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Essay Innovation Report- Toms Shoes

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Innovation Project: BUS 4630-06
February 2, 2011
Veronica Creamer, Alex Hohmann,
Adam Holcombe, & Ian Swapp
“THE IDEA WAS GENIUS, really.”
TOMS Shoes has provided one of the most innovative business ideas the early 21st century has seen. Through the “One for One Movement”, TOMS has ushered in a truly altruistic business model which cannot be ignored by the broader consumer goods industry. By describing what TOMS Shoes is, why it is important, how the One for One idea originated and evolved functionally, and the business model utilized to compel it, a clear void is filled not only for those whose lives are affected at the Bottom of the Pyramid but also in the modus operandi of business in the United States today. This point is …show more content…

Before leaving Argentina Mycoskie studied the alpargata; a traditional Argentinean shoe worn by farmers for hundreds of years consisting of a rope base and a canvas or cotton fabric. Mycoskie returned to the United States with 200 pairs of alpargata shoes to test the market for his new venture. Recognizing he would need support, Blake advertised on Craigslist for business partners to assist him with his new company. Mycoskie originally opened a factory in Argentina to begin producing the alpargata-inspired shoes while leading the company from his Venice, California apartment. As the company grew exponentially, Mycoskie hired leading industry experts from Asics and Nike to assist with transforming the company from a small business venture into a worldwide shoe provider.
Shortly after launching TOMS Shoes, Blake returned to Argentina along with his fellow business partners and donated ten thousand pairs of shoes to needy children. As Linda Miller, fashion editor for NewsOK, so thoughtfully states, “For many children in need, a better tomorrow starts with the purchase of a pair of shoes today”.
Whereas an incumbent firm might struggle to justify a charitable contribution as a percentage of net income, the TOMS Shoes enterprise began with the premise that profit and giving are NOT mutually exclusive; instead they

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