The Bare Truth: Exposing Toes and Social Problems

Many students in colleges worldwide may find
this time of the semester the most trying, as it is
filled with assignments, research, papers, and
many other such duties too easily ascribed to the
meaninglessness of the university. Although not
all students feel this way, a recent event has given
power to a great deal of the world's population,
reminding them that they have every ability to make
a difference in this world.
Beginning at midnight on April 8th, 2010, many
Avila students joined the thousands of participants
from all over the world that kicked off their shoes
for TOMS shoe company's One Day Without Shoes
challenge. This event, supported by such notable
celebrities as actress Kristen Bell, was a rally to bring
awareness to people worldwide about the difference
one pair of shoes can make in a person's life.
Student Shea Ketchum, who joined the ranks of
the shoeless, explains, "In America, a pair of shoes
is not a very big deal and often times we have more
than one pair, we have a couple dozen. In third world
countries a pair of shoes can mean the difference
between a child going to school and getting an
education or not. And the disease, podoconiosis, is
preventable with a pair of shoes – a pair of shoes! It's
not like we're researching for medicine, it's a simple
pair of shoes. That's why I'm doing this."
According to the TOMS website, there are indeed
countries in which children are not allowed to
attend school because they do not own a pair of
shoes and it has been reported that approximately
1 million people in Ethiopia are now suffering from
podoconiosis, a disease that is both disfiguring and
debilitating and is caused by walking barefoot in
volcanic soil.
Nicole Santorella adds, "Well, I heard about it
in January and I've been reading up on stuff like
the tragedy of Darfur and it is true. A pair of shoes
means life or death there. It's not like they want to
wear them to be fashionable, they want to live."
The bold statement made by so many naked feet
raised eyebrows among the student community.
Although most of the instructors at Avila were not
offended by the bare soles soiling their sights, many
students questioned why a shoe company would
support such an action and how this rally would
make any difference to those who are without. The
surprising answer is that TOMS actually gives away
shoes. When someone purchases a pair of TOMS, one
pair is also donated to a child in need. Some claim
that this is the company's gimmick.
Student Liz Nelson responds, "No they are totally
not using it as a gimmick. What they are doing is
keeping the business sustainable so they can continue
to get shoes to those who need them. Instead of
putting all the money they have in all at once,
they are using it to sell shoes, etc., which lets them
continue to help those in need."
Participant Adriana Powell sums up the event well
saying, "I'm doing the TOMS No Shoes Day because
we are so lucky, so unbelievably lucky to have all
these things and we don't have to worry about that
type of thing, of not having shoes or something to
eat. It just puts things into perspective for us and
people walking around campus who ask, ‘Why are
you not wearing shoes?' And we can say this is why.
We're just getting the word out there."