[Find eco-flipflops here, slides and clogs here]
At long last, a post about green shoes that actually cover your heels.
El Naturalista — which btw has a store in Santa Monica — offers some very cool eco-leather options,
To the left’s the El Naturalista Leaf — Vegetable tanned leather treated with natural oils, yours for $87.
To the right’s the El Naturalista Slip On. More vegetable tanned leather, this time for $95.
The Cali-based Simple Shoes also has a couple options.
Left: Simple Shoes GT Jane are like green Keds, with bamboo lining, recycled tire, water-based cements, and 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms. Fork over $80.
Right: Simple Shoes Coos Toes are way too crunchy-looking for me, but they’re made of jute, bamboo linings, recycled tire, sater based cements, and 100% post consumer paper pulp. Fork over $85.
A green pair I own are Camper Wabis. I bought these in a magnaniomous moment, and while I like them, I also do wonder what I was thinking, paying what I believe was $80 or so for shoes to wear around the house. Still, these were very eco-friendly — biodegreable, recycleable. I’m not sure if this design’s still avaliable, but you can stop by a Camper store in town and ask ’bout the current green options.
Sneakers are next.
Updates, 2/2/08: These VivoBarefoot slipons are made by Terra Plana, which uses mostly recycled materials, chrome-free leather, and rubber. Their soles are puncture-resistant but very thin, and are supposed to make you feel like you’re walking as close to barefoot as possible. Cost: $116.
Simple Shoes have added more eco-slip-ons as part of their eco-sneaks and green toe lines. Eco-features vary, but include hemp uppers, bamboo lining, recycled PET pedbeds, recycled PET wrapped natural latex gore, organic cotton linings, recycled tire outsole, and 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms.
Eco friendly company Patagonia makes a few different slip-ons, made of a variety of green materials including eco-treated leather, recycled EVA, jute, and recycled rubber. Pick from the Nuka, Rimu Sei, or Cardon, priced at $80, $110, $90 and $110, respectively.
Terrasoles slip-ons are made with recycled microfiber fleece and look comfy. Not sure what the soles are made of. Cost: $30.45 - $49.95.
Pick from 3 different cute slip ons from Teva, a shoe company with an entire collection of shoes made from post-consumer recycled materials, including post-consumer recycled PET canvas upper and lining and 50% post-consumer recycled rubber outsoles. Cost: $70.
And finally, a post on eco-friendly sneakers.
This reminds me of 40 years ago when I was in school and for a homework assignment I made a pair of shoes out of flour, eggs and water that I carefully molded around my feet. I baked the shoes in the oven to make them hold their shape then set them on the kitchen table to cool. When I came into the kitchen to get them on my way to school in the morning I discovered that they were gone. You may have guessed it: my dog ate my homework.
Comment by vic — May 31, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
Sad! I had a friend whose dog also ate her homework — it was a papier-mache mask, I think –
Comment by Siel — May 31, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
Greetings La Green Girl,
You forgot to mention Yellowport or
Yellow Port. They make awesome eco-shoes
or eco friendly shoes or recycled shoes
or whatever the heck we’re supposed to call
them. Kind of like Nike but without all the
child labour and poisonous synthetics.
Check em out at http://www.yellowport.ca
Comment by seth — June 4, 2007 @ 6:41 pm
I own a pair of simple shoes, not the green toe line, but they are terribly comfy, the best to stand on for a few hours at a time. I have been eyeing the ankle strap green toe cute ones, cant decide between white or brown … :)
Comment by meli — April 28, 2008 @ 8:45 am