The world of quality shoes is in general doing well in many regards when it comes to being sustainable and environmentally friendly. There’s still several areas where things can be improved though, some thoughts around this in today’s article.
Earlier this week I did a Q&A session on Instagram (can be found here for those interested), where one of the most interesting questions I got was about the main challenges for shoe brands and retailers who want to conduct business sustainably. Given the limited space in the aforementioned fora, I replied quite briefly, but there’s more to be said, which I can do here on the blog.
To start, the quality shoe industry in general, and especially in Europe and also the US, is relatively sustainable. I’ve been writing about it before, but to summarise we do talk about durable products that are built to last and be repaired, and the main production of this type of quality, often welted footwear is done in European factories with high standards, good working environment and at least decent salaries. The skins is a byproduct from the meet and diary industry, and those that becomes good quality leather used in this type of shoes comes from animals who have lived relatively good lives, if treated with antibiotics, squeezed together in small areas causing stress, and fed unnaturally to grow quickly the skins doesn’t hold up for the quality demands asked for here (that said, our acceptance of marks from natural life could be better).
Relatively sustainable shoes in most regards. Goodyear welted Spanish made boot by Broken Bird Bootmakers.
Also chrome tanned leathers coming out of Europe are considered sustainable, there’s strict regulations and the tanneries have closed systems where no chrome thad do not emit any waste, so as long as you recycle your shoes as environmentally hazardous waste on the day they are thrown away (because the trivalent chromium used in tanning becomes more dangerous hexavalent chromium if burnt) no chromium will end up in nature. Vegetable tanned leathers have pros compared to chrome tanned when it comes to environmental impact, but also some cons, like more water usage during the tanning process. From a lifecycle perspective, real leather, also chrome tanned, way triumph “vegan leathers” made entirely or mainly out of plastic.
To add on to the above, when we start about challenges, even though welted shoes are being sold on as second hand to a relatively large extent, there’s still plenty of good shoes with lots of life left that are being thrown away. Especially people with good economy don’t think it’s worth the hassle of trying to sell their shoes on Ebay, StyleForum, Shoegazing’s forum (Swedish only), The Shoe Snob buy & sell etc. But here brands and retailers could do so much more to improve the circular economy of this industry. Offer discount on new pairs if you bring your old ones in, and those old ones are then fixed up in the factory/by a cobbler and sold as second hand shoes. We see some examples of this, Leffot in New York takes care of second hand shoes, and Swedish brand Kavat have both a good repair service and a thing they call Good as new where they sell second hand shoes they have repaired and made good again. Especially the latter don’t really make much money out of these services, one see them as part of their work for a sustainable society, they make sure to make money on the first sale, then the other parts are not a moneymaker but a sustainability maker.
Picture of a table at the Shoegazing Market, a second hand market place during the super trunk show in Stockholm, where lots of quality shoes find new owners every year.
Also, which I mentioned in my IG answer, is that brands and retailers can be much better at making it easy for customers to repair and resole their quality shoes. Most factories offer refurbishments, but basically no one informs customers about it in a good way. All who purchase shoes should get a note with info about this in the shoe box, and it should be stated openly on the website. Not everyone have access to a good cobbler, but everyone should have an easy way to resole their welted footwear.
Shoes that are finished and ready to be thrown away? Not at all.
After a refurbishment by the cobbler Bäckmans Skoservice in Stockholm, Sweden. To resole at a cobbler or at the factory should be easy for everyone.
Apart from these practical, concrete examples, there’s of course a bunch of ways makers and retailers of quality shoes can work to improve sustainability. Improvements of the factory, supply chains, material sourcing, logistics, and so on.
And to finish this article, don’t forget that we as customers can do a lot as well. Connected to the things mentioned above, make sure to have our shoes repaired and make sure to sell them on if there’s still life left in them. We should of course make sure to care for the shoes we have, treat them well so they last long, quality shoes have the possibility to last very long, that’s our responsibility to make sure they do.
Do you have thoughts around the topic, feel free to share and discuss i the comments section below.
I’m really pleased that by buying quality shoes, one is effectively making a step towards a more sustainable lifestyle. I buy most (actually all!) of my shoes off of ebay; in addition, I have local cobbler re-sole/heel if necessary and condition and sometime fit lulu toe plates. I am happy to wear second-hand quality welted shoes; I can’t afford to buy new RTW welted shoes (I’m a lowly primary school teacher, and I work part time) so I opt for places like ebay and thrift/charity shops, carefully seeking out quality: I have a pair of Tricker’s monks and a pair of Crockett and Jones derbys in my modest collection. I’m proud of my shoes and would like to continue to increase my collection – but I’m not in a position to spend – so, I’ll get what I can used.
I’m glad that modern tanning processes, if done correctly, has a low environmental impact.
I’m enjoying the articles here on Shoegazing. Thanks
Tony
…I forgot to say, I agree with the point that shoe brands/makers should include more information on how a pair of shoes can and should be re-soles and/or refurbished as I only really learned about welted shoes from men’s classic shoe and clothing website and youtubers….and as you say, not everyone has a good cobbler service on their doorstep.
Anthony Jones: It’s a great way to buy good shoes, to find nicely priced second hand pairs in good condition, or fix them up yourself at a cobbler. You’re being part of the sustainable circular economy.
The shoe makers do not mention the repair part because they are in the business of selling , also in moderately priced shoes the price of replacing soles is sometime not worthy of the effort . I think most customers in the 300-500 $ shoes would just replace their shoes rather then repairing them . One Gets tired of the same shoes and wants a change .
Samir Mehta: a fair point. However, most sub $200/£200 shoes are, by the nature of their materials, construction, and ‘fashion’ driven-styling throw away. More and more people are becoming aware of the challenges quick fashion and buy-and-wear-a-few-times-then-replace-it model. Whilst I recognise there will be significant groups of people who will buy a Primark and those who can afford to just buy an expensive item without thinking of repair, I think there are a growing number of people who want to buy the best they can afford and maintain – a more sustainable model…. btw: think of the patina you could develop on a good pair of leather Goodyear welted shoes;-) – don’t throw away, I say.
Regards
Tony
Samir Mehta: Which was my point with the article, that brands can do more to be more sustainable. That money shouldn’t be the driving force for this part (of course not loose money, but not earn their profit on this part, it’s an additional service part of what would make their USP). As Anthony says, more and more people are thinking about sustainability and the impact their choices in life have on the environment. Sure, more of us customers should repair our shoes as well, as I say, and it should be easy to do. Everyone, companies and customers, should do what they can.
Heard a interview of tomasso melani from stefano bemer where he said that none of his customers were buying shoes with resoling in mind . I guess a person who buys shoes above $ 400 and is keeping the discipline of wearing the same shoe only once in 2 days will have a lot many shoes in his closet and the situation where a shoe needs a resole might not arise for a few years if not more .i do agree with the thought that the shoes develops it own patina over time but personally I would like to move on to a new pair when the time comes .
Samir: Once again, yes there are customers who do like that, which I think is wrong and should be changed, we all need to think more about sustainability and when we have buy good quality shoes that have the possibility to be repaired/resoled and last a long time, it’s our responsibility to make sure to use that, IMO. And, again, I know for a fact that there are many customers of welted shoes, in all price ranges, who do the above and resole shoes many times and wear them for many, many years.