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SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED SHOES

RECYCLED SHOES FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Each year, 25 billion pairs of shoes are manufactured world-wide. Sadly, almost none of these are made sustainably, contributing to the textile industry being the world’s second largest polluter behind oil and gas. This stark reality was one of the major reasons we started SAOLA Shoes and what keeps us motivated to turn this ship around.

We’ve made eco-construction the central pillar of SAOLA’s shoe development – read below to learn more about each of the materials we’ve selected to make our sustainable shoes.

OUR MATERIALS

RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES (PET)

The uppers of SAOLA shoes are made with recycled plastic bottles, otherwise known as PET.

PET is polyethylene terephthalate – you probably know it as the plastic used to make food packaging and plastic water bottles. When recycled, PET goes through a cleaning, grinding, and melting process that results in thread. This thread is then woven into various fabrics, giving a second life to plastic and reducing trash in our landfills. For Saola, the thread is used in the uppers of all our shoes. This technology has come so far that we are now able to mimic animal-based materials like leather and suede using recycled plastic, too.

Our PET supplier is accredited by the “Recycled Global Standard” certification, which ensures the traceability of the production line of these materials.

Depending on the style, each pair of SAOLA shoes contains between four and five recycled PET bottles,
but if we didn’t tell you they were recycled shoes, you’d never know it.

“When I started SAOLA, I was adamant that I wanted to make our shoes as eco-friendly as possible, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice comfort or style to do so … The uppers are the most noticeable part of a shoe that give it its overall style, and we now have way more options in recycled materials to choose from. It’s cool to be a part of a movement that is changing the perception of what eco-friendly style means.” – Guillaume Linossier

ALGAE FOAM FROM BLOOM

All SAOLA insoles and many of the shoes’ outsoles are made with recycled Algae Foam.

Rising temperatures and excess chemicals in our lakes and rivers contribute to the growth of algae – harming plants, animals, and humans.  This is why we’ve partnered with Bloom Foam, who remove harmful algae from the water and put it through a process that dries, crushes and converts it into powder. This powder is then mixed with EVA (a synthetic material) to become Algae Foam. We use this eco-friendly, bio-sourced material to reduce the synthetic materials in our soles by 20%, as well as clean lakes of harmful algae, and prevent the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Now that’s what we call a win for mother nature, and a win for your feet.

RECYCLED EVA OUTSOLES

Some SAOLA Shoes, like the Semnoz and the Baikal, used partially recycled EVA outsoles rather than algae-foam. EVA is a soft and springy foam that is often used in athletic shoes thanks to its lightweight cushion and relative durability. In recent years, in the interest of trying to create less waste and recycle more, manufactures have started recycling EVA from products at their end of life and mixing that recycled foam in with new EVA. The end result is comfortable, shock-absorbing support for your feet that uses less synthetic materials than traditional shoes.

ORGANIC COTTON LACES

We use organic cotton for our laces.

Did you know that cotton cultivation represents only 2.4% of the agricultural area, but that it uses nearly one quarter of the pesticides sold in the world? Gah! That’s why we use organic cotton for our recycled shoes. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are replaced by natural compost, and this cotton requires half as much water as traditional cotton. The end-result is cotton that is softer, more flexible, and way kinder to the planet.

CORK OVERLAID INSOLES

The top layer of our insoles is made with cork. Cork is a natural and highly renewable material harvested from the bark of cork trees. This process causes no harm to the trees. In fact, harvesting the bark can extend the trees lifespan to over 200 years. Cork also creates a healthy walking environment for your feet, as they mold to the shape of your foot, reduce joint stress, and are odor resistan

MAKE AN IMPACT

We are outdoor lovers; we are parents of future generations; and we are dedicated to making a difference.
We are challenging the norms, asking the tough questions, and continually looking for better solutions.
It’s not easy, but if it were, everyone would be doing it, right?

Thank you for being a part of the SAOLAdventure.
YOU are awesome, and together we can
#MAKEANIMPACT