(PRNewswire) On Tuesday, April 5, 2013, TOMS Shoes asked the world to go without shoes so that kids don’t have to with its annual One Day Without Shoes event. This is the day each year that TOMS raises awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life. In 2012, more than 250,000 people went without shoes and more than 1,600 events took place around the globe.

Millions of children around the world grow up without shoes, at risk of infection and disease. TOMS Shoes was founded on the premise that with every pair of shoes someone purchases, a pair of new shoes will be given to a child in need. One for One™. The idea of One Day Without Shoes came about as a way to call attention to the need for shoes around the world and the issues surrounding that need.

One Day Without Shoes participants can go to www.OneDayWithoutShoes.com to get all the latest updates, create and join events in their area, download an event tool kit, and see what others around the world will be doing on April 5. Participants can also stay connected through the new One Day Without Shoes mobile application, available on iPhone and Android. The application will enable users to share pictures instantaneously, provide music to get people going on their barefoot adventures, check out One Day Without Shoes merchandise, and more.

TOMS’ Founder and Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie said, “The problem is large but the solution is simple. Wearing shoes and basic hygiene can prevent both infection and disease due to unsafe roads and contaminated soil. By imagining a life without shoes, we can all contribute to the awareness of these conditions, which is why we ask everyone to join TOMS on April 5 and participate in One Day Without Shoes.”

For more information visit: www.OneDayWithoutShoes.com

 

About TOMS Shoes:

In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. To date, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children through giving partners around the world.

About the TOMS Shoes – Salesian Missions Partnership:

Since 2012, Salesian Missions has partnered with TOMS to provide new shoes for children living in impoverished communities. New shoes are integrated into the full range of programs offered by the Salesians which center around education that provides pathways to new opportunities. The new partnership has already provided shoes to thousands of youth participating in Salesian programs in countries including in Guatemala, Uganda, the Philippines and Mexico.