TOMS: Business With a Cause

One of the things I love about New York City is the fashion. Although I do not consider myself a risk taker in fashion, I get truly inspired by girls in fabulous outfits strutting their stuff. It is so much fun to take that inspiration and make it my own by putting together pieces I find in my minuscule Manhattan closet or go shopping for new ones. I love it even more when fashion pieces have advocacy purpose — which you don’t find in any other city — such as TOMS.

I LOVE TOMS. They are super comfortable, adorable, and go with a lot of different outfits for a casual look. And did I mention that for every pair of TOMS you purchase, a pair is donated to a child in need in Central and South America as well as Africa? Yep, that’s right. ONE FOR ONE. Since September 2010, TOMS has donated over a million pairs of new shoes to children in need, which means people are buying them like hotcakes!

With that said, the TOMS style has become so popular that designers/companies like Skechers, Aldo, and others are copying the style which drives me CRAZY! The message is totally lost! Even though these shoes have become fashionable, the point isn’t fashion. It is about the ‘One for One’ movement. These copycats sell the shoes for their own benefit, which by the way, are more expensive than real TOMS, and do not follow the ‘One for One’ strategy. So please people, if you like the TOMS style (AND YOU SHOULD) go to any store that carries TOMS, such as Urban Outfitters, Whole Foods Market, Tip Top Shoes, etc., support the movement, and wear your TOMS with pride!