Persuasive+Piece

Language Arts 8S Dani Jackson Persuasive Final Draft Nov. 1, 2011

= Toms =

In 2006 American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended some children in Argentina. He saw that they had no shoes to protect their feet, and he wanted to help. When he came back to America he created Toms, a company that matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need, in Africa. The company’s motto is “One for One” because one pair of shoes can change one child’s life. You may ask, why shoes? Well, the leading cause of diseases in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases and wearing shoes can prevent this. Shoes also prevent feet from cuts and sores that could get infected. Many times, children cannot go to school because shoes are a part of their uniform. For them, no shoes equals no school. Toms are great shoes for everyone: kids, adults, girls and boys. They are stylish for girls because you can get them in any color. There are also Toms that are sparkly, which would be perfect for little girls. For guys, there are dark colors like black, blue, gray, brown, and green. These shoes are very comfortable, you can wear them with socks, footies, or no socks. So you can even wear them to school at St. Agnes with socks! Toms are very practical shoes, they are not huge and bulky. They are lightweight and easy to slip on if you are in a rush. Another plus side is that Toms are eco-friendly, and made out of recycled material! To date, Toms has given away 600,000 pairs and the number will continue to rise as the company’s popularity soars. These are amazing shoes, and you can buy them online at [|www.toms.com] for only $44! This is a really good price because in addition to a new pair of shoes, you help the life of a child in need!