Do Your Soles Have Soul?

Several months ago, my mentor/friend/partner-in-crime Rhonda—who runs the divine positive apparel company, KarmaThreads (http://www.karmathreads.com/)—told me about TOMS shoes (http://www.tomsshoes.com/). She said I’d love them, not just for their funky design, but for their admirable mission: For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need.

I made a mental note to check out their website. And then I lost the mental note.

Recently, I was shopping at a great green store, The Hempest (http://www.hempest.com/) in Northampton, Massachusetts—one of my favorite cities—and I was on a mission to buy a pair of eco summer shoes. I found a neat pair in camouflage and bought them, never once looking at the label.

It wasn’t until I got home that I noticed the TOMS label on the side. “That sounds familiar,” I thought and I hate to admit that it wasn’t until I peeled the sticker off the bottom (the one that repeats the company’s mission to donate a pair for every pair purchased) that I made the connection.

My verdict? After wearing them almost non-stop for days, TOMS shoes are incredibly comfortable and I love the design. Of course, I also love the mission. Get yourself a pair.

Thanks for the recommendation, Rhonda. You were right, as always!

Question of the blog: Do you have a favorite environmentally friendly shoe designer?

Want to See a Pretty Picture?

You may know that, recently, my cloth bag company, EcoVixen (http://www.ecovixen.com/), teamed up with positive apparel company, KarmaThreads (http://www.karmathreads.com/), to produce the “Karma” bag. It’s made of 80 percent recycled cotton and 20 percent recycled plastic bottles and has a cheerful yet very cheeky design. The response has been overwhelming and we’re almost sold out with our first print run. It's a victory for everyone who is fashion-conscious and environmentally friendly!

Just yesterday, KarmaThread's added several pretty pictures of the "Karma" bag to the company's website. See the bag for yourself (it's guaranteed to make you smile): http://www.karmathreads.com/shop/karma_bag.html

Question of the blog: What’s most important to you when you buy a cloth bag?