Ethics and Athletics

Ok so summer is almost over and if you’re anything like me you put your gym membership on hold and ate whatever you wanted. Yay me!! Well not really, what seemed like a great idea at the beginning of July is not looking so great now… 

Having just reinstated my membership and fully committed to a “much healthier me” I thought it would be great time to talk trainers. Not only are they my preferred footwear but they can be worn all year round, come rain or shine. 

As always sustainability is high on our list of priorities so this month we are talking ethics and athletics!

Big brands such as Adidas and Reebok, as well as startups such as Native Shoes and Ecolaf, are trying to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of their manufacturing process and find ways that materials can be endlessly recycled.

"Of everything we wear, sneakers have one of the heaviest footprints," according to Everlane who launched its own zero-carbon trainers earlier this year, it claimed that trainers are a "disaster for the planet". "They require a ton of energy to produce, are made largely from virgin plastic, and never break down."

A typical pair of trainers generates approximately 13.6 kilograms of CO2 emissions. This figure is probably higher for shoes containing leather,  considering the added environmental impact of raising and  slaughtering cattle to make the material. - According to a study conducted by MIT,

With trainers now made from algae and pineapple husks to bioplastics and recycled waste. More and more brands are experimenting with using eco-friendly materials and a production processes that won't leave such an impact. 

Here are a few of my favourite brands and stories.

“Blood trainers” by Nat-2 X Shahar Livne

Nat-2™ Designer Sebastian Thies and Eindhoven based Designer Shahar Livne have joined forces creating the world‘s first sneakers made from real blood. Yes real blood!! 

Shahar Livne developed a new handmade “bio-leather” by using fat, bones and materials from the waste streams of slaughterhouses in the Netherlands. in addiction, she uses the wasted blood as a colorant and a plasticizer.

Glass, cork and real rubber are some of the other materials used to create this concept shoe. 

“Nat-2™ and Shahar Livne want to bring more attention to urgent international matters such as sustainability in different animal-based industries by using nature-given resources and upcycling leftovers from those industries. But also making a point for more tolerance, open-minded thinking by raising fascination, curiosity, highlighting the wasteful and disrespectful treatment of animals and natural resources.” -says an insider

This blew me away! Talk about wanting to make a point. 

www.nat-2.eu

Plant Shoe by Native Shoes

Native Shoes is known for its "Beast free” motto, which basically means they do notuse animal products on any of their shoes. They have now taken it one step further and developed “the plans shoe”

Pineapple and eucalyptus are only some of the materials used to manufacture these shoes making them 100% Earth friendly. They are entirely produced from ingredients that are completely biodegradable, commercially compostable and absolutely animal-free. 

What’s also really great about them is that not only are they comfortable and unisex so you can match your “BAE” but once you've worn The Plant Shoes to death, you can lay them to rest in the compost bin - they will even break down in your backyard! 

www.nativeshoes.com

Tread by Everlane

After years of being asked Everlane just launched a new trainer line called “Tread by Everlane”, and its inaugural product is a unisex leather trainer called.... waitfor it.... “The Trainer” 

The launch comes after Everlane's 2 year attempt, to make the world's lowest-impacttrainer. The Trainer's anatomy breaks down to a 94.2% virgin-plastic-free sole, leather from the world's cleanest tannery, and renewed laces and lining.

It’s comfortable, affordable and comes in 7 great colours! It’s greatness is in itssimplicity.

www.everlane.com

Allbirds

Unless you’ve been hiding underneath a rock or are not on Instagram there’s a pretty high chance you’ve heard of these. Not only do Allbirds claim to be the “most comfortable shoes in the world” (It's literally in their bio and everything) but they really care about their cause and use everything from merino wool, tree fibers, andsugarcane to make their stuff. Even their packaging serves as both the shoebox and the mailer and is made from 90% recycled cardboard. 

Their designs are extremely versatile and come in solid colors with no logos. You can dress them down or dress them up depending on your mood and you don’t even need to wear socks with them. Not to mention they can be machine washed! What’s not to love?!

www.allbirds.co.uk

Veja

Emma Watson and Meghan Markle are only some of our fashion icons that were spotted in a pair of trainers by the conscious French brand “Veja”. They have since become one of the most talked-about trainer brands in the UK. The classic white basket sneaks, which are made from recycled plastic bottles and wild rubber, feature a distinctive V-logo in varying colours on each side. 

These shoes are so minimalist in design that they work with every type of ensemble,from midi dresses to straight-leg jeans or even tailored trousers. Don’t worry, if you’re still having trouble putting an outfit together there's even a guide online for outfit inspiration! How cool is that?!?

www.veja-store.com

Words by Noha Ben Ismail