TOMS

Hello everyone,

Today I thought I'd talk about my new favorite shoe to wear - TOMS. If you have not yet bought yourself a pair, allow me to point some things out about TOMS.

1- they are amazingly comfortable
2- they are highly fashionable right now
3- TOMS are versatile; they can be worn to work or around the house (I don't recommend going hiking in them, though)
4- TOMS come in a ton of different colors
5- when you buy a pair of TOMS, a pair of shoes is given to a child in need, you get a cool pair of shoes, (along with the status symbol: "hey, I care about the children"), and you get a TOMS flag and sticker! (ok, not the biggest selling point, but hey, it's kinda cool)
6- did I mention they are comfy???

When you decide to buy a pair of TOMS, here are some tips from a TOMS wearer that will hopefully make your purchasing and breaking in process easier.

1- know what color you want, and check the TOMS website to see how much they are. Nordstrom usually has a good selection, but sometimes are sold out of the color you want - you can always get them from the TOMS website. Also, check Zumiez, PacSun and other places that sell trendy shoes. Some places raise the price a bit, so it's good to know how much they normally go for.

2- Get the right fit. If you get a pair that is too big, they will rub the back of your foot and give you blisters. Plus, the "flopping off your foot every single step" thing is really annoying. When you try on your TOMS, they should be a tight fit. TOMS WILL STRETCH!!!! If they stretch, and become too big, you will have the "flopping off your foot every single step" thing going on. I almost bought a size 8 because the 7.5 was so tight, but the 7.5 stretched out and they are a perfect fit now. Also, don't wear socks when you try them on, unless you plan on wearing socks with them all the time. It will change the sizing.

3- breaking them in. The first few times you wear your TOMS, they will be very tight and uncomfortable, but that's just because they are still getting used to your feet. I wore mine with nylons on for a couple times before going barefoot in them. The nylons give your feet that smooth ability to slip those shoes on a lot easier, and it starts the break in process very nicely for your feet. The nice thing about nylons is that they are so thin that they won't over stretch your shoes, like socks would.

4- Decide: socks or no socks. I personally do not wear socks with my TOMS. I love being able to wear them barefoot - its much more comfy to me. However, no socks has a major drawback - your TOMS and your feet will stink! Currently, mine smell like icky feet! It works out though, because I just don't take the shoes off around people (and I avoid going to houses that have a no-shoes rule lol). I have friends who never wear their TOMS without socks. They wear the little footy socks that you can't see when you have the shoes on. Because they wear socks, they don't have the smell problem. I hate those socks, because they always slip down off the back of my foot.

5- save the thingies that come inside the shoe. I have no idea what they are called, but if your TOMS ever get wet and you need to reshape the front of the shoe, these come in handy to have. They keep the shoe from becoming mashed/deformed in the store.

Next time: my white TOMS needed to be cleaned! What I found that worked... And some things I wish I had tried!