Toms Shoes Alpargatas!

Above all else, Toms Shoes are famous for their alpargatas.  Weird name, right?  We agree.  But, they look really cool, and they’re super comfortable too.  Here’s what an alpargata looks like – familiar?

Alpargatas are what made Toms Shoes famous.  They have this authentic, very hip look, and can be printed with all kinds of colors, shapes, or patterns.  They also happen to be really comfortable – in fact, I own that burlap pair in the middle.  That being said, they do have a pretty unusual look as far as shoes go.  I certainly had never seen or heard of alpargatas before Toms came out with them.  So what’s the story behind the Toms Shoes alpargata?

The Story Behind The Toms Shoes Alpargata

It all started when a guy named Blake Mycoskie was traveling through Argentina.  Now Blake had already started a bunch of companies before – a laundry service in college, and even an online drivers-ed course!  But when he was on vacation in Argentina, he kept noticing all these poor kids with no shoes on.  That’s never good.  So Blake started to think – how can I help these kids get clean shoes on their feet?  He knew that a charity wouldn’t work – because eventually you’d run out of money, unless you could find a really rich donor to pay for everything.  So he decided that he would sell shoes in America, and for every pair of shoes someone bought he would come back to Argentina and give one away to kids.  He called it One for One.

Now, the One for One Movement is the center of what Toms Shoes is all about.  Whenever someone buys a Toms Shoe, whether it’s an alpargata or a cordone, a kid in need gets a pair of shoes for free!  We love that mission, and that’s a huge reason why we love Toms.

So Why Did He Pick the Alpargata?

It’s a good question, because in America the alpargata is something new.  But down in Argentina people have been wearing alpargatas for hundreds of years!  Something must be working.  So Blake, smart guy that he is, saw an opportunity.  He would introduce a new shoe to America, while giving kids in Argentina shoes they were used to!  What a good idea.  Now alpargatas are really basic shoes.  They’re flat on the bottom, with a couple pieces of cloth over the top to cover.  So they’re perfect for walking around with friends, going to school, or even hitting up the clubs at night!

When You See an Alpargata, Think of TOMS!

Blake was smart for another reason, too.  Since no one else in America sold Toms, he knew that anytime a person saw an alpargata, they were probably wearing Toms Shoes!  And then if you had a pair, and that person had a pair, you had something to talk about.  And even better – since they look so different, people ask about them.  If someone asks me about my Toms, I happily tell them about the One for One Movement, and how amazing Toms Shoes really are.  I learned about Toms from some guy at a coffee shop in Korea!  Small world, huh?  He was wearing these Toms:

So now, you probably want to be one of those people that wears alpargatas and talks about Toms all the time!  Or maybe you already are one, but one pear just isn’t enough!  We know the feeling.  So click on the banner below, and go to the Toms Shoes store.  Once you’re there, you can find your favorite pair of alpargatas, or even one of those cool and funky new designs!  We love it when the Toms team gets creative.   And use the promo code!  It’s called ChooseShoes, and if you use it then you’ll save $5.  Happy shopping and yay Toms!