TOMS Animal Initiative + Virunga Mens Classic
Blake and Heather Mycoskie
Charitable shoe company Toms is setting to help more than just people with its latest collection. The company’s new Animal Initiative collection, which made its debut this week, will offer proceeds to different animal charities with the purchase of each shoe in addition to the classic Toms one for one donation.
The first collection benefits Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a reserve near a spot where Toms founder Blake Mycoskie and his wife had the chance to visit a family of gorillas. Toms will partner with a different non-profit animal conservation organization with each new addition to the Animal Initiative collections to raise awareness for different animal groups and raise funding to protect animals across the globe.
Toms + Virunga Mens Classic
“I have always been extremely passionate about animals,” said Heather Mycoskie. “Working for animal rights and conservation has always been a cause close to my heart.”
The Animal Initiative collection includes styles for men, women, children and even babies and as a bonus, the collection is completely vegan. The limited edition shoes feature the national park’s logo as well as an embroidered gorilla image. A portion of the proceeds from the collection will support the gorillas in the reserve, where they’re threatened by poachers, habitat destruction and their own slow reproduction rates.
Toms Animal Initiative + Virunga National Park
“The idea of the initiative stemmed from a trip Blake and I took to Rwanda,” Mycoskie said. “During our time there, we were able to meet a family of 24 gorillas. We learned about the challenges the gorillas in the nearby Virunga National Park were facing. I knew I wanted to help, and a partnership with the park and Toms seemed to be the perfect fit.”
Prices start at $42 to $48 for kids’ shoes and $64 for men’s and women’s shoes.
The Toms Animal Initiative + Virunga collection is available now at www.toms.com.
Images courtesy Toms
