The negative reaction wasn’t entirely surprising. The “buy one, give one” model has long been criticized by business and nonprofit experts alike.
NYU economics professor Bill Easterly, for example, once called TOMS the “worst charity in development,” while Ashoka’s Valeria Budinich told the New York Times that its model does little to address the root causes of poverty, and may even reduce demand for locally-produced products.
Mycoskie, to his credit, has admitted that his critics were right, and has since tried to support activities that better “alleviate” poverty, including launching shoe manufacturing operations in Haiti, staffed by locals. Small steps, better outcomes.