TOMS Shoes is a for-profit footwear company that is based in Santa Monica, California. The company was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, an entrepreneur from Arlington, Texas. The company designs and sells lightweight shoes based on the Argentine shoe design. With every pair sold, TOMS donates a new pair of shoes to a child in need.

After Blake's visit to Argentina in 2006, Mycoskie decided to get involved in shoe giving. Considering sustainability, he concluded that starting a business rather than a charity would help his impact last longer. In his speech at the Second Annual Clinton Global Initiative, Mycoskie recalled that children without shoes were not only susceptible to health risks, but were not allowed to go to school. When asked "why shoes?" Mycoskie's main reason is a disease called podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease. Also known as "Mossy Foot", Podoconiosis is a form of elephantiasis that affects the lymphatic system of the lower legs. It is a soil-transmitted disease caused by walking in silica-rich soil. This causes one's feet to swell along with many other health implications. Shoes are the most basic solution to many of these health risks. According to the TOMS Shoes website, there are over one billion people at risk for soil-transmitted diseases around the world, and shoes can help prevent them. Mycoskie emphasizes that his company's goal is to not only give shoes, but to also educate others on the importance of wearing shoes.

Over 1,000,000 pairs of shoes have been given to children under the One for One movement since TOMS launched in 2006. The canvas shoes have been given to children in more than 20 countries worldwide. TOMS are sold at more than 500 stores nationwide and internationally, they feature styles made from recycled materials.

Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:

•A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.

•Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.

•Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.