We take for granted the cars that we drive and even the shoes on our feet. There are many children around the world living in poverty who do not even have a pair of shoes. Their only means of transportation are their feet. Their feet take them to school, to work, to community programs, and around their villages and communities. Many of these children are the sole caretakers of their siblings (due to HIV/AIDS). All of them are the future of their communities, the future of our world.

Walking barefoot has many hazards. Extreme cold carries the danger of frostbite and we have all danced on hot sand or asphalt at some point so obviously extreme heat is debilitating to a barefoot child as well. There might be broken glass, nails, or metal on the ground. Therein lies the risk of injury, infection, and without proper medical attention, death. Areas stricken by poverty are often unsanitary, so that poses further risk of infection and disease. Not to mention needles and blood which carry the risk of passing HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Not to mention, Podoconiosis, a debilitating disease that causes extreme swelling, repeated ulcers, and deformity in the feet and legs. Podo is 100% preventable with shoes! Even discarding all the dangers, the simple comfort and support that shoes allow for feet as well as the legs and back is essential when your only means of transportation are your feet.

So, we decided to make a statement by walking a mile barefoot in the lack of shoes of our brothers and sisters all over the world. Simultaneously, we tell people about TOMS shoes. If you buy one pair of TOMS, TOMS gives another pair to a child who doesn’t have shoes. TOMS has done a shoe drop in Argentina, exceeded the 50,000 shoe goal for the South Africa drop in November 2007, and did another drop in the U.S. in the summer of 2008. Hanson led us in the walk in cities all over the country. Since its beginning in 2006, TOMS Shoes has given 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, Ethiopia, and South Africa. With your support, TOMS hopes to give 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need in 2009. Since then, several walks have been organized without Hanson. Now, they are organized for one of five different causes. The money that Hanson donates from the walk will go to prevent mother-baby transfer of HIV, but please consider buying a pair of shoes (or other great merchandise) from TOMS, and helping children in need! 

Did I mention that TOMS volunteers hand place shoes on the children's feet?

We are not afraid to take action. The walk is just another step forward, well, millions of steps.

For more information on The Walk visit Take the Walk.

The band Hanson came up with this crazy idea to walk a mile in every city they toured in so that their fans, families of their fans, and random people on the street would look at their barefoot feet and start asking questions. They partnered up with TOMS shoes, got a megaphone, and started walking. Fans rallied behind them.  Soon, fans were starting their own walks. Thus, Takethewalk.net was born. Now, anyone can start a walk to benefit one of five causes which you choose and Hanson will give one dollar per registered walker to the cause. Not to mention, more people buy TOMS and thus, more children get shoes! 

To date we have walked 22,647 miles! 

 I personally walked three miles with Hanson, and now I am hosting my own walk. Take action. Have a sole (sic). Take the walk with me!