TOMS and now BOBS? What are BOBS? BOBS are shoes that look exactly like TOMS but they are made by Skechers. They have the same shades: sparkles, stripes, plain colors, and designs. The real difference in the two is that BOBS will donate two pairs of shoes to children in need for every pair bought, rather than one.
“Well I know that every time someone buys a pair of TOMS they donate a pair,” student Derrick Haskett said.
TOMS are very popular because they help children in need. With each pair you buy for yourself, they donate a pair to a child in need. So while people are helping out themselves, they are also helping out children in need.
“I think it’s really good that the company donates a pair/pairs of shoes each time a pair is bought. It gives children shoes so they don’t have to walk around barefoot anymore, which is really good because we care for other kids and not just ourselves,” Haskett said.
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie visited children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. This is why Blake decided to start the TOMS Company. In many of the third world countries, diseases are usually transmitted through the soil. With many walking around barefoot, they are more likely to get cuts on their feet, which helps the infection or disease enter the body.
As of September 2010, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children in need.
Recently, Skechers has started their own brand of “TOMS” – they are called BOBS. With BOBS – each pair a person buys, Skechers will donate two pairs to a child in need. The average cost of BOBS is $40.98. For TOMS however, the average price is $58.80 and TOMS donates one for one.
“I think it’s good that Skechers is doing the same thing because they also wanna help the kids who don’t have shoes. With each company that donates a pair of shoes with every pair bought we could give shoes to a lot of little kids,” Haskett said.
It is said that Mycoskie wanted other companies to do the same. Donate a pair to a greater cause. However, he did not intend for them to copy the shoes down to the last detail.
“I think they could have done the same thing with the shape ups so that with every pair of shape ups bought they donate a pair, instead of copying the TOMS or they even could have donated their sneakers with each pair of shoes bought. It doesn’t matter if it was the same kind of shoes. So I mean Skechers could have come up with a different idea,” Haskett said.
Some people are happy that Skechers did copy TOMS since BOBS fit differently than the TOMS – so they can actually wear them and help support the cause.
“I think because BOBS shoes is cheaper and donates two pairs, where as TOMS is charging $58.80 and only donates just one pair so most people will go for a pair of BOBS because they help more kids with every pair you buy,” Haskett said.
It is agreed that the concept behind the TOMS and BOBS shoes are great. To make shoes, then have consumers buy a pair and give a pair away to children in need is a great idea. However, to copy TOMS down to the last detail has shown that they cannot be creative, or original.