making a statemtent with my shoes

Have you heard about TOMS shoes?  "With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.  One for One."?  I bought some today.  I have wanted some for a long time because they are perfect casual shoes to wear with jeans or capris or skirts. (Although, I don't wear skirts much).  And they are comfortable which is big when your feet are used to Ugg boots but aren't quite ready for open-toed shoes.  And they come in all different styles and colors.  I went in thinking I was going to get black but saw these (above) and knew those were the ones.  They actually have statistics about the world as a village: 

if the world was a village of 100 people
3 are slaves
23 drink polluted water
43 live on less than $2 a day
40 have no shoes

and so on.

What a statement.  These shoes are made from hemp and recycled plastic bottles. 

To be fair to myself, I have always had a wacky taste in shoes.  I had yellow converse high-tops.  I wore light brown suede ankle boots with shorts.  I even owned a pair of plaid, canvas shoes with chunky heels.  Those were not comfortable.  So to buy plain black Toms wasn't in the cards for me.  Not when I saw these.  What can I say? 

Does this mean I will give up my sheepskin and wool-lined boots that are not good for the environment?

Of course not, you silly!

But I think I just made my-Ugg-boot-wearing-self a little less guilty about it.

We all have to start somewhere.

And these were just so cute...