Every day, millions of shoeless children and adults meander along the streets of their respective countries, trekking over pebbles, puddles of muddy water and even frozen dirt. Without a pair of shoes covering their feet, children in many third-world countries are forbidden to attend school. As parents look for food for their families, podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring foot disease, develops and leaves parents unable to care for their children.

In response to all the people going about their lives shoeless, TOMS Shoes has declared today One Day Without Shoes, in an effort to raise awareness about the impact of shoes.

“Walking around barefoot will surely spark questions which will consequently lead to an awareness of the millions of people in developing countries who suffer from 100 percent preventable diseases, simply because they cannot afford shoes,” said freshman Samantha Matthews, the SMU student responsible for organizing the event on the Hilltop.

According to the TOMS shoes Web site, college campuses from all over the country will bare their soles in response to the movement. Participants are encouraged to shed their shoes while walking to classes, taking the dog for a walk and even when going to class.

Today on campus, Matthews and other students will join together and show their support by proudly baring their soles for the world to see.

“I think at first there may only be a handful of students participating,” said Matthews about gathering support for the event.

“However, I hope and think that this barefoot trend will grow throughout the day. The more people that get involved, the bigger the splash, and the more people that participate, the more people will learn about what One Day Without Shoes is all about.”

TOMS shoes, started by SMU alum Blake Mycoskie, has established itself as a philanthropic company, donating one pair of shoes for every customer purchase. Since 2006, the company has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in need. In 2009 alone, TOMS plans to donate over 300,000 more pairs of shoes.

“I hope people will take advantage of this day and tell others about what One Day Without Shoes represents, and I hope this will encourage people to get involved and buy TOMS,” said Matthews.

“I think if more people knew about TOMS and how many lives they have changed that more people would purchase TOMS because they will realize the profound effect they can have.”