An SMU student participates in “A Day Without Shoes” by going the day without wearing shoes around campus. The event is organized annually by TOMS shoes to promote awareness for the millions of children who do not have shoes in the world. (MICHAEL DANSER/The Daily Campus)

Students bared their ‘soles’ Tuesday as they walked across campus.

In an effort to promote awareness for the millions of children who do not have shoes in the world, SMU students joined with other universities, colleges and people nationwide by walking barefoot all day.

Junior Lindsay Sockwell has seen children without shoes first hand.

In order to spread awareness, she has participated in “One Day Without Shoes” for the past two years.

“I spent some time in Zambia last summer and most of the kids either had no shoes or had borrowed ill-fitting shoes,” she said. “I think it is important for awareness to be raised about this.”

“One Day Without Shoes” started in 2008 as a campus movement. Today, it is recognized globally as companies and other organizations draw attention to the injury and illness resulted from the lack of proper foot wear in developing nations.

An estimated four million people suffer from Podoconiosis (Podo), also known as mossy foot, in the world.

People contract the disease when silica soil enters the feet and gets into the lymphatic system.

Podo is common in tropical climates such as in Africa, Central America and Northern India. For people with Podo, walking is difficult, and sometimes impossible.

One pair of shoes can help reduce the number of people affected by this disease.

After traveling to Argentina and seeing poverty and poor health first hand, SMU graduate Blake Mycoskie created TOMS Shoes. For every pair of shoes bought, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need.

Last year, more than 250,000 people supported this cause by going barefoot.

A strong supporter of TOMS, SMU junior McKell Favrot also left her shoes at home.

“I love not wearing shoes,” she said. “It’s such a good cause…even though I get lots of stares.”

While some went barefoot because of their love of TOMS or because they had seen children suffering first hand, sophomore Albert Huang did it for moral support.

Although he hurt his feet walking barefoot, he will still leave his shoes in his closet and bare his feet next year.