“People thought we were crazy,” said Mycoskie.

They were told that instead of giving away a pair of shoes for every pair that is purchased, it would be easier to give away one shoe for every pair of shoes that was purchased.

Finally, they found someone who believed in them. The man said, “This is a good cause, because it’s not only a business, but we are also helping.”

The Argentinean Polo shoes inspired the design of the shoes. Nitti explained that because of their comfort and look, “rich people wear them.”

Sean Scott, a shoe producer who worked for Nike, was inspired to join Toms team by the kids. He mentioned that Nitti, who had no shoe experience prior to this company, went out on a mission to make 2,000 shoes to give away, and did it. He said it’s “spitting in the faces of conventional shoe business wisdom, if there is such a thing.”

Mohawk Jon, who has a master’s degree in bio technology, also known as Shoe Dude, was the first intern and first employee for Toms. He was inspired by his visit to his ancestral village in China. Seeing the kids there without shoes made him want to make a difference in his community.

Seventeen people from the United States went to assist Mycoskie and Nitti. Mycoskie said that out of the 17 people, he didn’t know any one besides his family. In 2006, Toms had their first shoe drop. That year, they presented 30,000 shoes to impoverished communities in Argentina.

The shoe drop was a success. The words, “Unbelievable, too much, moving, overwhelming, amazing, perfect, and necessary,” were used by the volunteers to describe the experience.

Mycoskie explained the reason for charging a full price on the shoes is to have money to make the shoes and to fulfill their mission.

“If we don’t design great shoes, we can’t continue our promise,” he said.

In one of the villages, a lady told them, “I’m so grateful that you’ve come again, and you are keeping your promise.”

“I was surprised by your request to come here. Among all of their needs, one of the most prevalent is shoes for the children,” another woman said. “I feel grateful because all the mothers say they need shoes more than anything else.”

The documentary showed the emotional burden that the volunteers faced. Nitti explained, “We’ve been working so hard for seven months, and we’ve been doing this for three days straight. I am trying to hold it in, but I can’t.”

Toms have been presented to South Africans. In 2007, they dropped about 100,000 shoes. They’ve returned to Argentina, and have also dropped off shoes in Louisiana. Since the beginning of 2006, Toms has given away more than 68,000 pairs of shoes worldwide.

Kiko Velez, a Toms representative in Lubbock, has worked for Toms for about nine years.  He and David Sutton, a volunteer representative, both presented ‘Toms for Tomorrow’ to Lubbock.

They both shared the same reason for joining the team. They are both adamant about the cause and the company.

“It’s easy to have things handed to you,” Velez said. “But by working here, you always have in mind others that are less fortunate.”

Velez mentioned that Chrome is a huge help in the Toms distribution. Because of the number of shoes that were sold at the “Style your Sole” event held last spring, Chrome shoed a whole village. Velez praised the efforts of Chrome and its manager, Carli Watson.

The plan is to have at least two events a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The next event is already in the process of being planned, set for spring of 2009. Plans are for live music and new fashions revealed at Chrome.

Toms shoes has made a difference in communities all over the world. It has touched the lives of people who are less fortunate, as well as those who are more fortunate than others.

“I could not think of anything more that I would love to do than work with Toms,” Velez said.

“Anytime you do anything for people, there are going to be nay sayers, and they’re going to peep holes in it, “ says Mycoskie. “I think that’s why you have to be careful that you do what you say you’re going to do.”

“That’s what this trip has always been about…Meeting with the kids and their parents and seeing the smiles on their faces. It’s not just about the shoes.”

 Photo by Lindsey Davidson/Plainsman Press