'Tis the season for go-with-anything trainers.
It's that time of year where white sneakers are considered a fail-safe bet with regards to most outfits you put on your person. Whether suiting up, schlepping to the beach or trailblazing an AGM – white kicks are a-go.
This, along with the meteoric rise of the trainer as of late, proves that there's no surprise they’re having a fashion moment. Adidas sold eight million pairs of their iconic Stan Smiths in 2015 (and that doesn’t include the lookalikes).
However, have you ever stopped to think about the environmental impact of your favourite kicks? From materials to manufacturing, they have a hidden cost – but it is possible to find shoes that don’t cost the Earth.
Bagger 2 Off White Low €127 available from Good News
London-based sustainable sneaker brand Good News boasts must-have status across the Irish Sea, but co-founder Nia Jones isn't satisfied with just that. Instead, she's on a quest to create an entirely carbon-neutral shoe.
The Bagger 2 is brand new for 2019 and made from organic cotton with a recycled rubber sole.
Esplar Leather White €99 available from Veja
You'll have seen Veja's shoes on every cool girl from here to New York, but did you know that the brand itself boasts impressive sustainability practices?
The French brand makes sneakers with raw materials sourced from organic farming and ecological agriculture that the founders say avoids chemicals and polluting processes.
SNEAK L OFF-WHITE SILVER €86.66 available from Po-Zu
Po Zu shoes are made in a toxic-free, ethical factory in Portugal using naturally renewable and sustainably harvested materials.
No toxic dyes are used on the products, which are primarily made of Piñatex, organic cotton, wool, coir (a mix of coconut husk and natural latex), cork, chrome-free leather and natural rubber.
Star Master €59 available from Novesta
Novesta is a Slovakian brand that dates back to the 1930s.
Its entire production is eco-friendly from the natural rubber and cotton that it uses to the hand-finished tyre mark look on the sole. It also eliminates the need for any chemicals, making these guys a win-win for both fashion and sustainability.
New Movements €99 available from Indiegogo
Scandi footwear brand New Movements launched its first line of sneakers on Kickstarter in 2017, before starting on fellow crowdfunding platform Indiegogo a year later. For a pledge, you’re promised a stylish pair of sneakers partly made in Portugal out of recycled materials with the promise of 1kg of ocean plastic being removed for every pair sold.
Main image by @emrata
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