Inspirational Shoes

Most (if not all) of you have probably either heard of Toms, seen people wearing them, or own a pair (or two) yourselves.

If by chance you haven't, Toms are shoes.

Picture Source

But this is not a post about shoes.  This is a post about vision.

Before there was Toms, there was just a guy.  A guy named Blake Mycoskie (who just happens to not be too hard on the eyes, if you know what I mean).

Picture Source

Blake did something so simple.  He saw a need and he addressed it.

While visiting Argentina he noticed that most of the children did not have shoes.

Picture Source

Shoes.  How simple.  How easily taken for granted.

Without shoes these individuals are susceptible to many diseases transmitted through the soil, a leading cause of illness and death in the country.

Additionally, many children without shoes aren't allowed to attend school and therefore won't receive an education.

Picture Source

An education.  Something so simple.  Something so easily taken for granted.


So Blake gets an idea.  "I'm going to start a shoe company.  And for every pair that we sell, I'll give a pair to someone who needs them."

GENIUS!!

But his idea wasn't the best part.  He actually did it.  He actually made this happen.  I'll say that again in case you missed how awesome this is...

He actually MADE this happen!!

[And that is the part that blows my mind, my friends.]  

Because of his actions over one million pairs of shoes are now on one million pairs of feet that never would have had shoes otherwise.  

One million.

That's a lot of shoes.  

But it's so much more than shoes.

One million little feet.  One million opportunities for an education.  One million smiles.  One million improved lives.  

One million.  From one idea.

And this is just the beginning for Toms.  This company is less than 5 years old and is continuously growing in popularity.

Yesterday, June 7th Blake announced the newest venture for Toms.  Rather than telling you about it, please just take a minute to watch this short video clip.  

We see needs around us everyday.  Everyday.  

Sometimes we even have ideas of how to help.  But how many of them just stay ideas inside of our heads and never become more than that?  

I am inspired by Blake Mycoskie.  He didn't just see a need.  He didn't just want to help.  He put himself out there.  He sold a business to fund this venture and he actually made this happen.

I want to be that person.  I want to have the courage to put action behind an idea and make a difference in others' lives.  So thank you to Blake Mycoskie and all the others like him that remind me of just how possible this is.

I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.

And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

--Edward Everett Hale