Blake Mycoskie did the right thing. As he started his venture, TOMS Shoes, recreating the alpargata (a traditional shoe made and used by southamerican farmers similar to Vans or Keds) he developed a social concept to support his new business with a simple concept: "The idea is for every pair you sell, one pair goes to a child who doesn't have shoes. It would be providing shoes for tomorrow."
"The shoes also are sold in Australia, Japan and Canada and online in Argentina; they intend to start selling in Britain this spring, and in Spain this summer. Toms Shoes will open a shop in the hip Palermo Soho neighborhood of Buenos Aires late in the year."
As you can see in their website, they follow the succesful trend of releasing limited editions inviting artists and designers to customize the shoes.
Social Conscience Footwear
Business Inspired by Argentine Alpargata
Trend Themes
1. Socially Conscious Manufacturing - Opportunity for companies to integrate a social cause with their product offerings, similar to TOMS Shoes' One for One model.
2. Collaborative Design - Trend of inviting artists and designers to customize products, such as limited edition shoes, to create unique offerings for customers.
3. Traditional Products Reimagined - Trend of taking traditional and often overlooked products, such as the alpargata, and revitalizing them with a modern twist to appeal to a new generation of consumers.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear - Opportunity for footwear companies to integrate social causes into their business models and product offerings to increase customer engagement.
2. Fashion - Opportunity for the fashion industry to collaborate with artists and designers to create unique collections and offerings, like TOMS Shoes' limited edition designs.
3. Manufacturing - Opportunity for manufacturers to reimagine and revitalize traditional products with modern twists to appeal to new and younger customer segments.