A friend of mine posted it and I found it really interesting. I'm pretty open about my love for the so-ugly-they're-cute misguided houseslippers and this article calls their goodness into question. At first I thought, Gah, how dare they question TOMS! Um, hello, one for one?
Of course, the article really does make some valid points.
The TOMS campaign ....misses the fundamental point that not having a pair of shoes (or a shirt, christmas toy, etc.) is not a problem about not having shoes. It’s a problem of poverty. Shoelessness, such as it is, is a symptom of a much bigger and more complex problem. And while donating a pair of shoes helps shoelessness, it does not help poverty.
True words which I agree with. Yet, I am reminded of Mother Teresa's quote, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." Should the fact that these shoes aren't solving global poverty stop TOMS from giving them away? I don't think so.
I guess it's a matter of perception. If we Americans are ignorant enough to think that our shoes are truly stopping poverty, we've got our head in the fluffy clouds of consummerism. (Trust me, I too love the idea that I can still have all the stuff I want and just rely on small acts of goodness by corporations to solve the world's problems without any real sacrifice on my part.) I also like the idea of unicorns jumping over rainbows, which is just about as realistic as TOMS stopping poverty.
So I have to ask -
Do you wear TOMS because they are "good" or just because you like the shoes? For me, it was either these or Converse to meet my casual footwear needs. Both are made in China (boo!) but TOMS gives one pair away. So I buy TOMS.
Is TOMS a brilliant move in foreign aid? NO! It's a trendy shoe that has a wee bit of goodness attached to it. I wish TOMS would manufacture their shoes in a third world country and pay their workers a fair price (so, Mr. TOM, if you're reading this, please take note.) But, how much of our other overpriced footwear is made in China? Um, most of it. TOMS just happens to be under the microscope because they market themselves as "good."
Which brings about another point.... if you're going to market yourself as "good," shouldn't you set your goodness standard pretty high? I think so. For example, if you're gonna drive around with the Jesus fish, you best be driving politely.
My conclusion is this: TOMS aren't evil. And they aren't really good either. They're shoes. It's nice that they give a pair away, but no world crises are being solved by these overpriced did-I-mention-they're-ugly shoes. They're just shoes. Expecting them to be good seems kind of silly.
What do you think?
I haven't bought TOMS because I've thought they were ugly. They're starting to grow on me and I don't like it. :-) I like the theory of a "good" product you can support, but I think you're right to say that anyone who is buying the product to end poverty is living in a cloud. The bigger question: do companies who market their products as good contribute to the overall misconception that we can have it all and count on corporations to solve the world's biggest problems, like poverty? We must individually come to realize that truly caring for the needs of the most needy will require great sacrifice on our part. A sacrifice many of us stink at actually doing. We love our stuff too much. If we really, truly care about buying products to make a difference, then I think we have to go the route of buying only fair trade items. But, to classify TOMS as evil is going too far. They never claim to be fair trade. They just say they'll give a pair away. They are fulfilling their end of the bargain. And, they have a pretty good marketing scheme in doing so...for an ugly pair of shoes!
ReplyDeleteWell put, Megan! Agree on all points. Especially that truly caring means sacrifice.
DeleteYou hit the nail on the head. I like that when I buy TOMS, they donate a pair of shoes but to be so clueless that they could actually help stop poverty seems ridiculous. Because, they are just shoes. If we expect shoes to fix poverty I wonder what we will expect of sweaters? I jest.
ReplyDeleteI love my TOMS they feel like heaven on my feet and if I'm going to buy shoes anyway because I need them I might as well buy them and feel good that they are giving one away as well. The shoes won't stop poverty but they will help prevent some nasty stuff that can happen from these people walking barefoot where they live.
ReplyDeleteI don't personally care for Toms, but evil? I doubt it. To me, paying $50 (or however much they are) so that they can send a pair of shoes somewhere is a bit silly. I can buy a pair of shoes for $15-20 on clearance and donate the rest for several pairs of shoes. Or I could buy a $5 pair of shoes at Goodwill (our Goodwill even had Toms!) and I would have $45 to spend on others! I understand the "cult following" and some even call them comfy and stylish. I don't think they are evil...but certainly not saving the world either:)
ReplyDeleteYou think like me!! This is EXACTLY why I haven't a pair in my closet!!!
Deletei have to say I am very disappointed that they don't have better practices. Just feel like they should know better, you know? BUT I need to buy shoes and at least my Toms do help someone get another pair. His point about people not having shoes is pretty off, at least from my experience in ET. All that to say, I don't think it's solving poverty and never did but at least it's doing more than the other brands I could be buying. I did just order my first pair of Sole Rebels, interested to see how they hold up, comfortable they are, ect. I don't think my Sole Rebels will replace my Toms but excited to have a pair of real Fair Trade Shoes.
ReplyDeleteyep. agree! I was super sad when I found out they were made in China, but still like that they give a pair away. Like your thoughts and LOVE the idea of a controversial question of the week! ;) haha
ReplyDeleteInteresting....I have not bought a pair of Tom's yet but now I really don't think I will. Hopefully they will pull out of China and go to Africa, or some other country in need.
ReplyDeleteAGREED!! well put!!
ReplyDeletei LOVE my TOMS and LOVE that someone in africa gets a pair. i don't, however, expect TOMS to solve poverty. that is just crazy talk.
LOVE your thoughts on this :)
So funny that you posted this today, because I recently just ran across TOMS being sold on ebay and wondered...doesn't that defeat the purpose?
ReplyDeleteI'm not opposed to TOMS being purchased and worn.....so long as the wearer doesn't consider that enough. Obviously YOU don't, you've ransomed a precious boy and are working with a ministry to protect and serve other children. Kudos to you. But I think any good can be morphed into pharisee-like giving: showy, self-centered, "see what I just did" behavior. The Bible encourages us to not let our right hand know what our left hand is doing. Or am I dyslexic? Is it the other way around? Anyhow, the point being, our goal for giving should not be to show off.
Bottom-line, I think the Bible is crystal clear on all of our giving intentions: where did the giving start?
My husband owns two pair of Toms. He loves them and bought them because they give back.
ReplyDeleteFor the sake of disclosure, I've owned 3 pairs of TOMS in my lifetime ;-)
DeleteGood article with some really good points but if it was that easy to solve world poverty it would have already been done. I don't know how easy it would be to pull out of China and move factories to Africa but its not right to assume that people in China don't deserve job opportunities as well.
ReplyDeleteI think the bigger picture is that companies like Toms saw that there is a need and they came up with an idea to provide not necessarily solve. when a person is in desperate need of food or shoes they are in need NOW not in a month or years from now as we sit around trying to come up with a solution.
I can tell you that I know first hand how terrible suffering from foot problems feels as I've experienced two unsuccessful foot surgeries, I cannot walk barefoot any more and cannot imagine what my suffering would be like if I was forced to walk barefoot while everyone was trying to figure out a way to solve world poverty. Mossy foot.com is a great sight to read about the devastating affects caused by being forced to walk barefoot.
I love my Toms becase they are super comfy and yeah, I like that a pair of shoes was donated! I think people just take things too far sometimes. Are they going to end poverty because they give away a pair of shoes every time someone buys one? No. But are they doing good? YES!! Probably more than half the people who complain about them!
ReplyDeleteI hope this doesn't sound rude, I didn't mean for it to at all. :) I just think saying they are evil may be just a teeny bit far!
DeleteI couldn't end the orphan crisis by only adopting one. But I can end the crisis for THAT one.
ReplyDeleteYes. You could buy a pair of shoes for just $5, and then send 8 other pairs to those in need. But DID you? I didn't.
Shoes don't end the cycle of poverty. But shoes do reduce risk of infection for the ONE wearing them. And they make them feel good. And everyone deserves that.
I agree that they should make them somewhere that matters, and positively impacts the local economy. And that's not in China with unfair labor practices.
Every little but helps. Is it enough to fix it? No. But it starts with ONE.
Lara,
ReplyDeleteI somehow ran across your blog through someone else...can't remember who. Anyway, I work for a humanitarian relief organization that actually distributes shoes to people in need all over the world. Our mission is sharing Christ and washing the feet of each person before they receive a new pair of shoes. While we do things a little different than TOMS this was an interesting article...something I hadn't thought too much about. I did want to say though that I've seen first hand what a pair of shoes does to a child or even an adult who has never had a pair before. For a child in many places in Africa it might be the one missing thing they needed to actually be able to start school. For an adult it might be what they needed to be able to get a job. So, I truly think and not just because I work for a shoe organization, but I do think shoes can possibly be an important step in helping to end poverty.
Sseko is a great shoe maker that is for the women of Africa and by them. I hope yo get some for my birthday and help send a woman to the university.
ReplyDeleteI have worked with a (very) small non-profit that does a lot of work for our local community living in poverty. They have received shipments of shoes from TOMS to distribute directly to children in need. I have to say, that when you are the one who is able to give those shoes a home it really feels like a lot of good is being done. Sure it might be better for us to spend less and give more, but we are still very thankful for all the people who choose to spend on TOMS.
ReplyDelete