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The quest to find eco-friendly products of great quality is always ongoing for us. This time we decided to put together a highly requested piece - our best tips on shoes that are produced in a way that’s better for our planet! We are lucky to have collaborated with some of these brands, and have therefore tested the shoes for you, so we can recommend them with our honest opinion.
There are different ways to view sustainability within shoes. Many opt for leather as opposed to plastic, as they argue that most leather is a by-product of the meat industry. Many vegans have stopped using leather, as they don’t want to support the meat industry in any way. Many new brands also use recycled plastic in their shoes, and in that way use resources that we already have, and contribute to cleaner coastal areas. Depending on your preference - you might opt for leather, vegan shoes, or have other qualities that you look for - we hope that you find something you like in this article! Feel free to drop a comment or a recommendation for other brands you like so we can share it.
Veja
We discovered Veja shoes this year through a friend who styled us for our book launch party, and have been in love with the brand and the shoes ever since. Veja is a French brand who work with cooperatives of small scale farmers in Brazil and France. The Veja shoes and accessories are made of organic cotton, wild rubber from the Amazon, vegetable-tanned leather and recycled plastic bottles. The shoes we have, a similar pair of sneakers in white and black/white are comfortable and fit with almost any clothing. See more from Veja here.
We are Wado
Wado shoes are made using organic and recycled materials. Wado use leather in their shoes, and the leather is certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG). They argue that until the meat industry stops, there are few better uses for the leather than for products such as shoes. They also feel like leather is the only option to keep the quality of the shoe up to standards. They also share that they are looking for an eco-friendly substitute! So hit them up if you have any good suggestions. See more from Wado here.
Adidas x Parley
The sports wear brand Adidas have teamed up with the environmental organization Parley for the Oceans to create shoes and training wear that are better for the planet. The products in the collection are made up of at least 75% upcycled plastic trash, which is collected from beaches and coastal areas. The plastic items are baled and sent to Parleys supply partners where they create Parley Ocean Plastic® yarn. You can read more here.
Timberland Rebotl
In May we attended and spoke at the Norwegian launch of Timberlands new Re-Botl shoe. It was so fun to see the excitement around the launch, and we celebrated that these shoes are made of 50% recycled plastic. It all lead to a huge discussion and sharing of our eco-friendly habits, what we have to do for our planet, and in what ways we like to contribute to the wellbeing of our earth.
Each pair of shoes are produced by the equivalent of 6-10 plastic bottles. Over 310 million plastic bottles have found new life in Timberland’s range of recycled shoes! You can find them at various sports stores and online, and read more about the concept here.
Hope you enjoyed this piece, and that you found some shoe-inspiration!