TOMS Expands into Sunglasses to Help the Poor

Submitted by on Wednesday, 8 June 2011 | One Comment

The only thing more satisfactory than splashing out on a new pair of shoes is buying a pair that gives something back. The footwear label TOMS, which is a major contender for bringing us the coolest shoes this summer, pledge to give a pair of shoes to needy children for every pair purchased.

And now, the TOMS One-for-One scheme is expanding to high-end sunglasses to fund sight-saving medical treatment, prescription glasses or surgery to those in developing countries.

The sunglasses will cost between $135 and $145 (around £82 to £90) and will come in three designs – the 101s, which are reminiscent of the classic Wayfarer, the 201s which are an oversized, round Jackie O style, and finally the 301s, the ever-popular aviator. The glasses will be available in an array of colour combinations to accommodate the already TOMS-wearing world.

The three styles of sunglasses available

Three painted stripes on the sides will make the sunglasses instantly recognisable, which represent the One-for-One giving concept.

TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie has said of the company’s innovation: “Ever since 2007, I’ve realised the TOMS One-for-One model could do more than give shoes – it could and should address other needs around the world.”

So far, Mycoskie has given away 1 million pairs of shoes in the U.S., Argentina, Ethiopia and South Africa, working toward his goal of eradicating a multitude of dangerous soil-transmitted diseases. At the launch in California yesterday, he went on to say, “From this day forward, Toms will no longer just be a shoe company, it will be a one-for-one company.

And while the sunglasses aren’t available just yet for us excitable things over the pond, apparently they shouldn’t be leaving us waiting for too long before they’re sold at TOMS existing retailers.

Having looked on the Websites LookBook, I personally have taken a fancy to the navy 101s with a white and red stripe… Looks like I’ll be needing the shoes to match, then. Shopping has never been so selfless.

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  • Reuben Goldstein

    It is fantastic to see TOMS branching out; vision is a very important issue that we at MoralEyes feel very strongly about. It is an issue that affects 250 million people worldwide and while TOMS is making an important move towards tackling this issue, they cannot do it alone. MoralEyes is a wholesale/retail reading glasses company, for every pair of our glasses that is purchased we donate a pair to “New Eyes for the Needy” a nonprofit charity based in Short Hills, NJ. TOMS has recognized our involvement, and they are very excited to be working alongside us. We’ve only been selling to the public for a few months now and have already donated thousands of glasses. With over 4,000,000 pairs of glasses thrown away each year we are asking people to please recycle your glasses and you can do that by mailing them to New Eyes for the Needy. Our glasses are being sold in stores nationwide, and are also available on Amazon and our website, MoralEyes.com and our glasses retail between $19.99-24.99.

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