Tom's Encourages Thinking Through Your Feet: Go Barefoot on April 16th

Tom's Shoes, the eco-conscious shoe company which we've profiled before, has a new push to get more shoes to people who need them.  Tom's main mission is simple: buy a pair of shoes and Tom's will send a pair to a child or adult in another country.  Wearing shoes prevents feet from getting cuts and sores on unsafe roads and from contaminated soil. Since the leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores, providing shoes can be a major form of prevention.

This month Tom's is encouraging those of us who can afford to be well-shod (whether it's flip flops, thigh-high boots, or a pair of Tom's beautiful floral red batik chilis shown below) to go without shoes on April 16th.  Not wearing shoes seems like a small symbolic gesture, but many cities and college campuses across the US, Canada, and Europe are planning group events to highlight something many of us take for granted. Consider the impact your own example will set at work, at the gym, and at school. Here are some things that Tom's suggest you can do: go barefoot strolling to the water cooler, walking to the mailbox, sitting in an afternoon meeting or eating on your lunch break.  You can go barefoot for the entire day or just long enough to raise awareness. The website has a list of shoeless events, from Idaho to France.  If you happen to be in Rockville, Maryland, meet up at the Old Red Brick Courthouse at Courthouse Square at 11 AM.  Or, if you're in London, there's a shoeless walk starting at 10:30 at the House of Parliament, past Big Ben, and ending at St Paul's Cathedral.  Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube users can broadcast their support to friends by updating their status, writing a note, or posting a bulletin.  At Tom's site, there are printable fliers, stickers, stencils, and computer banners.

 

Inspired to do more? Want to really get into the spirit and recycle some of your old running shoes in the process? Run for the Planet, the worldwide resource for runners, has a great list of non-profits and charities across the globe that distribute donated shoes. Nike and the National Recycling Coalition also have a reuse-a-shoe program that allows people to develop community-based programs for shoe recycling.  And finally, even those old flip flops can have an aesthetically pleasing new life as a sustainable floor mat. flip flop mat image from wet sand and surf online shop.