Skechers USA, Inc. announced that for every pair of BOBS alpagarta shoes sold, the company will donate two pairs of BOBS shoes to children in need through the Soles4Souls shoe charity organization.
Skechers created the BOBS name as an acronym for the charitable mission
of the brand: Benefitting Others By Shoes. With a pledge to donate two
pairs of new BOBS children's shoes for every pair sold, the BOBS by
SKECHERS program will potentially help millions of children around the
word within the first year the brand launches.
The BOBS collection has courted some controversy because of its similarities to the similar-looking and also altruistic TOMS collection.
“As a global leader in the footwear industry, we have the network and the resources to make a difference in the lives of millions of children through the BOBS program,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers . “We have worked with Soles4Souls several times in the past to provide shoes for disaster relief, including the 2004 Tsunami in Southeast Asia and the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. We are amazed by their accomplishments in those devastated regions, and our CEO Robert Greenberg had a vision to create a larger scale shoe donation program like BOBS to assist Soles4Souls in a constant, ongoing capacity. We believe we can donate millions of BOBS shoes through this program, reaching kids across the U.S. and overseas.”
Soles4Souls, founded 5 years ago by Wayne Elsey, will partner with Skechers to distribute BOBS unisex children's shoes to communities and organizations in need throughout the United States, and as needed for international disaster relief and crisis situations.
“We're excited to partner with a global company like Skechers to launch the BOBS shoe donation program,” said Elsey. “More than anything, we need large quantities of shoes to continue our charitable work. There are more than 300 million children around the world without shoes. Tapping into Skechers' vast resources and global reach, we can help even more children in need. A new pair of shoes can change a child's life and we have a tremendous vision for the success of the BOBS program.”
