Shoe Smitten

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Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence

Men, women and their families can participate in this great event. It is a fun event in which men can educate the community about a very serious subject and to rally the community to take action to prevent sexualized violence. At this event men literally walk a mile in women’s high-heeled shoes!

TOMS

For every pair of TOMS you purchase, TOMS will give a pair to a child on your behalf. These shoes are made for comfort, and they have a bohemian feel to them. I think the tiny TOMS for babies are adorable!

SimplySoles Recycling Program

Do you have a pair of shoes that you no longer need? If they are closed-toed and suited for a professional setting, think about sending them to SimplySoles. Not only will you make room in your closet for more fabulous shoes, you will also receive 10% off your next order while helping women get a new lease on life.

Founded in 1992, Suited for Change is a non-profit organization in the Greater Washington DC area that provides professional clothing and accessories for women transitioning from homeless shelters, jail, and/or drug rehabilitation centers. They also provide ongoing career and life skills education at no charge and by referral only to low-income women who have completed job-readiness programs and are seeking employment. Suited for Change has helped more than 13,000 area women (from District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia) transition into the workforce.

Soles4Souls

Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear (both new and used). Soles4Souls is a 501(c)3 recognized by the IRS, and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages.

The idea behind gifts of shoes is nothing new to the Soles4Souls team, as they coordinated relief efforts for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, netting over 900,000 pairs donated for these disasters. The team originally operated as www.katrinashoes.org, with several churches partnering in the collection and distribution of footwear.

Give With a Shoebox

Whenever you buy a new pair of shoes, why not use the shoebox for a good cause? I discovered two organizations that you can help today by filling a shoe box:

• Operation ShoeBox was founded in 2003 to send support, snacks and personal care items to US troops deployed outside the country. Receiving shoeboxes filled with supplies is a huge morale boost to soldiers, who have been forced to see things such as toothpaste and soap as special commodities. Send a box filled with some requested items to someone you know overseas.

• If you live in the UK, The Link Romania Family Shoebox Appeal needs your boxes filled with a small gift for desperately poor families in Eastern Europe. The Link Romania Family Shoebox Appeal has been in existence since 1992 and has brought happiness and hope to many thousands of people over the years. It’s a really simple idea and anyone in the UK can pack up a box to send as a Christmas gift. Over the years, they have sent in excess of 400,000 shoeboxes to over 80 different locations.

So give one of these gifts to someone after you have given yourself the gift of a shiny new pair of shoes. I bet it will make you even more happy with your purchase!