Joy Marie Hallare / The Collegian
Most Americans prefer only to go barefoot while at home or at the beach, but on April 8 more than 60 Fresno State students supported the One Day Without Shoes campaign.
One Day Without Shoes, a national event sponsored by TOMS Shoe Company, promotes awareness for children around the globe who do not own a pair of shoes. The company’s motto, “one for one,” stands as their promise that for each pair of shoes the company sells, one pair is donated to a child in a developing country.
Nicole Kimura, a double major in biology and psychology, went barefoot in support of the event, but ran into an issue.
“I went into the dorm bathroom without shoes and rode my bike without shoes,” Kimura said. “But, they wouldn’t let me into the dining hall without shoes on. So, I had to put [a pair of shoes on] while I was in there.”
Despite the “no shoes, no service” policy at certain venues on campus, students still found the cause important enough to ditch their footwear for an entire day. For some, it served as way contribute to a good cause without donating a cash gift.
Official TOMS campus club representative Andrea Torres said she was impressed by the show of support from Fresno State students.
“We received so much support,” Torres said. “I want this support to grow, to see more people wearing [TOMS] and to [understand] what TOMS represents.”
Eighteen-year-old history major Alyssa Smith said she received a pair of TOMS shoes for her birthday last year, and afterward she decided to give a speech about the product to her class.
“It was through research that I found out about the event,” Smith said, who also served as the coordinator of this year’s event along with the Smittcamp Family Honors College. “I decided to do it and it grew from there.”
Smith said that the turnout for the event last Thursday had been a success. According to the One Day Without Shoes Web site, 250,000 people participated in more than 16,000 events around the world in honor of the day.
“I saw people barefoot on bikes and skateboards,” Smith said. “This event makes you think about how shoes protect your feet. You have to walk through areas that you wouldn’t want to walk through barefoot.”
The event offered students a chance to experience what it is like for the people of the world who live everyday shoeless.
For Torres, participating in the event was an eye-opening experience.
“I rode my bike barefoot and my feet became numb to the point that I did not realize that I had gotten cut and was bleeding,” Torres said. “I thought about little kids having this numbness happen to them, and causing damage that could last for their lives. It is dangerous, and people should not have to deal with this in their lives.”
TOMS shoes range in price but are on average $45 plus shipping. TOMS also sells hats and T-shirts for those that want to help but may not want to purchase shoes. Those purchases still follow the one-for-one rule, meaning a pair of shoes will still be sent to a child.
For more information about the event, company or to pick up a pair of shoes, visit TOMS.com.