TOMS

Two weeks ago, in Brighton, it was cold- fact. It was cold and it was rainy and it was miserable- also fact. So when I packed up some clothes to visit family for a while, all I brought with me was jeans, jumpers and my faithful old cowboy boots. Who could blame me? I was preparing for what had been forecast as one of the coldest months of May we had ever seen. And then this happened: 27 degree madness!

Now, I love my beautiful vintage cowboy booties, but as practical as they usually are for our regular English weather, in this heat they are the last things I want on my feet. So I had to make a very hasty plan. As you know, I only like to buy ethical clothes and finding ethical shoes is quite tricky at the best of times. Trying to find a pair of ethical summer shoes before my feet fell off, left me with about an hour to complete my quest.

I was racking my brains trying to think of vintage shops in Exeter- nope couldn't think of any. Charity shops? Not any within an hour of where we were as far I could tell (being quite new to the area). And then it hit me- TOMS.

TOMS has become a fashion staple for trendy feet of all ages in the UK and elsewhere. This is great news for a company with such great ethical foundations but as brands become more popular; there ethical roots can sometime be forgotten. So, to remind you all, TOMS is a fantastic shoe brand that sells shoes on a 'One for One' basis: when one pair is sold; one pair is given to a child in need. This is how they decide how to give the shoes:

• Identify Communities That Need Shoes
  Together, we find communities that will benefit most from TOMS shoes due to economic, health and educational needs, and where local businesses will not be negatively affected.
• Give Shoes That Fit
  Our Giving Partners order the sizes children in their community need. We make the shoes to order to ensure children are given new shoes that fit them. Learn more about the Giving Pair here.
• Help Our Shoes Have a Bigger Impact
  Children who are given TOMS shoes receive them as part of larger health and education programs run by our Giving Partners. These programs help children get the care and opportunity they need to keep them healthy and in school.
• Give Children Shoes As They Grow
  Children grow fast! TOMS works to give shoes to children in need throughout their childhood. Once we identify a community that needs shoes, we continue to give to the children in that community to help them stay healthy and in school.
• Provide Feedback and Help Us Improve
  We rely on our incredible Giving Partners to provide feedback on shoesí fit and durability, the giving process and the needs of the community ñ allowing us to continually improve.

You can find out more about how, when and where TOMS give out their shoes to children in need on their very informative website that prides itself on its ethical transparency. Its so refreshing to find lots of information on a company's ethics, freely available to the the consumer. 

I am slowly falling in love with my TOMS; they are the perfect ethical summer shoe and according to friends of mine who have had them for a long time, they wear very well. I was advised to buy them in a size too small as they tend to stretch quite a lot after you have worn them for a while. I was skeptical at first and just found that I had purchased a pair of very tight shoes that were rubbing; but after a couple of days, they stretched and now they are extremely comfortable! Thankfully, these shoes will be replacing my cowboy boots over the next few months; much more practical for this balmy weather- enjoy the sunshine everyone!