Trendspotting: Tom's Shoes

Love or Hate? Tom's Shoes

I recently decided to audit a class at a university for the summer. Ya know, get out, socialize, stimulate my brain - and, of course, scope out the fashion. I began to notice the prevalence of a beachcomber-esque canvas shoe line: Tom's shoes. A few weeks earlier, a couple of different friends had mentioned the shoes to me as well... and then I started to see them everywhere. Like UGGs and flipflops, Tom's shoes have been taken up by the collegiate set and seem to be spreading among students like bad beer at a kegger.

Bad fashion seems to thrive at universities, so it's only reasonable to be skeptical about Tom's. At first glance, they seem to have the same shapeless wonder of the much undeservedly-loved UGG and the simple, basic mass appeal of an item one might see at American Apparel.

However... there are definitely things to love about this little shoe. For starters, they actually do have far more definition than anything UGG can offer and the design, though simple, is pretty darn cute - in a way similar to Vans or Keds. And the casual look means they go with almost everything. Plus, after trying on a pair, I can testify that they are verrrrry comfortable.

Then there is the fact that the company is actually doing something other than just making money, with their One for One policy: for every pair you buy, they will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need. I don't know the details of this policy, but it sounds like a damn good one.

So what's the downside? Well, they are cloth shoes, which I generally avoid because you have to wash them to really keep them clean. But more than that is the general icky-ness I feel whenever giving in to a trend that looks to be going viral in its popularity. I cringe at buying anything people purchase simply because it's convenient and trendy - not because they actually like it. But the fact the company is doing a good deed with every purchase is a hard thing to argue with - especially when most of the shoes are priced under $50.

Whether or not I give in and buy a pair, what really interests me is how prevalent they are right now, and where. I have very little doubt Tom's is going to give UGGs a run for their money in the 'comfy shoe' category (is it too much to hope that Tom's will actually replace them?) and that if you haven't noticed them yet, you will. But where are they creeping up right now? Is Tom's only a college thing? A West coast thing?

I'm curious how this trend is spreading. So, I ask you: do you know Tom?