Ethletic have a converse feeling to them and are made from certified organic and Fairtrade cotton and the fairly traded rubber soles are certified by The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Perfect for to add a touch of eco chic to this season´s preppy look.
Jinga has an up-front, ethical Code of Practice and they provide full-time employment for their Brazilian workers (as opposed to contract work), which means that they are covered by Brazilian employment law, ensuring them basic entitlement to the minimum wage, paid maternity leave and holidays. The company also invests in social projects for the urban poor of Rio de Janiero, one of which is an after-school programme for young people at risk.
For Your Earth is a French trainer with a quirky street style, but can only be sourced in the UK online at the moment. The shoes are made from a combination of recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton. The Hi-tops are For Your Earth´s design strength, offering a nice alternative to the Nike Hi-Top. They get big points for recycling rubber soles.
I´ve saved the best for last! Veja´s recent collaboration with the uber-chic Parisian boutique French Trotters has a unique look that is minimalist, understated and elegant. Veja work in partnership with traditional rubber tappers, ensuring these indigenous skills are kept alive; and they support a co-operative of organic cotton growers who have learned to diversify their crops in the interest of self-sufficiency.
Veja pay their factory workers above the Brazilian minimum wage and 80% of them are union members. This interlinked, collaborative way of working from design, to sourcing, to production defines a new working model for the 21st century, where the ´luxury´ in luxury brand isn´t at the expense of the earth´s resources.
