I love TOMS. I have four pairs.  A black pair, a white pair.  A self-painted pair, and a typically styled pair. A winter pair, and a summer pair.  I love the shoes, they are “comfortable” (haha, I can’t feel my feet) and the mission behind the company is a fantastic one. Read more about it here. The shoes were introduced to me during my freshman year of college, by a professor, friend, mentor, and colleague of mine, Kerry, who taught in the Residential Leadership Community during my freshman year at Tech.

So, when one of my best friends sent me a text this evening, I discovered that James Madison University has their own line of shoes, I was intrigued.  It made me wonder…why doesn’t Virginia Tech have their own line of TOMS?

And so, I wrote a little letter to TOMS shoes. Let’s see if this’ll make anything happen…

_______________________

My name is Justin Graves I am a student at Virginia Tech.

Recently, I discovered a custom line of TOMS shoes for different universities. I was wondering if it would ever be possible for Virginia Tech to have their own line of TOMS shoes. A neighboring institution, James Madison University, located in Harrisonburg Virginia, has recently received their own line of TOMS shoes. JMU is an institution that I am very familiar with, they do a lot of great philanthropy and have interested academic programs. We consider ourselves peer Institutions.

With Virginia Tech existing as the largest comprehensive research institution in the state, as well as the largest institution of higher education in the state of Virginia, I believe that an endorsement of Virginia Tech would allow a line of TOMS shoes, adorned with the Hokie Bird and in maroon and orange, to perform very well. I was wondering if there was anyone on your team with whom I can speak in order to get a project like this off the ground.

If you find the time, please feel free to learn more about our university. Our website is www.vt.edu. You will notice our university motto is very strong and present – Ut Prosim, which means “That I may Serve.” Obviously, TOMS shoes is a company that also believes, so very strongly, in serving other people. With a mission and goals that are so similar, I believe we are also deserving of a line of TOMS shoes. Please let me know if I could be of any further assistance. You can find my email address listed above, and you can also feel free to visit my personal website, www.hesonwheels.com.

Thank you for your time, and have a great day. Sincerely,

Justin Graves
UT PROSIM | That I May Serve