Shoes for Yous

There's a gentleman in our office named Mr. Lu. Lu is an engineer of some sort; I think he works on building plans, as evidenced by the rolls of paper poking beyond the top of his cubicle. Every morning, and presumably afternoon as well, Mr. Lu shuffles up to the top floor employee gym. Now I've never seen him in action up there, but my supervisor claims he likes to stretch out on his back, hands to the side, eyes skyward behind those thick plastic glasses. What he's doing, or thinking about, nobody knows. What we do know is Mr. Lu loves his little flat shoes. The same kind you see on hipsters and fashionistas from Milan to Maricopa, as well as peasants in North Korea. I'm not one for the communist-era solewear, but there's something intrinsically lovable about their simplicity. The drawback, to me anyway, has been thinking they were produced in sweatshops.

Now, worry no longer ye legions of fair traders. Toms shoes have come to your rescue, and they have a cool deal where when us wealthy and consumptive North Americans buy a pair, the company donates another pair to a kid in Argentina, where they're made. They are produced under a strict 'no sweatshop' criteria, from local materials such as canvas and leather. They'll set you back $38, but that's not bad for 2 pairs of shoes. Will I purchase a pair? Maybe. They look like something my dad would wear on Saturdays to go fishing, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.