After returning from a trip in Argentina, Blake Mycoskie, decided to launch his own company that sold traditional Argentine slip-on shoes, TOMS. Stricken by the country’s health problems and poverty, he was shocked to learn that many didn’t have shoes. The idea is that for every pair of TOMS sold, one pair would be given to a child in need.
Named as one of America’s most promising social entrepreneurs, Blake has already donated more than 115,000 pairs of shoes. s in local shoe stores-thus leaving negative long-term impacts on local economies. Sure, the idea of donating shoes to those in less fortunate countries sounds socially responsible, but are the really doing good in the long run? In Alli and Chris Horst’s blog, Smorgasblurb, they express that in actuality, giving out shoes to kids in poorer communities can actually cause competition and loss of business. In fact, between 1992-2006, 543,000 textile jobs were lost in Nigeria due to imported clothing donations.
Instead of distributing shoes, they should think of what would benefit communities the greatest in the long run. Spending the money earned from TOMS and putting it towards subsidizing and improving how locals make shoes will greatly benefit the people without causing harm to local economies.
