Giving back and helping those in need are positive attributes that many individuals consider necessary in being a kind and considerate human being.

Companies such as TOMS and Yoobi help consumers achieve this goal by providing basic necessities, such as shoes and pencils when an item is purchased.

Consumers such as junior Cammi Krause often feel joy after buying a pair of TOMS.

“I like the style of the shoe and how they help other people who need help. It makes me feel like I’m volunteering and (it makes me) happy,” Krause said.

However, the ONE for ONE motto is a bit of a stretch.

According to Vox.com, companies like TOMS solve the wrong problem. They create a false sense of a solution towards the bigger issues of poverty. These businesses trick consumers by making it seem as if a child will magically face no more hardships once a pair of shoes is given to them, but this is far from the truth.

Poverty is a complicated situation that many factors play a role in and solving just one does not solve the bigger issue.

A study from the Journal of Effectiveness found that households in El Salvador who received shoe donations were less likely to purchase shoes from local shops, which show how shoe donations help poor communities become dependent. This in turn does not solve the issues of poverty at large.

So while that pair of TOMS may be cute, it does not solve the world’s poverty problems. A better way to help those in poverty is to directly give money to them so that they can stimulate their own economies.