CINCINNATI, OH—The attorneys of Taft Stettinius & Hollister are shedding their wingtips April 16 to support a global campaign to raise awareness on what the impact of not having a simple pair of shoes can have on people around the world.  “One Day Without Shoes” sponsored by TOMS Shoes, a California-based company, encourages everyone nationwide to go barefoot on April 16th and support this worthy cause. Hundreds of companies, schools and organizations have signed up to join this effort.

“Since TOMS was founded in 2006, they have provided more than 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in need through their One for One program and it’s been a terrific effort for Taft to support,” said Edward D. Diller, Partner-in-Charge of Taft’s Cincinnati Office. “Their 2009 goal is to donate 300,000 pairs of shoes and we want to be part of making that happen.” Diller said the firm has encouraged employees to take a “moment, an hour or the day” on April 16 to step out of their own shoes in order to help other people get their own pair. In addition, the staff of the firm’s Taft Center at Fountain Square will go shoeless that day to support the initiative.  

“Taft has had the opportunity to work with TOMS and it’s been rewarding for us to be involved with a West Coast entrepreneur who had a vision to help others and to watch that company grow and thrive to become what it is today,” said James M. Zimmerman, a partner at Taft, who also advises TOMS.

Taft attorneys James M. Zimmerman (left) and Edward D. Diller, Partner in Charge of the firm’s Cincinnati
Office, shed their shoes in the Taft Center at Fountain Square in support of TOMS Shoe’s 2nd Annual "One
Day without Shoes" on April 16 to raise awareness globally of what the impact of not having a simple pair
of shoes can have on people around the world.

Blake Mycoskie, TOMS founder and Chief Shoe Giver, says, “We are excited for Taft to participate with us in One Day Without Shoes and bring attention to the importance of shoes and inspire people to help those around the world who have to walk barefoot every day. Due to the environment, people are exposed to cuts, scrapes, infection, and disease. There is one simple solution: shoes.”

The Impact of Not Having Shoes
In David Smith’s If the World Were a Village, he writes, “If the world were a village of 100 people, 40 would have no shoes. Walking is the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children have to walk miles to get food, water, shelter or medical help. Having shoes enables them to walk further on unpaved roads. Shoes prevent cuts and sores from unsafe roads and contaminated soil.

In rural areas where children work and play in volcanic soil, there is a debilitating disease called Podoconiosis that causes swelling and ulcers in the feet and lower legs. The deformity is so severe that children affected become social outcasts in the community. Podoconiosis is completely preventable by wearing shoes.”

About TOMS
TOMS Shoes was founded in 2006 when an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended the children of an Argentine village and found that they had no shoes to protect their feet. Unknown to many, millions of children walk for miles to get fresh water or go to school throughout the world. Wanting to help, he created a company that would match every pair of shoes sold with a pair given to a child in need. One for One. Along with a group of family, friends, and staff, Blake returned within a year to that same village in Argentina with 10,000 pairs of shoes to match purchases from caring TOMS customers.  As of April 1, 2009, TOMS has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children around the world. For more information visit:

About Taft
At Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, delivering outstanding legal performance to help clients succeed is what drives and motivates its more than 375 attorneys and legal professionals every day. Taft has offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Northern Kentucky; Phoenix, Arizona; and Beijing, China. The firm practices across a wide range of industries, in virtually every area of law, including: Business and Finance, Litigation, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditors’ Rights, Environmental, Health and Life Sciences; Personal Services; Real Estate and Tax law. With a proven track record of experience since 1885, Taft offers breadth and depth of legal expertise coupled with a trusted business perspective, helping its clients, big and small, regionally, nationally and internationally, in reaching their goals.