Sustainable Sneakers – Changing the World One Step at Time!

Climate change is no joke friends, because in 2023 we already witnessed some of the hottest temperatures worldwide. Let alone the growing number of wildfires killing what’s left of the green in the world. According to studies, 2023 won’t be the worst of it, and one of the reasons is the expansion of the world’s carbon footprint. And since it takes a village (or world) to combat climate change, some sneaker brands took things upon themselves. They’re working on dropping their carbon footprint to 0% through sustainable products. So, here are some of our favorite sustainable sneakers brands if you wanna take part in the movement!

Sustainable Sneakers – There’s Always a Place to Start

Okay so, we’re gonna split our discussion today into two parts. First, we have the brands that started off as sustainable brands. Second, we’ll cover the huge brands and what they’re doing to make their products environmentally friendly. So, let’s start with our list of sustainable sneakers brands that will come in handy. Especially if you want a stylish and eco-friendly pair of sneakers.

Veja

We’re going to start off with a brand that you probably already heard of: Veja. The French brand started its business back in 2004 with the environment in mind. According to the brand, we should have “one foot in design and the other in social responsibility”. Now, in terms of materials, Veja uses Brazilian and Peruvian cotton for their shoe production. Moreover, it uses Amazonian rubber and recycled plastic and polyester.

Fun Fact #1: Veja is Portuguese for “look” because the brand wants us to look beyond the sneakers and into how Veja makes them.

Fun Fact #2: Veja is a popular brand among the British royal family!

Cariuma

From the heart of Brazil, two men quit their jobs and started Cariuma in 2018. They wanted their brand to serve people and the planet, and they valued quality over quantity. When it comes to materials, the brand uses organic and environmentally friendly materials. Moreover, the brand has several certifications for its products! You can take a look at the extensive list of materials Cariuma uses right here.

Fun Fact: The word “Cariuma” doesn’t translate to an exact word. However, it represents diversity and inclusion according to the founders.

Etiko

From Brazil’s Cariuma, we go to Australia’s very own Etiko! The reason this brand exists is pretty simple. The owner, Nick Savaidis, wanted to buy apparel and shoes that are ethical and didn’t find that. So, he did what anybody would do in that situation; he started his own brand in 2005! Today, Etiko is one of Australia’s most ethical fashion brands. Oh, and let’s not get into their very detailed accreditations and sustainability reports.

Fun Fact: The word “Etiko” is derived from the Greek word for ethical. It’s “ithika” (ηθικά) for the curious minds.

Flamingo’s Life

Another European brand makes it on our list of sustainable sneakers brands! Carlos Garcia, the owner, started Flamingo’s Life in 2015. The sneakers are handcrafted in the family-run factories in his home city Elche in Spain. Moreover, every collection that FL drops supports a specific environmental project. From cleaning oceans to water supply and planting trees, FL’s sustainable sneakers are seriously changing the world pair by pair.

Good Guys (Don’t Wear Leather)

In addition to being a sustainable sneakers brand, the founder is a woman! We certainly love to see women in the sneaker industry, let alone if they’re brand owners. Marion Hanania founded Good Guys in 2011, in Paris, France! With GG, Marion wanted to create the all-around perfect cruelty-free closet. All of GG’s shoes are 100% vegan and cruelty-free, sustainable and durable, and made in Europe’s fair-trade environment.

Allbirds

Last but not least, Allbirds is a New Zealand/American company. The ex-New Zealand footballer Tim Brown partnered up with San Francisco’s Joey Zwillinger and gave us Allbirds. In fact, together they created a whole new sustainable wool fabric! But that’s not all, because the brand is committed to sustainability, they have this plan to drop their carbon footprint to near zero by 2030. You can check out the brand’s whole strategy here.

But… What Are the Big Brands Doing?

Let’s face it, big brands like Adidas and Nike didn’t have an interest in sustainable sneakers. However, the world started keeping an eye on the big ballers’ environmental activities and impact. This led these brands to change some of their ways and become mindful of their carbon footprint.

So, for Nike, it introduced the Mo\ve to Zero project. It’s the brand’s journey toward zero carbon and zero waste. From Nike Grind to circular solutions, the Swoosh is certainly working hard on the environmental front. Now, as for Adidas, the brand certainly is working hard too, because Nike vs Adidas apparently extends to sustainability! Anyway, the brand with the three stripes is working under the banner of “End plastic waste”. And since 2015, Adidas partnered up with Parley and sold more than 30 million sneakers made of Parley Ocean Plastic. Now, in 2020, the brand introduced Primeblue and Primegreen, which are eco-friendly fabrics!

To conclude, the sneaker industry is slowly working its way into sustainability. Although some things won’t be the same, it’s okay to sacrifice for the greater good! After all, nobody wants to be on the bad side of history… especially if it’s the whole world at stake, right?