Check out Tomorrow’s Wardrobe list of favourites & forerunners in people & planet friendly shoes.
Collections that have been produced by fair trade communities and small producers using organic and animal-friendly materials, including natural rubber and organic cotton. This is what British shoe brands Bourgeois Boheme and Beyond Skin have in common. And they are not the only shoe labels that aim to reconcile environmental concerns, fair production, a love for animals, and style. Cri de Coeur, OlsenHaus, Vegetarian shoes, Neuaura, Love Is Mighty, Mink and Novacas also embrace earth friendly materials such as hemp, organic cotton, natural rubber, recycled fake suede and fake leather. And let’s not forget Stella McCartney, who has created a true luxury collection of leather free shoes.
In September 2012, Spanish shoe brand Snipe launched the Snipe 100, claiming it to be the first completely compostable shoe. In fact it was the Dutch label OAT Shoes who made the first. The first collection of these ‘shoes that bloom’, as they are advertised, won an award at the 2010 Green Fashion Competition. Included in each pair of OAT Shoes is a small dose of flower seeds, which means that the shoes will transform into flowers once they have been thrown away.
Snipe may not have been the first to produce a fully biodegradable shoes, the brand nevertheless makes serious efforts to greenify its supply chain. For instance, its plastics are made from recycled PET-bottles and all metal parts on shoes are nickel-free.
Not as green as it may seem
Chrome-free tanned leather is often presented as an ecological alternative to conventional leather. Leather is usually tanned with chrome, toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment and make leather non-biodegradable. But according to committed environmentalists, naturally tanned leather is only marginally better for our planet. Leather is often produced in low wage countries under dubious circumstances – not only for the animals, but also for the workers. For example, in its 2012 field study, SOMO found that 12, 13 and 14 year old children play a central role in the leather and shoe industry in India, Brazil, China and Vietnam, which produce for all major European brands. And Greenpeace has repeatedly reported on illegal leather production in Brazil, which involves deforestation in the Amazon, labor exploitation and land grabbing.
Because they still use leather, shoe brands such as Think!, Swedish Hasbeens and Camilla Norrback are probably not as green as they may wish to have us believe. The Belgium shoe brand Brako honestly admits: chrome free leather, water based glues and production within the European Union can only be regarded as the first steps towards minimizing the environmental impacts of our shoes. From this perspective, it’s hopeful that in June 2012, CEO Jochen Zeits announced that Puma should stop using leather in its collections. (He also said we should all stop eating meat, by the way).
Shoes for a better life
The idea behind shoe brand Toms is as simple as it is heartwarming. For every pair of shoes we buy, Toms gives away a pair to a child in need. The brand was launched in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie after he visited Argentina and noticed many children didn’t wear shoes. Within five years, Toms had grown into a company designing 175 styles of men’s, women’s and children’s shoes, selling these in 30 countries and helping children in 26 countries worldwide. Today, the one for one principle has been expanded to include Toms eyewear, and has been copied by Warby Parker amongst others.
In the Netherlands, flip-flops brands Plakkies achieved some success with its do good shoe collections. The unisex sandals, which were launched in 2008, were made in South Africa using recycled car tyre. Part of the proceeds were donated to KidsRights, which supports children in developing countries. The brand was re-launched in 2011 as Kadangas. While its mission to promote recycling and fair trade in South Africa has remained unchanged, the sandals collection has developed into more versatile collections for both women and men.
Slow shoe design
As the slow fashion movement gains momentum, even shoe brands are thinking of ways to make their designs transseasonal. For example, as part of the brand’s sustainability agenda, Snipe’s designer team aim to make each collection worth looking at and wearing for a long time. And dedicated fans of Simple Shoes tended to applaud the versatility and strength of these sustainable casuals.