Sure, the shoes are cute—they come in a variety of colors and patterns—but what’s brilliant about the design is the business model. Mycoskie took an incredibly simple idea-sell one pair, give one pair away-and promoted the shoes by making customers feel good about what they were buying. Each shoe has these words stamped on the insole: “For every pair you purchase TOMS gives a pair to a child in need.” Mycoskie was wary of starting a not-for-profit organization that would have to depend on fund-raising to keep his idea alive. “The business itself will sustain the charitable object,” he says. “That’s what’s revolutionary about the model.” The shoes are available online (www.TOMSshoes.com) and in boutiques and some department stores. TOMS is thinking about developing an upmarket shoe for stores like Barneys and Saks-which would mean at least a two-pair giveaway for each pair sold. The company is also developing special-needs shoes: next June it will launch a giveaway of rubber boots for kids in Ethiopia, where the moist soil is host to debilitating disease.
