The minimalist shoe

CEBU, Philippines - Terra Plana is known globally for “making innovative shoes with sustainable concepts.”

Driven by the fact that conventional shoes are bad for you and bad for the environment, Terra Plana takes on “ambitious projects to shake up the shoe world for the better,” it said in a statement.

“There are one or two large companies doing great things, but by and large, most shoes are still created with too many components and continue to use heavy metals and toxins in the manufacturing process. Terra Plana is committed to pushing the boundaries of sustainable design and a vital component of this is making shoes that last,” it added.

“It is very important to us that we love our shoes and get a good life out of them. If you have purchased a pair of Terra Plana shoes and you have found them to be faulty, we want to offer you an opportunity to exchange them for a new pair. We will take care of making sure they are recycled correctly,” the people behind the first Terra Plana and Vivo Barefoot Store in Cebu assured this in a recent press conference prior to the December 2 barefoot running clinic here in Cebu City with speed-skater-turned-barefoot-running-enthusiast Michael Sandler.

“We are dedicated to our core objective of sustainability and are constantly striving to develop and improve our products. We hope you will join us on this exciting journey ahead —- one (almost bare) step at a time,” the statement further read.

Almost nude

Harley Keith Yu, owner of the Terra Plana and Vivo Barefoot Store Phils. pointed out that their products are designed with ultra-thin patented Kevlar puncture-resistant sole giving all the benefits of being barefoot with the protection of normal shoes.

Running with Evo strengthens the body, stimulates the nerves, and realigns minor posture flaws, allowing the body to maximize how it is engineered to run.

The “barefoot shoe” is also eco-friendly as it utilizes water-based adhesive technology, vegetable dye in its colors, as well as recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic and rice husk for the sole for optimum comfort.

Terra Plana stores are all over the world: London, New York, Vienna, Lubljana (Slovenia), Singapore, Australia and soon in Cebu (at the Ayala Center). Aside from the Evo shoe, Terra Plana is set to carry other lifestyle shoe products and the non-conventionally designed Dopie sandals made from 100 percent recyclable rubber. (FREEMAN)