Hundreds of barefooted walkers stopped traffic in Brookside last year

Traffic ground to a halt last year as hundreds of barefooted locals paraded through Brookside for "One Day Without Shoes."

Chart-topping local pop-rock powerhouse Hanson led Tulsa's take on the national event in 2010, which staged in several cities and attracted hundreds of thousands of participants.

The event, which raises awareness of shoeless, poverty-stricken children in developing countries, was started by TOMS shoes, a company that matches every shoe purchase with a free pair it donates to the needy.

The walk is back this year, sans Hanson, and steps off April 5 at 6pm. The walk starts at Ida Red, a Brookside boutique that sells rock 'n' roll-themed clothing, jewelry and local art, which hosts and organizes the Tulsa event.

Store manager and event organizer Angelene Ripley Wright expects several hundred participants to ditch their shoes for the 2011 event.

The one-mile, circular walk will begin and end at Ida Red, 3336 S. Peoria Ave., and will last about 30 minutes, Wright said. Walkers are encouraged to go without shoes the entire day. After last year's event, participants gathered and talked about their experiences attending school and work shoeless, she said.

"It's really fun to hear all the stories," Wright said. "Shoes are just something you take for granted. Not having them and realizing how that affects your life is a real eye-opener."