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Shoes protect our feet from the elements, keep us comfortable and - if you ask Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City - you can never have too many of them. Fashion statements aside, footwear like other clothing and apparel are being used for good doing purposes. Get into step with these five different footgear companies that are inserting good doing with every stride.
1. TOMS – BUY A PAIR OF SHOES – GIVE A PAIR OF SHOES
At TOMS, for every pair of shoes you buy, the company donates a new pair of shoes to a kid in need of some soles. The originators of the buy-one-give-one concept took the shoe industry by storm with their easy breezy slip ons, offering other stylish shoe options like wedges, boots and sneakers. To date, TOMS has donated over 35 million pairs of shoes to children in need. The intrepid company has also branched into the fields of eyewear and coffee, employing the buy-one-give-one concept there as well.
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2. MUSEWEAR – FLIP FLOPS WITH A PURPOSE
Inspirational mantras adorn Musewear flip flops with wise words coming from likes of the Dalai Lama, Bob Marley and Oscar Wilde. The 100% recyclable rubber kicks are dedicated to giving back and the company donates 15% of their profits to Nature Conservancy, Best Friends Animal Society, and Amnesty International.
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3. THE JOY OF SOX – KEEPING FEET WARM
One of the most coveted possessions for the homeless is a fresh pair of socks, which unlike other garments, is scarcely donated to charity. Clean socks are a must not only for warming up tired feet, but also to prevent ailments and medical problems. The U.S. based volunteer driven nonprofit Joy of Sox collect socks, host sock drives and deliver socks to those living on the streets.
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4. BEYOND SKIN – ANIMAL FREE FOOTWEAR
The founders of the trendy UK shoe company were at their wits end to find stylish vegan shoes. In 2001 they created the award winning Beyond Skin which makes non-leather shoe wear made from synthetic cotton-backed polyurethane, polyester and consumer cardboard. The company also pledges 1% of their profits to grass-root environmental and social projects.
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5. REKIXX ™ - 100% RECYCLED SNEAKERS
Dubbed as Landfill-Free Sneakers™, these shoes are made from recycled materials from laces to soles. Trying to make a dent in the over 300 million pairs of shoes that end up in landfills, these fashion forward kicks spread awareness with a recycling symbol on each pair. The zero-carbon footprint shoes invite their customers to send their old ReKixx back to the company to ensure that they are properly recycled.
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