Sustainable Shoes: What Is The Hype About Them And How To Find Them?
Sustainable shoes. It is more than just a fancy word or a concept! They are a solution to modern-day problems!
Do you know the Fashion industry, or more precisely, Fast Fashion is the third biggest pollution contributor in the world! Surprised, right? After all, these are just clothes and shoes! But owing to the fashion industry’s massive CO2 emissions and masses of shoes ending up in landfills, the truth of fast fashion is not that pretty!
But as you know, every problem has a solution. And the solution to fast fashion is- Sustainable fashion! Sustainable fashion is not only healthy for the skin but also for our planet Blue!
Some Not-So-Pretty Facts About Fast Fashion Shoes!
The first question that pops up in our minds when we come across sustainable shoes is whether they really make a difference?
Well, as they say,
“A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Similarly, every single step counts. And the need is real!
Below are some facts about fast fashion shoes,
- The footwear industry makes for 1.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. You can visualize this as 700 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions.
- The fashion industry is also attributed to ruthless raw material extraction that is non-renewable.
- It further worsens the situation by giving back hazardous non-recyclable waste. Many shoes are made of plastics, leather, petroleum, and textiles and are dumped every year!
- The shock-absorbent midsole of trainers contains synthetic materials like Ethylene Vinyl Acetate that take up to 1000 years to disintegrate.
- Also, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), found in most uppers and outsoles, is listed carcinogenic by WHO!
The list is endless!
But there is a solution… Sustainable footwear!
What Are Sustainable Shoes?
The core idea of sustainability is a method wherein you use a resource so that it does not get depleted or permanently damaged. There should be a cycle where the product either disintegrates or recycling and reuse continues!
We need to leave a healthy Earth for the next generations, and sustainability comes up as the only viable solution!
Coming to fashion, sustainability means that the materials used in manufacturing do not deplete natural resources and maintain a healthy ecosystem. Fairtrade is another essential component of sustainable footwear manufacturing. Fairtrade means to treat the workers involved with fair working conditions and compensation.
In short, sustainable shoes like Solchic’s Sandals help people, animals, the environment, and the economy today and tomorrow!
What To Look For When Buying One Of These?
To be honest, it is almost impossible to make entirely eco-friendly shoes! However, with the increasing carbon footprint and sustainability patrons, many sustainable shoe brands like Solchic are coming up!
The main idea is to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible!
Below are some sustainable shoe materials,
#1: Renewable materials like cork, cotton, jute, bamboo
Organically sourced cotton, jute, bamboo fiber, cork, etc., are great ways to manufacture vegan shoes! Vegan shoes are a raging trend, and that just means that these shoes don’t use animal products. Nor do they use products tested on animals!
#2: Fairtrade fabrics
Do you know workers in the leather factories of Bangladesh have a reduced life expectancy of around 50 years!
Fairtrade fabrics mean that workers get fair compensation and good working conditions.
#3: Upcycled leather
Leather is not precisely sustainable or eco-friendly. But, upcycled leather helps reduce waste. A huge number of leather shoes end up in landfills every year! Upcycled leather shoes help solve this issue.
#4: Recycled or reclaimed materials like rubber and plastic
Rubber tires and plastic bottles recovered from the oceans etc., make fantastic raw materials for manufacturing recycled shoes, much like Solchic’s Raffia mules made from empty plastic bottles and other plastic food holders.
Additionally, these are primarily water-resistant shoes!
Why Should You Consider Opting For Sustainable Shoes?
Do you know, on average, each person in the US buys seven and a half pairs of shoes every year!
Can you guess the resulting number of thrown-out shoes every year in the US?
It is a staggering upwards of 300 million!
Don’t get us wrong! We do not say not to buy shoes. Nor do we intend to say that each pair you buy should be sustainable.
All we intend to convey is, fast fashion leaves it hard to erase carbon footprints. And if we could do, the smallest of our bit, it could be a start of a revolution… an awareness that we are accountable to our mother, Earth!
Most fast fashion shoes may take 40 years and upwards to decompose and be the reason for massive CO2 emissions.
The solution is easy, take small steps towards sustainability, and the less is more approach. For example, you can opt for sustainable flats that you can rock everywhere, like for most of the house errands running, Church, and get-togethers, etc.
How To Find Sustainable Shoes?
When you want to buy sustainable shoes, you also need to be sure that what you are buying is indeed sustainable.
There are a few ways to check that you are signing up for good!
First of all, check the materials of the footwear. If it is something like cotton, jute, upcycled leather, a fairtrade shoe, or recycled plastic, etc., you are good to go.
Solchic keeps sustainability close to its heart. We follow sustainability in all its forms. We feel we are accountable for mother Earth and our next generations.
In A Nutshell…
Sustainability is a symbiotic way to thrive! Earth gives us what we need, and we give back what we can!
Plus, sustainable footwear does not need to be boring or uncomfortable. Our Flats, Mules, and Sandals are trendy, beautiful, and incorporated with memory foam soles and rubber soles! A lethal combination of beauty, comfort, and sustainability, we invite you to walk the Earth in style with Solchic’s comfy women’s shoe collection!
So, in the end, let’s help the planet thrive, for it’s our best chance!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are SolChic’s Sustainable Shoes Made Up?
SolChic’s shoes use entirely sustainable products like used plastic bottles.
How Comfortable Are These Shoes?
Our mission statement is SolChic, so comfortable! So you need not worry about comfort. We make the best comfort shoes for women.
Are We Available For Wholesale orders?
Yes, we are!
Do We Follow Fairtrade Practices?
Indeed we do! That’s why we call ourselves sustainable.
Are The Shoes Dirt and Water-Resistant?
We are very practical with our approach to shoe manufacturing. That’s why our shoes are comfy, dirt, and water-resistant!
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