TOMS + Giving in The Philippines

My "collection" of TOMS through the years

My love affair with TOMS started in 2009 when I was still pregnant with Berry. I had been on the lookout for a comfortable pair of summer shoes, and TOMS just happened to be there at Whole Foods asking to be tried on. Of course it helped that my friend Xsa was with me at the time, and we collectively decided when we got home, that we were going to be TOMS Twins and got these madras ones online:

 

My second pair are these black ones, that are more suitable for walking around Manhattan. This was taken on the sidewalk across the Bookmarc store in the West Village. Berry was napping on my shoulder, and I still managed to take a photo haha.

My third pair are these gray ones, still something neutral, but not too dark like the black ones. Here's Berry wearing her first Tiny TOMS, a Neiman Marcus exclusive that her Uncle Jun and Tita Trina got for her.

Sadly, Berry lost half of this pair in Singapore. It was so tragic for me! Thankfully, I had a back-up pair in red, that she still uses to this day. 

I am now on to my fourth pair and Berry is on to her third, thanks to Sugar Pecjo and Cher El-Khoury of TOMS Philippines who gifted us with TOMS, knowing how big fans we are of the brand and its advocacy! Thanks again Sugar and Cher!

Oh, and I thought it would interest you to know that TOMS has taken their One for One Movement to the Philippines! They have partnered with We International Philippines and did their first shoe drop here last year, giving away shoes to children who are in need of them most. Watch this video and get goosebumps!

Incidentally, have you seen their latest collection for Summer 2012? They have so many designs that came out a few months ago, perfect for everyone in the whole family!

Mens styles are perfect for guys who like to keep it simple – and comfortable. From the rope-soled Cordones to the bolder Stitchouts and Biminis.

Tiny TOMS and Youth have bright and sunny styles for the little ones. With new color-pop outsoles and velcro enclosures for easy wearability.

What I am most excited about are the Womens Strappy Wedges -  a combination of the gently raised platform and the classic TOMS comfort.

Lovin' these wedgesssss! These as well as the other new styles are available at Nothing but Water, Rustans and Adora!

About TOMS Shoes: In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found that they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. To date, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children through giving part- ners around the world.

Miss-Matched!

Thanks so much Pierra Calasanz-Labrador for the fun challenge of creating looks on Miss-Match and having us turn it into real life outfits for our Little Misses feature! 

From VIRTUAL...

to REALITY:

Me: +J Uniqlo shirt, Zara trousers, Anthology leopard Bea sandals, FEED bag

Berry: Zara t-shirt, Baby Gap jeans, Tiny TOMS

Check out the full feature, HERE!

The Great Shoe Mystery

I am just curious. You see, Berry lost half a pair of her Havaianas a few months ago. Today, Berry lost half a pair of her brown Tiny TOMS with pink hearts. So sad.

But what bothers me is, what happened to the lost pair? I feel bad for the other pair, and can't seem to throw it. I dislike the feeling of missing pairs. Knowing that one is home safe, while the other is somewhere out there =( I know, I am too attached to Berry's shoes.

I really don't get it though.

You see, every time Berry would drop a shoe in Manhattan, somebody would come running after us. No fail. One time it was a banker-type guy. Another time, two twentysomethings looked for us a good block or two away from the B,D Grand Street subway stop in the Lower East Side just to give me Berry's shoe. Most of the time, fellow parents, who know how it feels about kids losing their shoes would come and tap me on the shoulder, handing a sandal or a boot. And in cases where we realize we lost a sock or a shoe? Dada has often found it lying on the road or the sidewalk, precisely where it was dropped or a few meters from it at the most. So yeah, Berry tends to lose a sock or a shoe a lot, but we always found them, in Manhattan of all places!

Meanwhile, here in Singapore, in both instances, the shoe just disappeared! We retraced our steps and couldn't even find a trace of the shoe anywhere. Nobody tapped us on the shoulder to return the fallen shoe. 

Which begs the question? Where did the shoe go? Did somebody pick it up and thought it was cute and brought it home? Why can't they just leave it on the floor and wait for the owner to come back for it? Or at least set it on one side where people won't walk over it.

I just don't get it. What do people here do with one lost shoe?

Dancing Shoes

Look friends! These Tiny TOMS from Tita Trina & Uncle Jun are made for dancing!

Background: We told Berry to pose against the wall so we can send Tita Trina & Uncle Jun a photo of her wearing the shoes they bought for her. Instead, she broke into a dance routine, twirling, pretend flying and smiling as she swayed her arms about. Too cute!