Toms Shoes Expands ‘One-for-One’ Giving Model to Glasses

Toms Shoes, the social enterprise that gained international prominence for donating a pair of shoes for every one purchased, is expanding into eyewear, writes the Los Angeles Times.

The for-profit firm will apply what founder Blake Mycoskie called its “one-for-one” model to hand-painted sunglasses, which went on sale in stores Tuesday for $135 to $145. For each pair of shades purchased the company will donate eye care, surgery, or prescription glasses to a person in need in the developing world.

The medical treatment will be administered by the Seva Foundation, a California charity that works to treat and reduce blindness and visual impairment worldwide.

Since its founding in 2006, Toms has sold more than 1 million pairs of its signature canvas footwear and donated a like pair of shoes in the United States, Argentina, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

Read a Chronicle of Philanthropy article on Mr. Mycoskie and Toms Shoes.