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The challenge of making sustainable footwear
July 31st, 2023
Plastic footwear can take 1000 years to break down. Photo: OrthoLite. A single method to calculate and mitigate the negative environmental impact of footwear is much needed. The European Commission is promoting the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), designed to offer a single method to calculate, and perhaps as important, to communicate the environmental performance of […]
Additive manufacturing for more sustainable footwear
July 31st, 2023
Hilos shoes and the 3D printed shoes platform. Photo Hilos. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of footwear manufacturing by some 48 percent, and reduce water consumption by 99 percent, compared with traditional footwear manufacturing, according to a study led by Portland, Oregon’s HILOS, in partnership with Yale’s Center for […]
Tennies and the footwear revolution
July 31st, 2023
The world calls them “sneakers,” but Minnesotans (at least older folks) call them “tennies.” This is the shortened version of tennis shoes—so called because of their original purpose. Today, it hardly matters as the brilliant idea for a comfortable, functional, durable—and even washable—shoe has so taken off as to leave Keds brand tennies in the […]
Sandal is made with an algae-based foam
July 17th, 2023
Surfing Champion and entrepreneur Kelly Slater has launched his new sustainable and performance-based footwear brand KLLY. Discovering a niche opportunity in the footwear industry, Slater developed a sandal that’s made from recycled material using BLOOM technology, which is derived from algae. This provides a high level of cushioning, durability, responsiveness and water resistance. The high-performance […]
A new world in sustainable footwear
July 17th, 2023
When Nike launched its Flyknit trainer in 2012, it kickstarted a new era in sustainable footwear. The one-piece uppers, knit on a flat machine, created 60 percent less waste than traditional construction. The transition to recycled polyester (rPET) yarns in 2016 added to the brand’s sustainability cred. Adidas followed quickly with their Primeknit styles and […]
Footwear maker reaches net-zero emissions
September 13th, 2021
Twisted X®, a Twisted X Global Brands company, and maker of sustainable footwear, announces that the company has reached net-zero emissions and is furthering its commitment to maintaining carbon neutrality. This qualification comes after assessing 2020 emissions from business operations at their headquarter offices in Texas, contract factories in Mexico and Asia, and third-party distribution […]