Asking your customers to forgo wearing shoes doesn’t sound like smart business from a shoe company. But, then again, TOMS isn’t your normal business.

Started by Blake Mycoskie in 2006, TOMS is founded on the promise that for every pair of TOMS shoes a person buys, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child who needs them. The company’s tagline, “One for One,” is the driving force behind their business, and they make periodic “shoe drops” where new TOMS are distributed to children in developing countries. Since its May 2006 beginning, TOMS has given over 400,000 pairs of shoes to kids based on the One for One model.

As a company whose very name is short for “a better tomorrow,” TOMS likes to push the envelope when it comes to thriving in a consumer-based culture. So, on April 8, TOMS is asking everyone to go without shoes—for the whole day, for a few hours, even for a few minutes. The goal of the “One Day Without Shoes” event is to “help spread awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life.” Children without shoes often suffer from cuts, sores and infections—many of which are soil-based and can cause long-term issues. And in some places, children are not allowed to go to school unless they have shoes to wear, so a single pair of shoes can usher in an entirely new chance at getting an education.

College campuses, clubs and individuals are already RSVPing to the “One Day Without Shoes” event. If you plan on getting involved, TOMS is providing a virtual “toolkit” online that offers printable posters, letters to administrators, T-shirt stencils and stickers, website banners and evites, along with a place to upload videos about the event. You can check it out and get the toolkit pieces at www.onedaywithoutshoes.com.

If you plan on going barefoot on April 8, RSVP to the website, where you’ll be entered to win the opportunity to join TOMS on a shoe drop and meet the awesome inspiration behind the entire company—kids who need shoes.