During a recent episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, actress Demi Moore made a guest appearance that had Leno kicking off his shoes for the world to see.

A barefoot Moore held her metallic silver heels in her hands as she explained the reason behind her shoeless move.

It was all about the kids.

Moore joined the nearly quarter of a million people around the world who participated in One Day Without Shoes, an annual event spearheaded by TOMS Shoes non-profit subsidiary, Friends of TOMS, to raise awareness about the impact a pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life.

“The point of this is, is for everyone to recognize what it would feel like to be without shoes,” Moore explained to Leno during the April 8 airing of the show. (Watch the full video on NBC – http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/demi-moore/1217576/?__source=tnt%7Chome%7Cfeatured%7Cinterviews)

Bare soles hit the pavement in cities all over the world including Bellevue. A group of 35 Topline Corp employees walked a half mile without shoes, from their Bellevue offices to Loehmann’s Plaza Starbucks in Factoria on Thursday, April 8.

The Starbucks’ baristas got into the fun by putting on Friends of TOMS T-shirts and TOMS Shoes to show their support for the cause.

Topline Corp, a maker of TOMS Shoes, held a large sign that read TOMS as they marched along the cold cement to raise awareness for the more than 400 million kids who are at risk of hookworm and other debilitating parasites that enter the body through the soles of bare feet.

“The whole idea behind raising awareness is to get people talking about it and to understand all those diseases out there are treatable and even preventable,” said Bill Snowden, Chief Operating Officer of Topline Corp. “By giving them shoes we are helping kids have the opportunity to go to school and live healthy and fulfilling lives.”

In Ethiopia alone, more than 11 million people are at risk of podoconiosis, a foot and leg disease that is 100 percent preventable with shoes and regular washing. In addition, many children are not allowed to attend school because shoes are a required part of their uniform and they don’t have any.

TOMS Shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every one pair they sell.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425-453-4602.

To learn more, visit www.toms.com.