Soles4Souls - Fighting Poverty One Pair of Shoes At A Time

Soles4Souls is a non-profit that was founded in 2006. The organization was created after Wayne Elsey, who was a successful shoe industry executive at the time, saw a picture of a single shoe wash ashore following the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Using his shoe industry and philanthropic connections, Elsey organized the donation of half a million pairs of shoes to those affected by the tsunami. He then lead the collection and donation of a million pairs of shoes to Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005.

After seeing the desperate ongoing need for quality footwear around the world, Elsey officially created Soles4Souls as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

What Soles4Souls Has Accomplished Over the Last Decade

The vision for Soles4Souls is to eradicate extreme poverty by 2050. During its first decade in existence, the organization has distributed 26 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. Soles4Souls has accomplished that incredible milestone through a combination of short-term relief in times of distress and long-term solutions like providing entrepreneurs in struggling countries with the ability to start small businesses by providing them with a steady supply of high-quality, low-cost product.

Soles4Souls has worked with partner organizations like Skechers, PUMA and Macy’s, along with celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba, John Krasinski and Sarah Jessica Parker. If you want to learn more about how you can help the organization by giving shoes, donating or through travel, be sure to check out their Get Involved page.

How Mala is Working with Soles4Souls

Mala’s newest style of flats is the Olivia, which is a beautiful red snakeskin print leather flat with a black leather toe. To celebrate the launch of this limited edition run of flats, we’re providing a pair of shoes to someone in need through Soles4Souls for every pair we sell.