Tom's Shoes

Most of you probably know about TOMS SHOES and the story behind the company.  Founded in 2006 by a young entrepreneur named Blake Mycoskie, Tom's Shoes are simple in design and have a little of the (dare I say?) hippie vibe.  They are also VERY comfortable, in my opinion.  The motto for the company is this:  'With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.  One for One.'  


I think that this is genius marketing.  Not only does the buyer get a cool little shoe, a shoeless child is helped in the bargain. 


[BTW, as an English teacher in a former life, I simply MUST show Tom's in the possessive form, although the company shows it as TOMS.  I have to draw the line somewhere.]

Tom's Shoes has come a long way since the first basic design.  Crossing over into mainstream consumerism, the shoes are now carried at such chichi places as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom's.  Tom's has gone from basic black to


pretty pink flowers:  

yellow crochet:

blue glitter:

You can even buy a pair of Tom's for your wedding:

How about a custom-painted pair from Etsy with your favorite Bible verse?

Etsy

How do you like the pair below?  Pretty cute with the black lace and leather trim, huh?  

  

Source

But guess what?  They're not Tom's.  They're Valentino, and they retail for $475.00.  Pretty crazy, if you ask me.  I could buy a bunch of Tom's for $475.00 and I think I would like them better.  Just sayin'




As you can see, there is a pair of Tom's Shoes for every taste and budget.  I've only touched the tip of the iceberg on what is available in a Tom's Shoe.


EXCEPT……..  Did you see any pair that even remotely looked like a tartan Tom's?  In all of my research on eBay, Etsy and Google, I didn't come across one single pair.


UNTIL………. I got an email from my friend Judy, who was on a trip down in Costa Rica.  Because I'm so obnoxious and overbearing about my love for tartan, all of my friends and family know of my obsession.  As Judy was browsing in a local market, she came across the following and instantly thought of me.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?  The perfect pair for Miss Tartan Terrace! 


I eagerly awaited Judy's return to Dallas so I could see my new shoes (oh, and of course, Judy, too).  They did not disappoint.  They're all that I could ever hope for in a Tom's.  I even took pictures of Bitsy and Buster with them so you wouldn't think I had photoshopped them!  (Not that I would even have a clue how to do that, or that you would care if I had.)

The following is a photo of the price tag that came on the shoes.  As you can see, the price is 7,900 colones, which converts to about $16.00.  That's what Judy paid for this priceless pair of shoes!  But it begs the question:  Why are we paying at least $50.00 in the States while the price in Costa Rica is only $16.00?  Maybe the free pairs of shoes for the little shoeless children are being diverted from their original destination and are instead being sold on the black market?  It would be interesting to find out.

So that's my Tom's Shoes story.  If you've never owned a pair, I hope that you'll consider it.  They really are quite comfortable and also stylish in an odd way.  But don't try to find a tartan pair in North America.  I've got the only one and I'm not sharing.