NO flip flops (there could be mud). Always break your shoes in first. If the shoes are slightly blister-inducing, bandage ahead of time. Be sure you can stand and dance all day and night in them. You should smile when you look down at them.

TOMS are some of the best festival shoes around. You feel good about the kids, and your feet just want to constantly be moving. Win. Win.

The good Doctor will carry you through any musical element. With air support underfoot, it'll having you moshing through even the grodiest of shows.

For the nudist in you, the slight platform also comes with a cushion, for the pushing.

Not for the faint of heart, these towering platforms will support you even deep in the grass (tried and true), and they give you a boost for a better view.

Feel the ground as strongly as the music, toes as free as the vibes.

For the true Tree Hugger: for every pair you buy, they'll plant a tree in Brazil's depleting rainforests.

Strap it in flat and kick the blues.

Dance outside (without tripping and falling) where Converse and Prada meet:

Plastics and a Peruvian ayahuasca-esque print prove potent on the proper terrain.

Millions of children suffer from life without shoes, and most of those kids have to walk long distances to school in, say, chemically mutated soil. This leads to all sorts of foot diseases that are actually completely preventable just with the use of shoes. Thus, TOMS shoes gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair they sell. One for one. You’re going barefoot today so that people ask you why, and you can tell them all of this. (Cheat sheet ahead!)

Here’s a quick printable pocket info card for all of your One Day Without Shoes foot notes. Know why you’re going barefoot, and let ‘em know. When people buy TOMS, they’re making a change in a child’s life. And when you go barefoot*, you’re getting the conversation started.

*(speaking of footnotes) Watch out for broken glass! If it’s too dangerous outside for shoelessness, no need to put you and the kids at any serious risk. Take off yoru shoes in the office, at the supermarket, on line to get lunch… Safe travels, my friend.

As I’m sure you know, TOMS donates one pair of shoes to a child in need for every single pair purchased. They do massive shoe drops in destitute parts of the world to bestow shoes on children who walk barefoot through treacherous terrain to get things like water, education, and um, anything else they need because they don’t own shoes. These kids get soil transmitted diseases like podoconiosis (aka Elephantitis, aka an awfully gross and deadly foot disease that comes from chemicals in the ground), and the only 100% preventative defense against such a disease is shoes. That’s it.

So we painted shoes last night, and toasted those who support the cause. Want to make a difference? Host your own Style Your Sole party – anyone can do it! Just gather a group of friends (or your office, class, S&M group) and place an order for blank canvas TOMS ($44). Pick up some fabric paints, brushes, and copious wine and you’ve got yourself a goodie bag of a one of a kind custom shoe. And a child in need gets a pair too.

Join us at Tompskins Square Park before work on April 10th (see invite above), and trade your towering heels for the sidewalk. Let ‘em know.

The first winners will be alerted by thee CSG in person.

So if you don’t go buy a pair of TOMS right now I’ll have no choice but to start singing.

Here it comes.

I want the world. I want the whole world! I want to lock it all up in my pocket, it’s my pair of modernized traditional Argentinian shoes to give to children! Give it to them! Now!

Went rogue there. I like to think of myself more as a Charlie than a Veruca.

Made from 100% local Malawi cotton by artisans of the Malawi Council of the Handicapped, known as MaCoHa, these stunning tunics help lift communities.

For that friend or relative with slightly geeky tendencies, there's a line of shirt that uses the force to fight cancer.

Fashion Fights Cancer's (FFC) mission is to nurture the minds, bodies and souls of cancer patients and survivors through fashion and design. And turn something painful into something beautiful through which we can support the cause.

How this shirt works: Give children in the rainforest school supplies. They draw what they see around them. Interpret those drawings into T-shirts. Like this one by a 9-year-old Peruvian girl that sees trees crying and fish dying because the forest is being logged and oil is pouring into their water source. Plus, for every shirt you buy, they plant a tree in an endangered part of the world.

NYC's top designers like Proenza Schouler, Eddie Borgo, Yigal Azrouël and others, have teamed up with local Mexican artisans to turn their handmade textiles into one-of-a-kind designs we love.

Jedidiah has teamed up with Stand Up for Kids this holiday season, which helps homeless teens in cities across the country. Each line Jedidiah creates benefits a different organization, spreading the wealth and love through fashion.

Taking a note out of TOMS' book, there's another one-for-one company set up to give shoes to kids in need for every shoe or shirt you buy from them. This company, however, gives sandals as they believe they last longer than other kinds of shoes.

With the Community Collection, designers open mini stores that sell their wares for a charity of their choice. Like Lulu Frost who is giving proceeds to Pencils for Promise, which builds schools in developing countries and encourages young leaders to take action.

Jeffrey Campbell Go For Brogue Platform $152.99 – Channeling Prada‘s version of the creeper, this JC magic will take you to new heights pain-free.

Keep reading to see what types of shoes and examples of what’s hot for this season.

- Diva and pioneering androgyne Annie Lennox is getting a fashion retrospective at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. I hope patrons have to literally walk on broken glass throughout the exhibit. [Style.com]

Laugh it up, Radcliffe, you’re next.

- Emma Watson continues to be perfect while showing that rarity among Hollywood actresses — genuine emotion — at the premiere of the 300th and last Harry Potter film. And she did it in Oscar de la Renta. Atta girl, steal my heart. [Jezebel]

- Also on the heart-stealing perfect superhighway is male super Jon Kortajarena who seriously hoofs it up  in the new ad for Kokorico, the latest Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance. [Oh La La Mag]

- Lady Gaga , a self-proclaimed “show with no intermission,” doesn’t speak German, but she can if you like. Either way, she’ll make as much sense as her recent column in V — a missive on reality versus fantasy. Short version, there is — surprisingly —  no line. [V Magazine]

- And the bride wore…TOMS? [Refinery29]

- Speaking of random ideas with little to no reasoning, Cedric the Entertainer is starting his own line of hats called, ingeniously enough, Who Ced?

- Megan Fox just can’t catch a break these days. After being replaced by professional stunner Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in the latest Transformers movie, she’s now been replaced by professional panty-wearer Rihanna as the face of Emporio Armani underwear. Sidebar, way to class up the brand, Armani. [Fashion Week Daily]

With festival season upon us – Mountain Jam this weekend in Upstate NY, Bonnaroo next weekend (FashionIndie will be there!!), and Rothbury becoming an Electric Forest – you’ll need to transform once again into your wild child self.

1. Disco biscuit balls on your ears: Macy’s

2. Pointedly hand dyed: Matta Alex

3. Maxi to the clouds: Alice + Olivia

4. Vertically beaded bangle: Toast

5. Asymmetrically angled bright: Mara Hoffman

6. Kooky eyeballs hang as earrings: Circa Three Sixty

7. Acid washed bra-cum-shirt: Topshop

8. A bib necklace for when the jamming melts your face: Tom Binns

9. Tie dye sea foam opens up front: Thread Social

10. Rainbow rope is dope: Lee Angel Jewelry

11. Twist it up top: Akira

12. Swallow the psychedelic: Chaotic Clothing

13. Get lost in the swirls: D&G

14. Maximize the skirt with pleats and curving stripes: Alice + Olivia

15. With a bolt of lightening, you get to the stage on time: Jeremy Scott x Swatch

16. Ombre bikinis lure the eye: Vix

17. Made in Africa with wild patterns: Fair+True

18. Rock our your skull. Tarina Tarantino

19. Get tie-dye kicks, give child shoes: TOMS

20. Etched in, oil slick platforms give you a lift. Jeffrey Campbell

AND of course, the best accessory for Phishing the lot, or staking out a festival – a Hula Hoop.

DRESSES: Maxis are breezy and make sitting on the ground no sweat. Little dresses are a blast, but don’t forget safety shorts. Try a romper for the built in safety short.

From left to right, click to shop: Unif, Dorothy Perkins, Topshop, Mara Hoffman, Derhy, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Brown, Topshop, Fashion Conscience, Matta, Malene Birger, Topshop, HMR

TOPS: If you’re going high waisted on the bottom, go for a croppy top. Sheer, jersey, and peace signs are all your friend.

From left to right, click to shop: Mara Hoffman, Otis & Maclain, Topshop, Foley + Corinna, Delia’s, French Connection, Topshop, Michael Stars, Lee, Z by Zandra Rhodes, Unif, Wildfox

SKIRTS: Long makes for swingy dancing. pull it up to make a dress. Short skirts + bathing suit bottoms work for play.

From left to right, click to shop: Fashion Conscience, Ruche, Delia’s, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Firetrap, Michael Kors, Lamie Panacotta, Delia’s

SHORTS: Fringes from pockets? Yes please! These wild shorts come are a feast for the eyes. Be loud on the bitty bottom.

From left to right, click to shop: Vena Cava, Diane von Furstenberg, Current Elliot, Missoni, PRPS, SuperTrash, Reluxe, Cacharel, Stine Goya

SHOES: So important to have shoes that secure your feet well. You don’t want to be slipping in flip flops at a festival. TOMS are perfect to climb everywhere, but strappy sandals will keep you dancing all Coachella long.

From left to right, click to shop: TOMS, Loeffler Randall, Steve Madden, OTBT, Diane von Furstenberg, TOMS, Jades24, Fabio, OTBT

FREEWATERS

Problem: Over 3,000,000 people die every year from unsafe water, most under the age of 5. That’s more than die from war annually.

Mission: Your new expertly innovated flip flops = one year of clean drinking water for an individual in a poverty stricken rural community.

WARBY PARKER

Problem: 1. Glasses are way too expensive. 2. One billion people don’t have access to glasses. That means 15% of the world is unable to work and learn effectively because they cannot see clearly.

Mission: Buy a pair of vintage inspired glasses for $95, they give a pair to someone in need.

TOMS

Problem: Hundreds of millions of children are at risk of contracting STDs (soil transmitted diseases) from volcanic and chemically contaminated soil. These diseases are 100% preventable by wearing shoes.

Mission: For every pair of shoes you buy, they give a pair to a child in need. And they don’t stop giving after that child outgrows them.

SUR EVOLUTION

Problem: Artisans across the world do not have a proper marketplace for their work, and thus are living in poverty.

Mission: Empower artisans by selling their products at fair trade prices, using sustainable materials and, respecting nature and cultures.

ORGANIC SURGE

Problem: 1. Our toiletries contain a staggering amount of harsh chemicals. 2. There are a staggering number of children in Africa living in poverty.

Mission: Proceeds from range of chemical-free beauty products goes to providing emotional and financial aid to vulnerable children in Africa.

And that’s why we took to the West Village this morning, following model Anne V. to the international annual One Day Without Shoes Barefoot Walk. Curious press and vehement TOMS supporters alike marched along the Christopher Street Pier, toes to the world, picket signs raised in rally.

And it’s happening all the way across the globe. Even in Norway where there’s still snow on the ground! All over the country from LA to Dallas, to Chicago, to Newark, Delaware, people went on shoe-free walks and stayed barefoot all day long today. How does it raise awareness, you ask? Well, when one walks barefoot in the middle of… anywhere that’s not a beach or a yoga studio, people wonder why. And then it’s our job to tell them about the plight of the shoeless and what TOMS is doing to help.

“The more I talk to people about it, the more I hear the words come out of my mouth, the more I realize how really crazy it is that [lack of shoes] is such a huge problem. People know about TOMS, about One for One, but people don’t really know the inside of the issue, and it’s really great to educate people about it.” – Anne V.

It’s so easy to help a child get a pair of life-changing shoes. Just get yourself a pair! They’re super comfortable, the perfect spring/summer casual shoe. Wear them on adventures, paint them yourself, get a pair that make you smile, because they’re going to make a child smile wider than you can imagine.

We took our shoes off at FashionIndie. Did you?!

Christian Louboutin, Blake Lively

Movember thinks of the moustache as the cause’s “fuzzy ribbon” (similar to the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness) and this year, they’ve added a more ways to “wear the cause” with new TOMS designed especially for Movember. These limited edition TOMS feature an embroidered golden moustache, the luxurious symbol of Movember, over plush black corduroy.

Additionally, men and women can show their support with moustache cufflinks by Arbitrage , tshirts by Fuzzy Ink and Palmer Cash and moustache jewelry by Demistache. Most of these items are limited edition, created just for Movember, and proceeds from sales go back to the cause. Movember raised $3.2 million last year in the U.S. to support Livestrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Keep reading FashionIndie.com for more info and a chance to win awesome Movember goodies

“BOBS” is the name Sketchers gave to its $42 TOMS knockoffs. And in true copycat fashion, the brand is also donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold. Styleite did some research on the Sketchers charity, Soles4Souls, and it seems legit. But seriously, can’t you people come up with any of your own ideas?

LINK LOVE: Styleite

Now, you may be thinking: “WTF, you just said t-shirt, shorts, sandals!”  But come on, guy, you don’t want to look like schlubby just because you don’t have to head into the office.  But how to wear nice things without getting drenched in sweat?  We’ll cover two looks.

#1: Look Ma, No Buttons!

You CAN wear a t-shirt on your day off, just make sure it’s the right one.  A safe choice is always the polo.  It serves the same purpose as a regular tee but with that little added dash of class without having to spring for a full on buttondown.  On top of that, it’s not really a specialty item: almost every company has a wide selection of patterns and designs.  Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about the thickness of the material as very few, if any, labels are going to be making winter-ready s/s polos.  That would be madness.

Fellow blog Street Etiquette recently did a little write-up on the polo specifically, so for a more in-depth discussion definitely check that out.  Below is an Original Penguin polo marked tremendously down that will help you dress tremendously up.

Now what to wear to cover up the ol’ bulge?  Do not be afraid to wear short shorts, friends.  There is really only one reason men should be wary of showing off a little thigh and that is if the thigh in question is ungodly white.  However, how can this situation be remedied if white thigh’s not given a chance to become tan thigh?  Toss on a pair of these Ralph Lauren golf shorts, cuff those bad boys, and you’re 2/3 there.

I say 2/3 there because now it’s onto the shoes.  Please, for the love of God, do not wear sandals.  Unless you get pedicures on the reg, unless your feet are hairless, your toenails impeccably clean, cut, and unchipped, nobody wants to see your feet.  Let’s not forget that if you’ve got to walk, it’s a recipe for blisters and black soles at the end of the day.  Opt for something comfortable and low-cut instead.  TOMS should do the trick.The navy hue shouldn’t make the outfit too overwhelmingly blue while navy and khaki go together like Ivy and League.  Kudos on look #1!

#2 Muscle Beach

Tank tops can be done in a variety of ways: country-ass, oversharing, Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, or just right.  Like polos, they come in all sorts of styles, patterns, and designs.  Go with something cut traditionally (i.e. not slouching so a nip-slip is all but inevitable), and go with a summery pattern–something nautical, patriotic, or environmental.This tank from Obey is a perfect example.  Just sailor-y enough, not too French.  Also, it’s not so low-cut that it would look much more appealing on your sister, and the straps (for lack of a better word) aren’t so wide that it looks like you should be sporting a mullet and guzzling some Old Milwaukee.  Wonderful.

For the sake of brevity (and to save those dolla dolla bills), you can even stick with the same shorts above, and the TOMS work well here too, complimenting the pink nicely.

So there you have it!  Two ways to buck the familiarity of shorts, tee, sandals that’s as ubiquitous as GTL these days.  A list of the items, prices, and links below.

1. Original Penguin Contrast Pocket and Collar Tee $45.48

2. Ralph Lauren Barrow Tissue Chino Short $55.00

3. TOMS Navy Canvas Classics $44.00

4. Obey Bowline Tank $32.00

No worries people, because TOMS and Trovata are teaming up for an amazing Fashion’s Night Out event. The two iconic brands are teaming up to bring families a night to enjoy fashion. The event will host stations for families (or friends that might as well be families) the chance to get their pictures taken in back drops from different eras. The family who takes the best photo wins $1,000 shopping spree from Trovata and TOMS, and you will even be able to shop the newest styles from TOMS that will be released at the event.

So if you are on the West Coast be sure to head over to the TOMS headquarters at 3025 Olympic Blvd. Santa Monica, Ca.

While a good majority of New York males have a decent sense of style, their shoe choices tend to revolve around dilapidated Converse, Nikes, Toms or Vans. But should I ever come across a guy rocking out the classically inspired, Southern California based Esquivel Shoes, I may very well kiss the ground he walks on. Made entirely by hand from the finest materials, veteran cobbler George Esquivel has dressed Grammy nominees to members of royal families with his stunning array of men’s dress shoes. Ranging from simple, classic oxfords to distressed lace-up boots, Esquivel has a shoe for every type of man whether he be sophisticated or flashy. So tell me, is there a Mrs. Esquivel, and if so, does she craft women’s shoes? I’ll cross my fingers! 

GALLERY: DESIGNER TO KNOW: Esquivel Shoes

Check out Esquivel Shoes here!