Interview with Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes

August 3, 2009 • 12:08 pm • POSTED BY stephen penning

By now most everyone has seen the AT&T commercial featuring Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes. For those of you who need a refresh check out the video below.

After seeing this several times I started thinking about the effect of this spot on the TOMS brand and mission. Naturally I did some digging around online. I checked out the TOMS site and Blake’s blog and only got more intrigued about the idea behind TOMS shoes, how it started and the effect of the commercial.

I reached out to the kind people at TOMS and with their coordination was able to interview Blake Mycoskie.

During your travels you must have been exposed to an array of needs that children in developing and third world countries have. What made you decide that shoes would be the best way for you to help?

When I visited Argentina in 2006, I met so many children in the Misiones region who did not have shoes. They weren’t able to go to school because they didn’t have proper footwear, they walked miles barefoot everyday and had cuts in their feet, and a simple game of soccer put them at risk for infection. These were all situations that could be addressed and prevented with shoes.

How, if at all, did the needs of the children influence the design of the shoes?

The alpargata is a traditional Argentine shoe that people have been wearing there for many years. The brand is built on the alpargata silhouette, therefore we give the children in Argentina a shoe that their culture is familiar with.

How did you go about starting a cause-based shoe company?

The children I met in ’06 instilled in me such passion and drive to create change for them. I learned how to be a shoemaker, I rallied friends, and I put out ads on Craigslist to start building a team. Soon enough, a small group of us were running this One for One shoe company called TOMS, Shoes for a Better Tomorrow, out of my apartment in Venice, CA. The past three years have definitely been a learning process, but the challenge has been well worth it.

How did you get the word out about TOMS?

The concept of TOMS is so simple, which allows people to really connect and share it with others. Word of mouth has been the most successful marketing for TOMS. Every time someone wears the shoes, they share the story of One for One.

Could you explain how the Shoe Drops came about and how they work?

The concept of Shoe Drops originated when I returned with friends, family, and colleagues to deliver the first 10,000 pairs of matched TOMS to Argentina. During a typical Argentina Shoe Drop, volunteers spend five days visiting villages and bringing new shoes to the children and three days learning about and exploring the Argentine culture.

Have you seen an increase in the One for One effort since the AT&T commercial has aired?

We’ve had to get more server space and more people to answer the phones! TOMS is very thankful for the exposure the commercial has offered this brand.

Do you think that the commercial ultimately benefits the One for One effort more than it does AT&T?

There have actually been a lot of comments commending AT&T for working with TOMS—so there’s definitely positive sentiment for both parties.

Do you think the One for One effort will evolve beyond shoes?

Part of my vision is that TOMS won’t always be a shoe company and that we will expand into additional products when and where it makes sense for the TOMS brand.

What do you attribute your drive to helping others to?

My family is an incredible influence. My parents brought up my siblings and me to be positive people and treat others fairly. A friend told me once, “The more you give, the more you live” and that concept has stuck with me, too. Its simple, but powerful.

If there is one singular thing you could tell our readers what would it be?

Incorporate giving into everything you do.