Shoes Movement, Helpful or Hurtful?

Shoes. Something we, in America, consider to be an everyday commodity. But in some parts of the world, shoes are a luxury. Shoes impact more of a person’s life than I originally thought. I knew there were health risks with not wearing shoes, such as injuries and infections. But it is more than that. For children, not having shoes to wear could mean not receiving an education, because in some schools, shoes are required to attend classes.

Toms is a popular shoe brand, with a variety of styles to accommodate men, women, children, and infants. But the company does much more than just shoe production. Toms has a “one for one” program, where every time a Toms shoe is bought, the company matches that and gives a shoe to a child in need. They provide shoes to children in countries such as El Salvador, Malawi, Peru, and Haiti. The corporation has grown over the last few years and now not only provide a one to one trade for shoes, but also a one to one trade for eyeglasses. Toms also assists in funding eye exams, and eye surgery.

By providing shoes to underprivileged countries, Toms is reducing the money families spend on shoes, allowing that money to be spent elsewhere. However, there has been a controversy over just how much good Toms is actually doing. A blog countering Toms approach describes their intentions as "good marketing, bad aid." While it is a noble mission, it is doing about as much harm as it is good. When shoes are given for free, it takes away from the local markets and removes jobs as shoemakers.

Regardless of whether or not you support the cause, Toms' marketing strategies, and the form by which they raise awareness is one to be modeled after. One Day Without Shoes, is a global event where people go an entire day without wearing shoes to raise awareness on the impact shoes can have on a child's life.

I want to hear your opinion, is what Toms is doing hurting or helping?