We are increasingly aware of the true cost of fashion. In terms of human rights, but also in terms of environmental footprint. On the apparel side we’re starting to know how to decipher the labels, but on the sneaker side there’s still a lot to do.
We don’t pay attention to the ecological impact of our sneakers, yet…
Completely democratized, they adapt to the whole family and have their share of trends: for several years, the white sneaker has become a basic, which some want to keep immaculate, even if that means changing it regularly.
The problem is that It’s starting to do a lot for the planet! Typically made of synthetic materials welded together using chemicals, or leather using often dubious tanning methods, sneakers are not the type of shoes you think of taking to the shoemaker for repairs. .
As a result, they wear out quickly, go out of fashion even faster and fill up landfills because they aren’t thrown in the right place for recycling. According to the book, approximately 66.3 million pairs of shoes were produced per day worldwide in 2018 Footwork: What your shoes are doing to the worldby Tansy Hoskins, that is, more than 24 billion per year, when there are not even 8 billion human beings – and almost half of humanity is confined or almost confined today…
The sneaker industry is changing its practices, and so are we
Given the excitement around the sneaker market and the growing number of collectors, the industry isn’t slowing down anytime soon. But it is starting to change its practicesLuckily.
Offering more and more recycled materials, produced for example from plastic waste collected at the bottom of the oceans. Or some plant materials from food industry waste, such as pomace, banana or pineapple fibres.
Selection of sneakers that respect the planet
It also depends on us change the situation by consuming less but better. To help you, here is a selection of shoes designed to last without going out of style or harming the planet!
And maybe, if you get tired of them, you’ll think about it resell where is the exchange with a close friend of the same size. Or, if they get damaged, he tries to make them adjustinstead of throwing them away. And if not: take them to stores willing to take back used shoes to recycle.
Zeta
Recently founded by Frenchwoman Laure Babin, Zeta offers zero-waste sneakers. With external surface obtained from pressed pomace and transformed into vegetable leather, recycled cork insole, recycled rubber sole and laces made from plastic bottles recovered from the Mediterranean. Everything is made in Porto!
Midnight on Earth
Founded by Frenchwoman Marie Viard-Klein, Minuit sur Terre offers only vegan leather goods. With the insole in cereal viscose and recycled polyurethane, the external upper in Oekeo-Tex certified synthetic fibres, the laces made from recycled plastic bottles and the natural rubber sole, these Minuit sur Terre sneakers know how to be elegant and ethical.
Matt and Nat
Founded by Canadian of Indian origin Inder Bendi about twenty years ago, the brand Matt & Nat (from “material and nature”) is a pioneer in the vegan leather goods department. A historical player position which partly explains these surprisingly low prices for products designed to be as ecological as possible, such as these synthetic leather (polyurethane) sneakers with pure and timeless lines!
Balto
Maybe you don’t yet know the French brand Balt which has just entered the vegan sneaker market. 100% produced in Europe using mainly recycled materials, its new Knit Restart model seduces us! With its half recycled cotton, half recycled polyester upper, recycled polyester laces and thick, durable EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) outsole, this sneaker will be as comfortable as your slippers. Available for pre-order to produce just the number you need.
Mr Mustache
Since 2019, the French brand M. Mustache has been collecting used sneakers of any brand in its stores in order to transform part of them into a recycled material which now forms the basis of its soles. There he pushes the ecological limit even further by offering vegan sneakers, whose upper is made with pomace.
Veja
Made of jute, cotton and recycled polyester for the upper and Amazon rubber for the sole, the Nova sneaker by Veja is renewed of the eco-responsible Chinese brand Icicle. Very soft and versatile shades of white and beige, all good bases for the warm seasons.
Good news for H&M
Founded by two friends, Nia Jones and Ben Tattersall, in 2016, London-based shoe brand Good News excels at creating eco-friendly shoes with retro appeal. She collaborates with the giant H&M to make it even more accessible, their design based on recycled rubber for the soles and uppers in recycled cotton or imitation leather derived from bananas, Bananatex®, or from grapes, Vegea™. Including this pair with a seventies print that really catches our attention, made from recycled thermoplastic rubber and 100% lyocell (wood pulp) canvas.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
