One for One: TOMS Shoes Announces Its 3rd Annual One Day Without Shoes

I'm still trying to get back on my feet (pun intended) and back to the blog. I'm sorry for the delays and light posting. After the sadness of this past week, we've been keeping a bit quiet but also going through a number of changes as a family. But we still want to do more.

Part of that will be looking at what and how we buy. We are blessed and have more than we need. And while we sometimes know it isn't all that we want, we have never done without any kind of basic need. Such as shoes obviously.

But millions of children and adults do go without proper footwear every single day. And shoes can mean safety and health and protection.

Toms shoes is continuing on their quest to help provide these shoes to children around the world. They are drawing attention to this effort with their Day Without Shoes event on April 8th.

Per their release:

With every pair purchased, TOMS gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need.
One for One.

In an effort to bring attention to the impact a simple pair of shoes can have in a child’s life, TOMS Shoes announces its third annual One Day Without Shoes campaign that asks everyone worldwide to go barefoot on April 8th. Barefoot events around the world from Venice to Little Rock, Dubai to London have already been planned, with more in the works.

On April 8th communities and individuals will be spreading awareness about the importance of shoes in parts of the world where children’s feet are exposed to debilitating diseases. So many of the world’s children in developing countries grow up without shoes, having to walk miles to get food and water, medical help, and attend school (which often require shoes as uniform). A leading cause of disease in these areas is soil-based parasites.

One Day Without Shoes participants can pledge their commitment, join and organize events, and connect with likeminded participants online at http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/. The website will also provide an outlet for individuals to share their videos, photos, and experiences spending One Day Without Shoes. Every person who RSVPs for an event on www.OneDayWithoutShoes.com will have the option to be entered to win a spot on a TOMS Shoe Drop (some limitations apply). Winner will be announced on May 10th. One Day Without Shoes t-shirts will be available for purchase from Threadless at www.threadless.com/loves/tomsoneday starting March 22nd.

Blake Mycoskie, TOMS Shoes’ founder and Chief Shoe Giver, says, “A shoe company asking people to go barefoot? I know it’s odd, but we are so excited for people to once again join us in One Day Without Shoes. We ask people to go the day, part of the day, or even just a few minutes, barefoot, to experience what millions of children endure every day. Awareness and empathy are the catalysts of change.”

The problem is large but the solution is simple. Wearing shoes and basic hygiene can prevent both infection and disease due to unsafe roads and contaminated soil. By imagining a life barefoot, we can all contribute to the awareness of these conditions. Join TOMS Shoes on April 8th and walk barefoot to support One Day Without Shoes.

For more information visit: http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/

About TOMS Shoes:
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. To date, TOMS has given over 400,000 pairs of new shoes to children around the world through its giving partners. For more information, please visit www.TOMS.com/oneday

I'm happy to support this program and can attest to how comfy their shoes are! I hope you will help spread the word and join in on April 8th.

Image via Flicker - PicsMaker

Fashion Conscience

The other day I shared a Vogue report on how designers are calling for a moratorium on leathers from the rainforest. Well there are now even more ways the fashion world is looking to make a positive impact for animals and the environment, while helping us keep stylish.


Reported in Vouge:

Fashion-Conscience.com is a website which supplies shoes to shoppers who - like Stella McCartney and Natalie Portman - believe that vegan needn't mean lacking in style.

New York label olsen Haus was founded by former Calvin Klein and Nine West designer Elisabeth Olsen, an outspoken advocate for veganism. Her colourful, non-leather designs have found favour with the US fashion pack and retail from £170.

Neu Aura offers a range of styles crucial to every wardrobe but crucially without using any animal by-products. Wearable colourful mid-heel styles and classic brown and black riding boots are all 100 per cent vegan and are produced in a factory which adheres to eco standards in recycling. Prices start at £87.50.

Melissa's jelly shoe collaboration with Vivienne Westwood has made an impact on the fashion scene lately - not only for their use of recycled plastic and waste-free production, but for its fun and colourful approach. Prices start at £62.00.

All collections are available at http://www.fashion-conscience.com/ along with other vegan clothing, shoes and accessories.

I've liked olsen Haus for a while now and have a pair of the Melissa's, so these do seem to be great options for anyone looking for great design and fun shoes. I'm also glad to have an additional option on top of EcoStiletto.

As I evolve in my clothing and accessory purchases (I need a new black purse for one!), I'm glad to see sustainable, fair trade and vegan options available that are pretty and interesting and more my style. I'm seriously considering those olsen Haus green velvet booties right there.

If you have any great designers that fall into these categories, please share them in the comments.

Being Beautifully Green

As the desire to be more "green" becomes a mainstream idea in today's culture, I'm seeing more and more very fashionable options that are still eco-friendly and animal-friendly. My biggest challenge in the past, as I'm sure it is with most, is the availability of these products and, frankly, the lack of style many of them had.

Toms shoes in general are kind of odd to me, but I did think the wrap boots were funky and fun in a Princess Leia-kind of way. But apart from that, not so much.

I have found a few other designers and companies that are doing beautiful pieces that I would buy even if they didn't carry the "green" label. olsen Haus is one of my new favorites and, although pricey, the Natalie Portman line at Te Casan (sadly no more although I did see some pieces on Gilt Group the other day).

I was looking online for other options and came across this site - EcoStiletto. Of course the title caught my attention at once.

So who are they? Well according to the site:

EcoStiletto features green picks in Fashion, Beauty, Parenting and the Good Life and explains, in real-girl terms, how eco-friendly choices can help turn your carbon footprint from a ginormous Ugg into an oh-so-slender Manolo.

We're not about guilt, we're about information. We're not about forcing you to change, we're about giving you alternatives. Because everyone wants to make a difference, but no one wants to give up the little things that we love. Making a difference doesn't have to mean making a huge change in your lifestyle. Sometimes it just means considering the alternatives.

Perfect, right? And what's even better is "Nobody pays to play on EcoStiletto; if there's an ad on our site, you'll recognize it as such."

Integrity and providing a great service. I'm kind of in love with them already.

But then they said this: Enter to Win Free Shoes.

Ummm, okay!

Each month they are giving away shoes worth $500 or more and this month is a pair of these amazing ankle boots from Beyond Skin (another great shoe line that I've always liked for their style and their philosophy).

The site talks about celebrities, fashion, beauty and kids. Pretty much a great clearinghouse for fashion and eco-friendly. What I also love is that they have a list of Things That Suck, which is a list of things to watch out for from animal testing to product ingredients. And they tell you why it is bad, not just give you a big long list.

So if you are looking for a way to add style and, oh yeah, be a little lighter on the earth, this is great resource. I need to go back to it myself and see if I can find a new eye cream...

Innovations in Packaging

As I've mentioned before I've been helping out with the marketing of SimplySoles.com. The owner, Kassie, is a great person and I like seeing the industry from her perspective because I aspire to starting my own shoe line (shhh! Don't tell anyone) some day or maybe a brick & mortar shoe store in my town.

Kassie has included some great elements into her company's philosophy, such as recycling and giving back to the community. But now she's actually been looking to reduce her packaging and carbon footprint by creating a new way to ship the shoes she sells.



The ShoeShuttle is a very plush quilted two compartment bag with a drawstring ribbon closure. The shoes come from the manufacturer in the bags and then are shipped to you in a recycled cardboard box. I recently got a pair shipped to me and took pictures so you could see how it looks.

With most high-end designer shoes you will get a dust bag with your purchase. I love these bags because I carry my shoes to and from work rather than wearing them while I'm driving. I also use them when I travel to keep my shoes from getting nicked up in my suitcase.



This bag is far superior to any that I've seen to date. Not only is it much thicker and padded but it has two compartments. Usually I have to pull a bag from another pair of shoes so I can wrap each shoe individually (putting both shoes in one bag almost defeats the purpose in my opinion). I love that these are in one bag but individually protected.



I've been looking around to see if there are any other companies who are looking into new innovations in design and packaging. Obviously there has been a lot done with new materials such as vegan-friendly but I haven't seen any new box or packaging options. If anything I've seen boxes get more luxurious and branded.

Personally I keep all of my shoes in their original boxes (or buy/re-purpose a photo-holder box for instances such as with vintage shoes that don't have their boxes) because I have to stack my shoes. And also the boxes help with identification purposes for me. But I like the bag a lot for travel.



SimplySoles is starting with the incorporation of these bags for their own brand of shoes, lillybee, but will be asking the designers that they carry to incorporate the bags for their lines as well. The bag will soon be available for individual purchase as well and are $18.

Has anyone seen any packaging that they thought was innovative or that they really liked? And if you have any thoughts on the ShoeShuttles, let me know and I'll pass it along to Kassie.

Blog Action Day

Today is Blog Action Day. and as presented on the site the goal is for:

"Bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future."

As is obvious, I am a very consumable person. But in the rest of my life I try to do what I can to lessen my environmental impact. We are big "foodies" so one of the ways we try to do that is with our purchasing. We go to our farmer's market every week to get great bread, meats, cheeses and veggies. The food there is always better and cheaper than at the grocery store, plus we are supporting local vendors.

We also try to be careful around the house with energy and water consumption and gas usage too. You have to because it's just so darn expensive anyway but we feel it's important to do so regardless.

That's all well and good but it isn't always that fun or fashionable. Sneakily some of my favorites shoe resources are actually "environmentally friendly" as well.

I talked about Hetty Rose shoes. By using vintage fabrics, she creating a new purpose for "old" materials. And the shoes are absolutely gorgeous! And unique to you.



Buying vintage shoes is also a great way to get a unique look but it is also environmentally-friendly. It would be an absolute crime for a pair of shoes like these to be dumped in a landfill somewhere.



If you are tired of your clothes and shoes (if they are still usable), please give them to a charity and don't toss them out. Or sell them. Someone may be searching for your vintage 70's caftan. Who knows!

But my best tip is to just take care of your clothes and shoes. I am somewhat obsessive about my shoes and you know what? It shows. I keep them in shoe boxes so they aren't thrown on my closet floor. I try not to wear them inappropriately in the rain or dirt. And I take care of them. They get cleaned and they go to the shoe repair for new heel taps and soles. That's why I don't feel bad investing in a pair a shoes, because I know I can wear them for years and years.

It's better to buy one good pair than 10 crummy pairs. One thing I need to work on is keeping down the number of good pairs. Maybe that will be my new goal. Reduce my impact through a reduction in shopping (and shipping!) I think my mailman would be happy to reduce his gas consumption from to my house.

We take this break...

"What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day? One issue. One day. Thousands of voices."

Let's find out if anyone is listening. Plus, since it's virtual, there's no post-concert trash to clean up.

So far it looks like there is almost 7,600 blogs signed up. It will be interesting reading, I'm sure.

October 15th!

Now back to our regularly scheduled fluff!