America’s Brown Shoe Company, Inc. has donated approximately 35,000 pairs of children's and women's shoes to the tsunami relief effort, with an estimated retail value of $500,000.

The shoes, supplied by Brown Shoe's Buster Brown & Co. children's division and its private label division, will be sent to families in South Asia and Eastern Africa through K.I.D.S. and Gifts In Kind International's Asian Relief Effort. K.I.D.S. is a national charitable organisation that facilitates the donation of new products, including children's clothes, shoes, books and toys, to ill or poverty-stricken children in the US and abroad. K.I.D.S. is collaborating with World Vision, a Christian relief and development organisation dedicated to tackling the causes of poverty that affect children and their communities worldwide. Gifts In Kind is a product philanthropy charity, helping companies donate products to charities and schools around the world.

"At Brown Shoe, we've all watched the heartbreaking coverage of the tsunami's devastation, and wanted to do something to help. In addition to losing family members, most survivors have lost all their possessions, including shoes and clothing," said Brown Shoe President Diane Sullivan. "We are pleased to join other generous companies in the shoe industry in contributing to the relief effort, and hope our donation will provide some comfort to people who are coping with the aftermath of this tragedy."

Brown Shoe is a $1.8 billion footwear company with worldwide operations. The company operates the 900-store Famous Footwear chain, which sells brand name shoes for the family. It also operates 400 Naturalizer stores in the US and Canada that sell the Naturalizer brand of shoes and accessories.

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