Last night, TOMS Shoes had a small L.A. blogger party at its temporary pop-up store in Venice. So I took the Big Blue Bus over and tried on some comfy shoes!
Unlike many companies that make one-time or short-term commitments to socio-environmental projects, TOMS’ philanthropy’s tied into its business model. This socially-conscious shoe company gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair the company sells. And as you might expect from a company with such an altruistic aim, all TOMS shoes are made in factories with fair labor and wage standards.
Plus, a few of the styles are made of eco-friendly materials — though the easiest way to find these is by making a trip to Whole Foods, which started carrying an exclusive green version of TOMS shoes earlier this year. According to Blake Mycoskie (above), TOMS “Chief Shoe Giver,” the green shoe upper’s made of a mix of hemp and recycled PET, and the sole’s made of recycled rubber.
The shoes are more casual than what I usually wear — but the girls working at TOMS dressed them up pretty well! Proof left.
The hemp / PET / recycled rubber options weren’t available at the pop-up store, so I went for a pair of reddish vegan shoes (top photo).
Want a pair of your own? Stop by the pop-up store — or drop by a Whole Foods to make sure you get an eco-version. You can also shop TOMS online, though the online store also doesn’t carry the eco-versions. A few green pairs can still be found at Piperlime though.
TOMS Shoes Pop Up Store. 1617 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice. Open daily through January.
Update, 4/15/09: Walk barefoot on the beach tomorrow — for a cause
Their warehouse is right next to the Bikerowave. I see them moving shipments around all the time.
Comment by Gary Kavanagh — November 21, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
Did any Bikerowave peeps end up buying shoes?
Comment by Siel — November 23, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
We need more stuff like this!
Comment by Perry Peck — September 10, 2009 @ 5:07 am