The “One Day Without Shoes” event put on by TOMS Shoes will challenge the nation and Sacramento State students to go barefoot on April 5 in an effort to experience how kids who can’t afford shoes live throughout a normal day.

“Over 100,000 people are going barefoot,” said TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie, on the TOMS website. “They are doing it for those kids who don’t have a choice.”

TOMS Shoes was started by Mycoskie in 2006, when he pledged to give a pair of shoes to children in need for every pair of TOMS purchased.

Junior English major Rebecca Parker said the event will cause Sac State to share a common experience.

“It’d be inspirational. It’d be nice to see people come together for a cause like that,” Parker said. “I don’t know if there is a lot of unity on campus, but if we unite together for something other than ourselves, that makes it all the better for uniting.”

Last year, One Day Without Shoes had more than 100,000 people go barefoot for the day. Although Parker said she will not be participating in the event for the entire day, she respects the people going shoeless for that time.

“It sounds hard, it doesn’t sound like an easy thing,” Parker said. “I will try not to step on anyone. My floor is safe, there’s no nails that I could step on or anything. I can’t even get my mail without shoes. There is all kind of crud on the ground.”

TOMS is encouraging people who are not ready to go without shoes for the whole day to go barefoot for any length of time throughout April 5, according to the TOMS website.

Like last year, TOMS created a Facebook event to help promote the event. More than 37,000 people nationwide have confirmed they will be going barefoot on Facebook.

Sophomore nursing major Madison Sharpe sported her new TOMS to Sac State and said she bought the shoes for multiple reasons.

“I really like them. I got mine about two weeks ago,” Sharpe said. “I wanted to get a flat sort of thing and I like their mission. That was probably the biggest reason. It made me feel good and it made me feel like I wasn’t paying as much for the shoes because I was essentially buying two pairs.”

As April 5 approaches, Parker said she would rather contribute to the cause in a different way.

“To be honest, I’d probably rather donate money then go without shoes,” Parker said. “Shoes are nice. I wouldn’t want people to go without shoes. I wouldn’t want to be without them either.”

TOMS participates at colleges throughout the nation as a part of the company’s “TOMS Campus Club.”

One Day Without Shoes is not the only TOMS event that involves Sac State. Last year, TOMS partnered up with senior intercultural and international communications major Brittney Elliott and Sac State for the “Style Your Sole” event on campus.

The event sold blank TOMS to students who were able to draw their own designs with colored markers on their shoes.

As most students walk on campus with shoes every day, Sharpe said wearing TOMS makes her think of the impact she is making.

“It makes me feel a little bit guilty. It’s sad that they don’t have shoes,” Sharpe said. “TOMS is really great because it helps purchase shoes for those who don’t have any shoes.”

Marshall Hampson can be reached at [email protected]