After pioneering the one-for-one charity model when it debuted 17 years ago, Toms Shoes shifted its strategy in 2021 to give one-third of annual profits to charity. Meant to modernize the Los Angeles-based brand for younger customers, the move also helped the company contribute to other causes beyond providing footwear to those in need.

“We were seeing so many things happening in our backyard and so many issues that really shoes weren't the best fit for,” said Amy Smith, chief brand officer at Toms, speaking on the latest episode of the Marketer’s Brief podcast. “We came back with maybe there’s an opportunity for us to do something a little different—to pioneer again, to evolve as an organization.”

The company landed on mental health as a focus for its giving. Last year, 55% of Toms’ charitable giving of $1.7 million went to mental health partners, according to the company’s impact report. In May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, the company ran a campaign called “Wear good. Share good.” It included actions and tips, promoted on social media and digital channels, for self-care for each day of the month to improve the mental health of oneself and of others. Smith said the campaign helped engage younger consumers in particular because it normalized the mental health conversation.

“Although it's marketing, it really is grounded in our enthusiasm for sharing these tips with people because we do believe that when you're doing good self-care along the way, your mental health is stronger over time,” said Smith.

In addition, Toms recently released its latest Unity collection for Pride Month as part of its support of the LGBTQ+ community. The new collection arrives at a time when many brands are remaining quieter with LGBTQ+ content during June for fear of attracting backlash. Late last month, Target backtracked on its Pride offerings, removing some merchandise from stores after threats against its employees from anti-LGBTQ+ groups. Other brands, such as The North Face, have remained steadfast in their support despite calls for boycotts from the alt-right.

Smith noted that it was important for Toms to support the LGBTQ+ year-round through several initiatives before it released any rainbow-hued products. The company's first “Unity” collection debuted three years ago.

“We need to enter from the point of view of support and then have maybe a product offering follow versus the other way around,” she said.

For example, Toms regularly works with Project Q, an organization that gives gender-affirming haircuts to individuals in the Los Angeles area.

“We are very committed to supporting under-resourced communities year-round, and we believe that the LGBTQ community is one of those,” said Smith, adding that the group is also impacted from a mental health perspective.

On the podcast, she also discusses Toms’ new resale site and ThredUp partnership.