Toms is a stand-alone enterprise, which deals with one issue. Tom focuses on providing shoes for impoverished children. Toms is not working through non-profit networks. Toms is a social entrepreneur. They make money by selling shoes to consumers. This ends up benefiting them, as well as the kids that receive a free pair.

A non-profit organization started by Blake Mycoskie in 2006. He started this idea based off the concept “Shoes for Tomorrow”, where Toms derived from. The idea is based off Argentine farmers’ shoes. When Toms sells a pair of shoes, Friends of Toms, a subsidiary of Toms, donates a pair to those in need. In poorer villages in Argentine, many children do not have shoes. Shoeless children may contract a disease called podoconiosis, which causes one’s feet to swell from walking in silica-rich soil. This is also known as “Mossy Foot”, which is Mycoskie’s motivation.

In 2011, Toms Eyewear was introduced. It is based off the same concept as Toms shoes, with every pair of glasses sold, a pair of pre-scripted glasses, medical care, or sight-seeing surgery, is given to a child in need.

In order to raise awareness, Toms been hosting an annual event called “One Day Without Shoes”. People basically don’t wear shoes for one day to raise awareness for the children who go on their daily lives without shoes. Partners of this event are AOL, Flickr and even the Discovery Channel.