First of all, SoleRebels and Toms Shoes are both companies which have positive intentions to donate and reduce poverty.
There is no doubt that founder Blake Mycoskie built the TOMS empire in good faith, but he has faced heavy criticism for having more success with his marketing campaign than his aid program. From the first sight, thinking about Toms Shoes buy-one pair, give-one pair model might seem incredibly benevolent and positive. As you buy one pair of shoes you definitely know that someone who craves for a pair will receive it.
However, looking deeply in the problem we can see that this gesture of kindness and willingness to donate does not solve the actual problem. “If you give a kid shoes,” the young Ethiopian woman who founded SoleRebels, Bethlehem Tilahun said, “they wear out or they grow out of them, and then what do they have? If you give the kid’s parents a job, the whole family will always have shoes.”
Completely different situation happens in SoleRebels. It may seem that they have no impact on society. Nevertheless, their factory is situated in Ethiopia, where as Toms Shoes produces its goods in China. SoleRebels’s mission is to provide truly sustainable production including recycled and organic materials. In addition, they pay their workers 4x the minimum wage, send the workers’ kids to school and provides medical benefits.
I truly applicate both company’s good intention but I feel that SoleRebels has more effective way. Receiving a pair of shoes if you didn’t have one is awesome but having your kinds educated and your family getting rid of loans and mortgages could change your family tree forever.
