Hot Fashion: TOMS footwear, Soles with the spirit of giving

By April MacIntyre Dec 15, 2010, 22:24 GMT

Monsters and Critics' Christmas 2010: The coolest, hottest most unique gift ideas and best new products for everyone this Christmas and Holiday season. From clothing to jewelry, spirits to skincare and everything in between, here is one of the tried and true finds for the Monsters and Critics Best of Holiday Gift Guide for you to check out:

The holidays are here, hard to believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away, and if you are stymied on a great gift, consider TOMS footwear, American-made shoes that have a huge good Karma vibe.

In 2006, American Blake Mycoskie came across some children 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.

Nice way to begin a small business, right? So the story gets better: Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers, people like you who like fashionable fun shoes and have big hearts.

As of September 2010, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children in need through Giving Partners around the world. 

Monsters and Critics consistently trumpets the best in American small businesses, and TOMS line of footwear is a brilliant gift to give (and receive, hollah), and even teaches your kids the “spirit of giving” which is what the holiday times are about.

The ‘One for One’ ideology works like this:  For every pair of shoes bought, TOMS matches that purchase by sending a free pair of shoes to a child in need.

Super simple. American small business, and workers benefit too. In addition to the alpargata-inspired Classics, TOMS offers several other styles. Cordones, the TOMS you can wear with or without laces, as well as the Botas, are designed for both men and women.

Stitchouts for men, the Wedge and the Wrap Boot for women, and Youth and Tiny TOMS for children are also available, as well as many vegan-friendly styles for all ages that use no animal byproducts. TOMS.com also carries t-shirts, hats, and other items that are also matched with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One.

TOMS is a great gift for the whole family and it also benefits a child in need of shoes. Visit www.TOMS.com to check out styles for the whole family.

Christmas bonus: Everyone loves a little extra sparkle for the holidays, so check out the Glitters collection from TOMS. Not only do they come in a variety of fun Glitter colors perfect for any holiday party, but you can sparkle a little on the inside too thanks to the TOMS ‘One for One’ ideology.