Sole Desire
An Interview with Blake Mycoskie
Are you a fan of The Amazing Race? If so then you may have heard of Blake Myscoskie a few years ago as he came within seconds of winning it all. Those four seconds were the difference between a lucrative grand prize and Blake’s next endeavor—TOMS Shoes. A small shoe company with a huge heart, TOMS is intent on changing the world one pair of shoes at a time. Blake took some time out of his crazy schedule to tell TDS about his wild ride in the shoe industry and his vision for the future of TOMS. Enjoy.
TDS: You started TOMS Shoes as a response to something you saw or experienced. Tell us a little bit about what prompted you to start a shoe company.
MYCOSKIE: In 2001, I competed on the TV show The Amazing Race and came four minutes away from winning the $1,000,000 grand prize. In retrospect, this is probably the best thing that could have happened to me. After finishing the show, I vowed to return to every country that I passed through, and in successive vacations, I went to Belize, South Africa and finally to Argentina. I went to Argentina to learn to play polo. I was running a successful technology company at the time, and was looking to take a break … about the last thing on my mind was starting a new business.
While I was playing polo, I discovered a simple canvas shoe called the alpargata. The alpargata has been worn for hundreds of years by farmers in South America, and in recent years, has become popular with polo players, their wives, and upper class fashionistas. What struck me most about Argentina is the number of kids that do not have shoes. Walking barefoot for miles, these children develop cuts and scrapes on their feet that left untreated, lead to serious infections and even death. I thought for a long time about how I could help these kids.
My first thought was to start a non-profit. I could easily go back to my friends in the States to raise money for shoes. The problem with this, however, is that the giving would last only as long as my efforts. When I stopped fundraising, the children would stop getting shoes. I wanted to create something that was sustainable.
My epiphany was realizing that the best way I could help the kids was to create a for-profit business with a socially conscious twist. For every pair of shoes that I sold, I would hand-deliver a pair to a child in need. There would be no complex formulas. Just simple one-for-one.
TDS: For each pair of shoes someone buys you give a pair away to a kid in need. This seems like an insane business plan—doomed to fail financially. But TOMS is growing and the shoes are selling well and receiving good press. What do you think has been the secret to TOMS’ success?
MYCOSKIE: When I first had the idea for TOMS, almost everyone had the same response. “That’s great,” they said, “But how in the world are you going to make money giving half of your inventory away?” The funny thing is … this is exactly the secret to our success.
People like wearing our shoes and having a story to tell their friends. The media is the same way: magazine, newspaper and TV editors are always looking for a feel-good story. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on formal advertising, TOMS takes the same amount of money and gives thousands of kids shoes … and because of these efforts, we benefit from publicity that we could never afford to buy.
TDS: How many shoes have you given away?
MYCOSKIE: So far, we have given away 60,000 pairs of shoes to children in need … 10,000 to kids in Argentina and 50,000 to kids in South Africa.
TDS: Do you see TOMS Shoes as more than a business for you? If so, can you explain the driving force behind your seemingly endless energy and passion?
For everyone at TOMS, what we do is more than a job … it’s a way of life. Everything that we do—from sending out emails to packing up boxes—helps to put shoes on kids’ feet. When you have this kind of attitude, it is hard to stop working.
TDS: Philanthropy and social activism seem like they’re on the rise in our culture. What do you think has sparked companies and organizations like yours to see past the bottom line and into the deep human need all around the world?
MYCOSKIE: I would like to think that people are beginning to see themselves as global citizens. Because of the technology that we have at our disposal (cars, internet, cell phones, etc), the world is an infinitely smaller place than it used to be. We are also more connected than ever before—through Myspace, Facebook, blogs, and countless other mediums. All of these factors have made us more conscious of those in need. It is impossible for people to live in a bubble and pretend like they don’t know what is going on in the world.
TDS: Do you think we will see more of a trend towards this type of business model or is it just a fad?
MYCOSKIE: I hope that the success of TOMS motivates other companies and entrepreneurs to add philanthropy to their business models. Just the other day, I read an article about a real estate company that donates a house for every house that they sell. The founder of this company directly sites TOMS as its inspiration. AMAZING! There’s another company called One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) that donates a computer for every computer that it sells. Their laptops are fast, powerful and can survive in the worst of conditions.
As consumers, it is important that we give our business to companies that are ecologically and socially conscious. How we spend our dollars matters … and the big companies will listen.
TDS: TOMS Shoes has caught the attention of the fashion and retail industry, which has resulted in you meeting some heavy hitters in that world. What has surprised you the most about their reaction to your product? Can you tell us about a memorable encounter?
MYCOSKIE: The fashion community’s response to TOMS has definitely been a pleasant surprise. When you look through Vogue Magazine, you see shoes selling for $300 and $500, not canvas slip-ons selling for 42 bucks … and yet, Vogue has been one of our biggest supporters. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many amazing icons in the fashion community. The highlight for me was probably attending Diddy’s White Party in the Hamptons and seeing the entire wait staff outfitted in TOMS. I cannot tell you how surreal this was…
TDS: What’s in the future for TOMS Shoes? Have you set a goal of how many shoes you hope to give away when it’s all said and done?
MYCOSKIE: I have no doubt that TOMS will be soon mentioned in the same breath as Nike, Reebok and Vans. I hope to one-day give away millions of shoes … and I think that it is entirely in our reach. People love telling the story of TOMS. In just two years, we have given away 60,000 pairs! I can only imagine where we will be in a year, two years or five years from now. This is such an AMAZING time!
TDS: I have seen video on YouTube of some of your shoe drops where you give away the shoes. What an amazing experience that would be. Is there a way people can get involved in the shoe drops or some other way?
MYCOSKIE: Getting involved is really easy:
1. Tell as many friends as possible to buy a pair of shoes. Making a difference is as easy as picking up the phone or shooting an email to your friends.
2. Create a club on Myspace or Facebook.
3. Get all of your friends together and decorate white pairs of shoes. Style Your Sole parties are simple and a lot of fun! You can find out more at www.StyleYourSole.com.
4. Apply for a Shoe Drop. I cannot tell you what an AMAZING experience this is. You can find out more at www.FriendsOfToms.com.
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