Recently, some students arrived to school in just socks for TOMS ‘One Day Without Shoes’. The charity-mined shoes brand TOMS designated Tuesday April 5 as its international day for the event. Participants attempted to spend 24 hours without shoes on, no matter where they traveled, or what activities they had going on. The goal of the barefoot day is to raise questions. Presumably, people will take note of an excess number of socked feet in the halls and inquire about the situation, which presents the perfect opportunity to explain TOMS “One for One” motto.

For each pair of shoes bought, TOMS will give one away to an impoverished child in any number of countries.

The delivery of the shoes is called a ‘shoe drop’, and the event is associated with another TOMS slogan, “Drop shoes not bombs”.

“The company helps out kids in India,” junior Swetha Gondi said. “I needed sneakers for work and TOMS were a comfortable, good choice.”

Many schools world-wide require students to be wearing shoes to enter, and as education is a key part of advancing out of poverty, the shoes make a strong impact in the eyes of many TOMS wearers.

Beyond providing relief to the international community, students feet feel relief from their own TOMS.

“I hate wearing shoes and TOMS are so comfortable ­— it feels like you’re not wearing any shoes at all,” junior Sophie Allen said.

Southwest is considered a public area, so wearing shoes is a requirement. However, students are allowed to show their support of TOMS by wearing only socks on their feet and can display the message on T-shirts and other related apparel.