i’ve been seeing a lot of posts about toms shoes lately

chelshock:

and while it’s awesome that you’re able to give a child a pair of shoes every time you yourself buy a pair of shoes, there’s a better alternative out there that i think a lot of people don’t know about.

better looking, too.  there, i said it.  toms shoes are pretty unappealing, in my opinion.

anyway, the company i’m talking about is soleRebels.  the great thing about soleRebels is that their home base is in ethiopia.  not the united states or china or anywhere else that could mass-produce shoes, but in the country that the company is aiming to help.  the idea behind this is that it’s good to give someone something they need (shoes), but it’s better to give them a job to buy lots of things they need.

from kelsey timmerman, who originally drew my attention towards the company:

SoleRebels’ employees are paid about 300% more than other such workers in Ethiopia. All of the products that go into making a SoleRebels shoe are within a 60 mile radius of the city. As Bethlehem, the founder of SoleRebels, says, “We are green by heritage.”

one of the most interesting realizations about this company is that, while the shoes range from $17 to $60, they’re still generating enough revenue to pay the employees 300% of the standard in ethiopia.  the shoes are well-made and affordable, yet companies with much more expensive shoes are paying their employees much, much less.

the website also has a large section on their status as the only certified fair trade shoe company out there - an added bonus!

before ending this post, i do want to underscore the fact that i’m not trying to be anti-toms.  they’re doing a better job at being world-conscious than a lot of shoe companies out there, but i also think that if you’re going to buy their shoes to help people out, there’s another (better) alternative out there.