Since my little babe is officially a big girl walker now, she needed some big girl walker shoes. The snow has melted and she can walk outside. I didn't want to buy a cheap pair of shoes made in China, but I also know that little kid's feet grow fast and she won't be able to wear them for more than one season, so I didn't want to spend a ton of money. I also didn't want to buy her leather shoes. Several months ago, I received a catalog in the mail intended for someone else. Instead of being just junk, it was a TOMS catalog. I was happy to discover that TOMS is a socially progressive company that does a lot of good in the world. For each pair of shoes that are bought, they give one pair of shoes to a child in need. They also have a similar program for eye glasses. Although their shoes are not made in the United States, they are open about their manufacturing process and their level of corporate responsibility is much better than most companies. They offer shoes made from canvas, hemp, organic cotton, and recycled materials. I thought that they would make a great first pair of shoes for my little babe. I think my little babe agrees. We opened up the box this morning and she wanted to put them on immediately. She was so excited she pulled them out of the box faster than I could!
The shoes come in a really cool box that has pictures of some of the kids that have received shoes.
I am not affiliated with TOMS in any way. I just happen to think they are a cool company making a direct positive impact on children's lives. And they happen to make some really cute shoes! What's not to like about that? If I can spread the word and one more barefooted child gets a pair of shoes, that's great.