Yesterday students at NYU and on campuses around the world went about their daily routines without shoes. It may be strange to see someone walking around New York barefoot, but this is a common sight in developing countries, where some children risk disease by walking shoeless for miles because their families don’t have the means to buy them footwear.

“A Day Without Shoes” is part of an initiative by Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes. He witnessed the problem of barefoot children while biking in Argentina. Wanting to help, Mycoskie started TOMS, which donates a pair of new shoes to a child in need for every pair of TOMS espadrilles purchased.

“We take the fact that we have shoes to wear every day for granted,” NYU TOMS member Ramya Velury said. “Having something to put on your feet is a bare necessity. What we’re doing here is an attempt to eradicate the issue of children growing up barefoot.”

“We don’t realize that having shoes is a privilege, not a right,” sad Amanda Alampi, president of NYU’s TOMS chapter. “Many people our age in developing nations don’t have that privilege.”

NYU TOMS isn’t recognized by NYU as an official club, so it doesn’t receive funding from the university. Nevertheless, the club has been able to host events across campus with money from the Torch Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary.

“One of the biggest obstacles was that we’re not recognized by the university, and we don’t have funding,” Alampi said. “I had to get a little creative with how we were going to do TOMS events without a ton of money.”

Steinhardt freshman Celina Zheng attended in full support of the cause.

“I’ve been saving up for a pair of their shoes,” Zheng said. “I think it’s a really great idea.”
Alampi stressed the importance of responsible consumerism.

“When you think about community service and giving back, there are little ways that you can contribute to society just by doing something as simple as buying a pair of shoes,” she said.