Former Amazing Race Star Shares His Kind Sole

Tag: Rubber Sole Shoes
A North Texas man is helping impoverished children half a world away, two shoes at a time. Perhaps you have seen TOMS Shoes in a store or on someone's feet, but wait until you hear the 'soleful' story behind the footwear.It all began with an appearance on "The Amazing Race" in 2002. Blake Mycoskie lost the competition, but the shoeless children he saw in Argentina won his heart.Mycoskie said, "When I saw these kids running around on glass, or trying to play soccer on a field that had a bunch of rocks, and had no shoes, I immediately wanted to find a way to give them shoes."The former reality television show star started up TOMS Shoes (TOMS for 'tomorrow'), but don't call him the CEO. Mycoskie prefers the title of Chief Shoe Giver."It's an Argentine, canvas slip-on shoe that farmers, polo players, their girlfriends have been wearing for a very long period of time," Mycoskie explained of his product. "For every pair of shoes that we sell, we give one pair away to a child that doesn't have shoes."The Arlington native started selling the shoes out of his Los Angeles loft just two years ago. Since then, he has sold more than 65,000 pairs all over the country, and plans to sell 200,000 more this year. The rubber-soled shoes, which retail for $40-$48, can be found in 300 boutiques and department stores including Nordstrom.Mycoskie's 'shoe drops' have even extended beyond Argentina, to South Africa and Ethiopia.The best part of his success, Mycoskie said, is giving it back to the children. "You can just tell in their face, as they're literally stepping down and feeling the cushion of the shoes, what a new experience that is for them. And it's amazing, every time we do it."