How many people can say they've walked the streets of Toronto....barefoot?
That's probably not how you plan a stroll downtown on any given day, but on Monday, April 16th 2013 a willing group of people did for a noble cause called One Day Without Shoes.
TOMS has organized one day within the year dedicated to walking barefoot through cities worldwide all for the sake of raising awareness about children that go through life without shoes. The walk in Toronto was coordinated by Caileigh Perks of the Rooftop Agency. 12 other cities participated in North America on the 16th, Vancouver included.
The walkers convened at the north-west corner of the Ryerson Skating rink at 12PM sharp and prepared by stripping their socks off and decorating them with either stickers or free footpainting provisioned by the Rooftop team and TOMS.
They also gave away nifty tote bags and t-shirts to those who joined.
I was at first sceptical and hesitant since running around taking shots of a crowd on the puddle-filled streets of downtown Toronto is already a challenge as it is. However, after overhearing Caliegh mention the number of walkers quadrupling this second year I decided I needed to support the event with my own two feet.
The pavement was wet and chilly but after a minute it wasn't that bad, specially compared to the rocky dirt roads most children around the world have to walk.
More about this global movement: www.onedaywithoutshoes.com
Article and photos by Mae Gale