you go barefoot. experience what many children around the world experience every single day. do it, whether for an hour, an afternoon, or the entire day. spread the word!

Watch TOMS Shoes on the Today Show HERE.

if you don’t know, TOMS Shoes sells some pretty sweet footwear, but what’s even better is that with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. cool right?

if you’re a little skeptical, don’t be. i had the incredibly opportunity to intern at TOMS shoes last summer and saw a company that does what it says it does. and does it passionately.

One of the things that TOMS Shoes does is work hand-in-hand with it’s non-profit partner (that’s the easiest way to explain it), Friends of TOMS.  FOT gives shoes in other countries to provide shoes to children who’ve never had a pair and also work to prevent and treat podoconiosis, which is a debilitating disease that causes extreme swelling, repeated ulcers and deformity in the feet and legs.  People get podo by walking barefoot in silica-heavy volcanic soil, a common practice in rural farming regions of developing countries.  Especially in Ethiopia, this disease effects many people to the point where they cannot walk or do life the way we do.  ODWS is a way to spread awareness for the need for shoes in the world.

That being said, this Thursday is One Day Without Shoes. if you check out the TOMS ODWS website, there are events you can attend in your area, or you can even host an event.  But do it.  Here are some vids that show what TOMS is doing this Thursday, and who is joining them. it’s pretty cool

It has been a pretty great experience after One Day Without Shoes.  Just seeing how many people all over the nation that were willing to go barefoot was pretty awesome!

Now that the day has come and gone, and the next day without shoes is a year away, I figured that people going barefoot would end on the 16th.  But i’ve come to find that even after the 16th, people have contacted me or talked to me about TOMS and the barefoot awareness day.  It just goes to show that people are actually interested in what TOMS does, not just a one day push sort of thing.  

One of the biggest conversation intros is my TOMS.  they’re a fun bright blue and white striped pattern, so people will often ask me where I got them and what kind of shoes they are.  Easy in!  People love the way the shoes look and love the One for One campaign.

So, the official One Day Without Shoes has passed, but it is clear that the concept goes beyond just one day out of the year!

i just really like this picture.  The angle, the colors… 

I also really like this one because it was taken at my school.  In the moot courtroom…
It’s just kind of cool to see the contrast between TOMS shoeless challenge, and the formality of a courtroom.

I just think these girls are great and that’s how i felt after my day without shoes too!

 who doesn’t love a good jumping shot! I really love that the TOMS flag is prominently visible
plus the fact that the turtle pond is in the background is even better!

now i know that this wasn’t taken on April 16th. but i LOVE this image.  Partially because it is so real and evoking.  This little boy reminds me of a little boy that I met in Mexico. 

i LOVE this picture.
it’s exactly what I was going for with the point people.
attract attention!!!!!!!!!! how can you not look at him??

I like this because it makes you wonder where his shoes are.  riding a motorcycle with no shoes is not the safest idea in the world. And yet, there are people who would never dream of owning a bike like this… even more so the shoes that would protect your feet while riding the bike.

his facial expression is priceless.  It’s probably what my face looked like all day… “what the heck is on the bottom of my foot???”  It’s crazy because we are so aware of when something doesn’t belong on the bottom of our feet.  Yet children every day run around in things that we would never dream of touching.

 reality:  if you don’t wear shoes, you will get hurt.

another image that conjures up an OUCH thought.  It cannot feel too great to ride around on a bike barefoot!

i took this beforehand.  This was the first time I had to explain One Day Without Shoes to complete strangers.  And i loved it!  I love images of contrast.  Shoes and no shoes.

so many bare feet!  I think this one made me smile because I realized how many people were willing to walk barefoot through atlanta to experience One Day Without Shoes.  awesome!

Again. This is one of my contrast images.  Sarah is kind of laughing because the people across the street at Brit’s Pub (you can sort of see it) would stare at us as we walked around barefoot.  Literally, Brit’s Pub during happy hour can have about 50-80 business people chillin and enjoying food and drinks.  So here is Sarah and I, telling people about TOMS and their One for One purpose with all these downtown employees staring at us thinking we are crazy! there is just a whole lotta wealth sitting right there.

and finally.  I really love this picture.  Not just because it is a U of MN pic, but because this is what I envisioned One Day Without Shoes to be for me.  A group of people who are passionate about TOMS and excited about One Day WIthout Shoes, heading out, willing to talk to whoever for however long and pass on the word about TOMS shoes.  It doesn’t take a lot of people to make a difference.  Just a few who are willing to push the limit and be bold in approaching people.  The big thing is that people just don’t know about the need for shoes.  They also don’t realize that there is a simple way for them to help.  All they need is someone who is not afraid to go up to them and tell them.

That being said… I am in the process of trying to pick some of my favorite images from One Day Without Shoes Maybe one per location???? yessssssssss. coming soon!

Atlanta - two sub pages so make sure to check those out

Megan’s Story – reflection on time spent with children who are barefoot every day.

Jenna’s Thoughts – a teacher’s reflection on One Day Without Shoes (a Minneapolis subpage)

University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign - photos from their barefoot walk are up!

MORE TO COME!
Still waiting for some photos to come in So keep checking! Thanks for making One Day Without Shoes a great success  

I am also exhausted.  It is 2AM and i just finished soaking my feet.  I now realize more than ever how amazing shoes are and how much better my feet feel in them.

It was just a day.  And i can’t imagine living and walking in my bare feet.

I have more photos and stories to upload in the morning, BUT for now, i am going to sleep!

One Day Without Shoes is over.  But the work is never done

LOVE IT!  MAKE SOME NOISE! i’m excited to hear about what you are all doing!!!!!!!!!!!!! the more people that hear about the One for One campaign and One Day Without Shoes the better!

Barefoot Walk – U of MN Coffman Union @ 6p.m. wear BLUE.

also, if you want to see where there is a One Day Without Shoes event near you, click HERE

i feel compelled to add: please don’t do anything stupid.  I will NOT be held liable for any injuries or damages that may occur as a result of your eager excitement  we’re all adults. use your brains before walking barefoot onto glass!

ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES.  will you take the challenge and go without shoes today?

A Story from Ghana…

I was sharing with a friend from school today about TOMS Shoes and the One Day Without Shoes campaign.  He was pretty excited about the whole idea.  Then he went on to share his experience in Ghana this past year.

He shared that the kids in Ghana ran around barefoot.  He was shocked to see them playing soccer (and REALLY… playing soccer) on gravel in their barefoot.  They were sliding and digging and running… all without shoes on.  It amazed him that this was just a part of their life.  They’d never experienced shoes and being barefoot was the norm. 

He was just amazed at how different his life was from theirs.  Even with issues such as food, they were not used to eating meat.  They are just so poor there that they choose to spend their money on certain things, and shoes is just not a necessity to them.

How blessed we are to live in a place where we have shoes, clothing, roofs over our heads, and opportunities for education (not that ALL Americans experience this… but generally).  And yet we are unhappy and unfulfilled.  And in Ghana, these kids have nothing.  And they learn to find joy in the little things.

It’s just eye opening.  TOMS opens the door for anyone to give a pair of shoes to a child who may never have shoes otherwise. In a way, it is realizing our differences and wanting to make a change.

Really… 

Really, i don’t judge my friend for having this many shoes (even if these aren’t all of them!).  I probably have a good number of shoes that may rival the amount that she has.  It’s crazy how many pairs of shoes one person can own.  When I really think about it, I don’t even wear 1/3 of them!  I have a few favorites, and then the necessary ones like black pumps and boots… not to mention all of the flip flops that i own.  I’ll be honest and say that it is ridiculous.

I am just one person.  Who has over 25 pairs of shoes.  for MYSELF! 

One Day Without Shoes is something that makes me really think about the stuff I own.  Shoes included.  But just look at your closet and look at your shoes.  And then think about how blessed you are.  Begin thinking about the difference you could make in someone else’s life with just one pair of shoes.

One Day Without Shoes.  Let the awareness begin.

Here is the TOMS AT&T commercial. It’s genuine and real. It’s a brief glimpse into the work that TOMS is doing. When you watch this, you can’t help but see how much a pair of shoes can impact a child. Amazing.

MORE INFO ON TOMS SHOES and ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES

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