Blacke Myockie (Toms Shoe) (Essay Sample)

Blacke Myockie (Toms Shoe)
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Blacke Myockie (Toms Shoe)
Background Information
Toms Shoes is a company that was founded by Blacke Myckoskie on May 2006. It has its headquarters located in Playa Del Rey, California and operates as a defunct non profit organization. It was started as a shoe designing and selling company although recently it was expanded to distribution of eyewear. The founder, Blacke Myckoskie initially was not an entrepreneur but a TV star participating in a famous reality adventure series called American Race which was then on its second season. It was during his stay at Argentina while the programme was being aired that he noticed the primitive form of the shoes that he now proudly designs and sells worn by some of the locals. Fascinated by these slip-on shoes, he himself began wearing them. Alpargatas, as by known their Argentinean local name, the shoes were simple made with cotton or canvas fabric and the sole made of rubber (Cook S. 2009). Although this was not the moment he got his business idea for the company, but Blake was came up with this idea through an act of charity when he discovered that lack of shoes was a major challenge to young boys and girls in the streets of Argentina. This revelation dawned upon him while on a volunteer trip in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he noticed many children playing barefooted in the streets.
With the shoe making designs of Alpargatas, Blacke sought help from Argentinean based shoe manufactures to slowly start building his company with an initial count of only 250 shoes. Toms from the word tomorrow that was highlighted from the concept "Shoes for Tomorrow Project" had its first shoe sales for May 2006 mostly through the internet (Cook S. 2009). The for-profit business was Blacke’s idea to help shoeless children instead of starting a charity and with the help of his own funds and initial sales made from online buyers, this became a reality. With events like "One Day Without Shoes”, launched in 2007, the company has publicized awareness of the hardships faced by children in most developing countries everywhere like Argentina (Alicja S. et al., 2011). Toms has partnered with companies like AOL and Disney Channel for such programmes. To date, over a million pairs of shoes have been donated and over five hundred retailers worldwide carry TOMS Shoes brand.
Benefits
Toms Shoes have managed to provide both clothes and shoes to thousands of children from both the third world and developing countries around the world. Barefooted children are at risk to contracting many infections transmitted though the soles of their feet from the soil. The one for one policy ensures that there is exactly the same number of shoes for every one purchased to help an unfortunate, needy and shoeless child somewhere; especially in the prevention of such infections from the soil (Louis E. et al., 2011). Toms Shoe products are manufactured in all sizes and created to suit any member of the family. With its cost lower than the average cost for most footwear, these shoes are pocket friendly and very durable since they have incorporated leather and a hard rubber sole (Cook S. 2009). This goes a long way to minimise miss use of raw materials and pollution to the environment since the shoes are also made from recycled materials.
Blacke Myckoscie is more of a volunteer than an entrepreneur. His sole purpose for starting up his company was to stop the suffering of children than to create revenue for his own well being. The reason for selecting the entrepreneur is to determine how this selfless character, one of the few social entrepreneurs turned a small business into a very big successful company that actively campaigns for social causes through its charitable donations of up to 100% of its profits.
The entrepreneur is very passionate about his work ...