Two Pairs of Shoes for the Price of One!

This past Saturday, I made a run to Annapolis to get my first pair of TOMS.  If you've never heard of TOMS before, well let me tell you, they are THE MOST comfortable shoes I've ever owned in my life!  I decided to give them a run for their money (so to speak) by wearing them to work.  If you didn't know, I work at my church, Zion Church, full-time and of course, Sunday is our busiest day.  During the week, I am the Pastor's assistant and on Sundays, I'm also responsible for quality control at our 4 services.  This basically means making sure everything is running well inside the sanctuary and if not, make sure it gets fixed quickly!  I often get pulled from all directions inside the sanctuary, outside the sanctuary, upstairs and downstairs because of my roles.  If you could only imagine, I run A LOT!  In fact, quite a few people call me a road runner because sometimes my pace is fast and furious to get from one thing to the next.  That means for me, stylish shoes and comfort go hand and hand.  I need to be discrete so wearing high heels is not the tool of choice BUT I need to be cute too!  (smile)  So this Sunday, I was totally amped about wearing my TOMS and asked one of my favorite people at Zion, Deacon Bramble, if he'd grab a few staged shots of me to post on the blog BUT because I kept talking about my TOMS all day long (and yes, taking them off so people could actually see and sometimes feel how cool they were), there was no need for staged shots, he just caught me in motion!

I've been wanting to invest in a pair of TOMS for a while now but just didn't get around to it.  But this past weekend after attending the Willow Creek Summit and hearing Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie speak, I knew I had to go snag me a pair immediately!  I am now absolutely sold on TOMS and their mission!  Basically, they have what's called a One for One business model.  That means for every pair of shoes you buy, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need!  Say what...shut your mouth!!!  LOL!  Yes, it's absolutely true!  In fact, this September, TOMS is on schedule to deliver their ONE MILLIONTH pair of donated shoes.   That is ONE MILLION CHILDREN in the United States and developing countries who are in need.  Now that is corporate responsibility at an entirely different level!  There's so much about TOMS that I could share with you because I love what they are doing.  In fact, I love what they are doing so much, that I am seriously considering purchasing only TOMS shoes.  No other shoe in my closet can do what this shoes does.....offer hope to a child and their family.  When you ask founder Blake Mycoskie what's so important about shoes, he'll tell you:

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.

So, if you believe in great deals and buys, where else can you find a deal like this???

TWO PAIRS OF SHOES FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!  

One pair for you and the other pair for a child in need.

But in the words of my grandmother, "I can show you better than I can tell you!"  With that said take a look at the video footage here to see how TOMS is making a difference and why they do what they do:

So in 2011, here's one of my stretch goals.....One Day Without Shoes.  I wonder if my church family might participate with me?  What do you think?  What about you?

Wanna purchase a pair of TOMS online, go here.
Wanna go to a physical store to try them on, go here to find your local store. 
Wanna stay connected with TOMS blog, check it out here.  
Facebook?  Check them out here.
Twitter?  Tweet with them here. 

Let me know when you purchase your pair!