Last year Blake Mycoskie handed out 10,000 pairs of shoes to impoverished children in Argentina. This year he'll give 50,000 shoes to children in South Africa, Uganda and Malawi. Though this might sound like an endeavor undertaken by a nonprofit or a wealthy philanthropist, Mycoskie is actually an experienced entrepreneur and founder of the Santa Monica-based for-profit TOMS ("shoes for tomorrow"), whose business plan is based on the concept that for every shoe it sells, it donates a similar pair to a child in need.
After competing on The Amazing Race in 2002, Mycoskie, now 31, got the idea to start a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week reality cable network. As it turns out, Rupert Murdoch had a similar idea. Mycoskie shifted gears and decided to revisit some of the countries where The Race took place. While in Argentina he came across the alpargata (which means "espadrille" in Spanish), a shoe traditionally worn by Argentine workers. Mycoskie first came up with the idea to update the alpargata by placing a rubber sole on the bottom, leather on the inside and bright colors on the upper.
Later, after Mycoskie had volunteered in a small Argentine village where many children walked two miles each day barefoot to get fresh water, often causing illness and infection, the idea expanded. "I'd just discovered this new shoe," he says, "and I know it sounds cheesy, but I had an epiphany." Originally, he'd planned to sell just 200 pairs out of his loft in Venice, but after L.A. boutiques such as Fred Segal and American Rag heard about the cause and wanted to stock his shoes, Mycoskie realized something bigger was at hand.
On the inaugural "shoe drop" to Argentina last fall, Mycoskie, along with several friends, relatives and volunteers, traveled from village to village putting shoes on children's feet. "It was exciting to start TOMS," admits Mycoskie, who wants to create a brand as well known as Vans and Converse. "But when I saw the joy on the children's faces, I knew this is what I'm going to do with the rest of my life."
Blake Mycoskie has been nominated for a Cooper Hewitt People's Design Award. Vote for Blake by clicking here.
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