Ever since those red-soled Louboutins became the benchmark for luxury footwear, celeb acolytes have been on the hunt for fashion-forward high-steppers to take them to the next level. On the heels of the sold-out success of those grassroots Stella McCartney raffia sandals, clocking in at over $500, everyone worth their Anya Hindmarch merch has finally clued in on the latest bandwagon, the green one that is.
Local footwear aficionados can heed the call of the environment, thanks to the arrival of labels like Terra Plana, an ethical brand that places emphasis on recyclable materials and minimizing its carbon footprint. Terra Plana’s more eco-friendly lines, Vivo Barefoot and Worn Again, serve the same pro-environment cause without hindering style.
Fabricated from leftover leather, which if left to the tannery’s usual devices would be filling landmines on a regular basis, Worn Again was conceived under the partnership between Terra Plana and Anti-Apathy, an organization that “promotes and supports people who take creative approaches to social and environmental issues.” On the agenda: fashion, food, energy and water. Ninety-nine percent of the line’s materials are recycled, acquired from sources such as old car seats, bike tires and denim scraps.
But make no mistake, these shoes barely resemble their origins. Nature lover and adventure racer Lallaih Lopez adores Jacks, made out of recycled red canvas, regurgitated rubber soles and denim lining, from Worn Again.
Offsetting their carbon footprint is of utmost importance to the ethical brand. They retain a staggering 95 percent of the water in their production process and, for every sale, a percentage is donated to Climate Care.
Athletes can also play their part by investing in Vivo Barefoot, a line of active footwear characterized by an ultra-thin, puncture-resistant sole. The experience of wearing the eco-friendly footwear is akin to going barefoot (hence the name). Physiotherapists in Australia and the UK endorse the line’s proposition that walking barefoot improves your posture and strengthens the muscles in your feet.
The people behind the line assure consumers of their tried-and-tested eco methods: using minimal glue, which can be toxic to the environment (bet you’ll think twice before you pick up a bottle of Elmer’s again), and utilizing side stitching instead. E-leather, a combination of scrap leather melded together, forms the base of most of of Viva Barefoot’s shoes, along with a mix of recycled tees and assorted used materials.
Eco-conscious consumers can walk proud while sporting these brands because they know that they’re helping to save the world one eco-conscious step at a time.
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Vivo Barefoot and Worn Again are available at Res Toe Run TriNoma and Cebu.