These are the ShoesOfTheDay….probably for the entire month of April. Amazing.  Thanks Treehugger!

Time for some feel good shoes - shoes with a cause!

This is a story from Wilmington, DE.  Thanks for the great news story Lauren.

Enjoy the MLK shoes ’story’ of the day:

“WILMINGTON, Del. - January 21, 2008 — Shoes filled a gymnasium in Wilmington today. Some were brand new, but most were gently used.

Members of the New Castle County chapter of Jack and Jill of America, the nation’s oldest and largest African-American family organization. On this day in honor of Dr. King, they kept the spirit of public service alive by conducting a shoe drive.

Bags filled with shoes came in, and then there were those shoes that the children collected on their own. Some hosted parties, while others called on local churches They prayed for them and there were shoes all over the altar. People were bringing in bags and boxes,” said Eboni Coger, 16.

“For my birthday, instead of presents, I asked if we could get shoes,” said 8-year-old Camryn Lane.

Children and parents worked side by side. Hundreds of shoes had to be matched up, tied together and sorted for a final count.

“The children of Jack and Jill are proud to say we have collected 2,436 shoes,” proclaimed 8-year-old Kennedy Crowder.

And the count kept rising. All of the donations will be given to an organization called Shoes to Share, which ships them to impoverished countries like Haiti.

“These shoes will help a lot of people. I think that they’ll do a lot of good,” said Mackenzie Snead.

The shoe drive drives home the point that it is up to people like these children to keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream alive.

“I think Dr. King would be very proud of us,” said Dylan Granger.

“I think he’d like it because we’re all giving a piece of something to the community, giving back in a way,” said 17-year-old Dylan Granger.

Giving back and remembering Dr. King’s dream.”

Obama and Huckabee come out with a win in Iowa Caucuses. However, I found an article about two real
winners in Iowa — they are two second grade teachers and their classes from Walnut Hills Elementary School. Everyone talks about the desire to “change” or to do something about the war in Iraq, but these wonderful young people are really DOING something by helping other children in the war-torn country by sending them shoes. They collected more than 60 pairs of shoes, wrapped them up in Christmas wrapping and shipped them off to Iraq. The complete article can be found here. Nothing says “victory” like a new pair of shoes!

This the shoes of the day “shoe-caucus award” goes to Kami Clark and Robin Julseth!

I just found another great site, Soles4Souls.org.  In a nut-sole here is what they do: “We have a simple mission: to impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes. We are partnering with charities and governments around the world to provide a basic (yet indispensable) gift that most of us take for granted.You can help us in many ways: donating your own shoes, donating cash for freight, hosting a shoe drive, or even donating your time as a volunteer. As shoe industry professionals, we are working hard to use the resources at our disposal to make a difference — but we need your help (and your shoes) to reach out to the world.”

The shoes of the day is about saving your soles, and this is one simple way to begin.  Thanks Soles4Souls.

Don’t take your shoes for granted.

People in California! Remember tomorrow is the walk with Hanson and TomsShoes in West Hollywood. If you don’t feel like walking, at least go there and make a purchase. TOMS Shoes will be sold at the Tower Records parking lot, and for each pair sold, another pair will be given to children in South Africa as part of the upcoming TOMS Shoe drop set for November. HANSON will also perform a mini-concert at the Tower Records parking lot of songs from their recent album “The Walk.” For each pair of shoes you purchase, TomsShoes will give a pair to a “child in need”. Shoesoftheday.com is not affiliated with them in anyway, but we appreciate their commitment to help those in need. I am going to buy a pair from them, as they look pretty comfortable. If not for yourself, buy some for the “tiny” people in your life.

Blake Mycoskie and TomsShoes, thanks for striving to make life more comfortable for those who need it most!

Right, we like you are more excited about the shoes and the purpose than the concert.

Map and directions are here.

If you are planning on Trick-Or-Treating in West Hollywood this Halloween season, we recommend that you check this out. We received this business wire yesterday October 26, 2007. Run to walk. Don’t forget to wear some comfortable shoes!

City of West Hollywood, HANSON and TOMS Shoes Will Join Together to Fight Poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa on Tuesday, October 30, 2007

News Conference to Take Place at West Hollywood City Hall at 10 a.m.

–(BUSINESS WIRE)–City of West Hollywood: